The Florida criminal attorneys at Musca Law are well aware of the public concern regarding crime, as well as the emphasis at the state level on law enforcement and corrections. As states across the country slash their budgets, many southern states have elected to keep their corrections budget high, preferring to incarcerate convicted criminals over alternative methods of punishment, such as house arrest and probation. Also, Florida criminal lawyer John Musca likes to keep abreast of the latest statistics regarding crime throughout the state. With that in mind, we took a look at the trends of the past few decades in Florida criminal activity.
Between 1960 and 2007, the population increased exponentially, in part because of the desirable climate in the state and the growing popularity of Florida as a retirement destination. During that period, the population rose from 4,951,560 to 18,251,243, an increase of about 400 percent. In 1960, 403 forcible rapes were reported, compared to 6,151 in 2007. Rape, however, is far more difficult to quantify than any other crime, with the possible exception of domestic violence, according to the Musca Law Florida criminal defense lawyers. In the past few decades, awareness of rape has grown significantly. Nonetheless, reporting is believed to remain very low, although it is almost certainly higher today than it was nearly five decades ago. Rape statistics peaked in 1997, when 7,599 were reported statewide.
After slowing in the 1990s, the number of murders are back to the high numbers first seen in the 1980s. In 1962, the state saw only 420 murders, the lowest number in the time frame. The numbers peaked in 1982 and again in 1988, with 1,409 and 1,405 murders respectively. After a significant dip between 1998 and 2005, the numbers are on the rise again, at 1,201 in 2007.
Florida criminal lawyers wonder, then, if the hype about crime rate is at times overblown? Although crime remains a serious problem facing the state, and even one murder or rape is too many, the figures are not significantly higher than they were almost 50 years ago when factoring in the dramatic change in population. Generally, the crime rates appear to have been at their highest across the board during the 1980s, then dropped during the 1990s. Because economic factors influence crime, legislators should be aware that the current downturn may cause a spike in the statewide crime rate.
Below is a video regarding increases in sex offender punishment in Florida:
The statistics used in this story can be found here.
Between 1960 and 2007, the population increased exponentially, in part because of the desirable climate in the state and the growing popularity of Florida as a retirement destination. During that period, the population rose from 4,951,560 to 18,251,243, an increase of about 400 percent. In 1960, 403 forcible rapes were reported, compared to 6,151 in 2007. Rape, however, is far more difficult to quantify than any other crime, with the possible exception of domestic violence, according to the Musca Law Florida criminal defense lawyers. In the past few decades, awareness of rape has grown significantly. Nonetheless, reporting is believed to remain very low, although it is almost certainly higher today than it was nearly five decades ago. Rape statistics peaked in 1997, when 7,599 were reported statewide.
After slowing in the 1990s, the number of murders are back to the high numbers first seen in the 1980s. In 1962, the state saw only 420 murders, the lowest number in the time frame. The numbers peaked in 1982 and again in 1988, with 1,409 and 1,405 murders respectively. After a significant dip between 1998 and 2005, the numbers are on the rise again, at 1,201 in 2007.
Florida criminal lawyers wonder, then, if the hype about crime rate is at times overblown? Although crime remains a serious problem facing the state, and even one murder or rape is too many, the figures are not significantly higher than they were almost 50 years ago when factoring in the dramatic change in population. Generally, the crime rates appear to have been at their highest across the board during the 1980s, then dropped during the 1990s. Because economic factors influence crime, legislators should be aware that the current downturn may cause a spike in the statewide crime rate.
Below is a video regarding increases in sex offender punishment in Florida:
The statistics used in this story can be found here.
