Violent crime down sharply in Lee County
The 2011 Annual Crime Report from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office shows violent crime in the county dropped by double digits…down 11% compared to 2010.
Included are sharp drops across the board for murder (down 12%), forced sex crimes down (down 24%), robbery (down 4%) and aggravated assault (down 11%). The reduction in violent crimes contributed to yet another drop in the overall crime rate in Lee County, down 1% from the previous year. This marks the 4th straight year that the overall crime rate has dropped in Lee County, and Sheriff Mike Scott says that’s no accident.
“I am very encouraged that every category of violent crime is down sharply and further that the countywide crime rate is down. These numbers come on the heels of deep budget cuts and reflect the hard work of the men and women at the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. Of course, even one crime is too many and to that end we will continue with an aggressive, sustained focus on prevention and enforcement.”