Crime Rate in Hillsborough County Florida 2000 2012 - Research Paper Example

?Crime Rate in Hillsborough County Florida 2000 Crime is one of the synonymous aspects of human life. Wherever exists humanity, crime is inevitable. Crime generally refers to any human acts that violate the laws of the land. It has a direct relationship with race, economic stability, employment, level of income, and governance. The US is a federal state with diverse cultures, classes, huge population, high unemployment rates that foster the occurrence of crime. Ideally, the Federal Bureau of Investigation collects and publishes the crime statistics in the United States annually (Sperling et al 97-101). These statistics only represent the crimes reported to the police. Under normal circumstances, so many crimes never reach the police desk. Hence, the police reports though correct, are not inclusive. In the US, violent crime includes aggravated assault, murder, homicide, rape, robbery with violence, violent crime between intimate partners, hate crime, fraud and impersonation, truancy, financial crimes, and killing of law enforcement officers. In the US, security agents that deal with crime include the police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Criminal investigation Agency. However, despite the huge amount of resources that the US federal government spends on crime prevention and management, the US records approximately 12 million crimes annually which is the worst criminal record in the world. Nevertheless, crime does not occur universally in the US with some states recording higher crime rates while others record low crime rates (Sperling et al 97-101). Indeed, the New England records the lowest crime rates of violence, property, and homicide in the US. Louisiana ranked first every year from 1989 to 2010 on per capita homicide rate. On the other hand, Detroit city has the most thriving crime rates of violent crime. Florida has one of the highest crime rates in US (Thuma et al 5-6). One is either a crime victim or a criminal. Ideally, the chance of one becoming a crime victim in the US depends on location and other demographics. Nevertheless, men, the financially unstable, minorities, and the young are more likely to commit crime or fall victim to crime in the US. However, women of any race are more prone to rape and violence against women than men. In average, 20 % of American citizens become victims of crime every year, which is the highest rate in the world. With the recent economic depression, skyrocketing unemployment, and increasing population crime rate in the US may upsurge due to the hard times and desperation among the citizens (Pearce Web). However, according to the FBI, US were safer in 2010 than in any other year for the last 40 years (Jonsson Web). In comparing US crime rate with other countries, the FBI considers the nation’s wealth, development, and the nature of the crime. This paper will consider the Crime Rate in Hillsborough County Florida and specifically in Tampa area. It will include the crime rates from 2000-2012 and show what things have been done to combat the level of crime to get the levels lower. The paper will equally highlight some of the major crime events that featured in local and national news. Crime rate in Florida closely compares to that of Louisiana. The crime rate in Florida hit its lowest in 40 years this year (Thuma et al 5-6). However, it is arguably true that where man exists, crime exists. Hence, crime is still present in Hillsborough County Tampa area. Tampa area is a city in Florida and the county headquarters of Hillsborough County situated in the west coast of Florida. Tampa city offers tourists attraction sites, historical sites, suburb life, and city life. The crime rate of Tampa city is favorable compared to that of other cities. Though there are no serious crimes here, thieves still open car doors and steal personal belongings. In addition, there are cases of shoplifting (Tampa Bay’s News Leader Web), credit card fraud, sex offences, prostitution, and liquor violations. However, these crimes are not on large scale and the security agents are containing the situation. According to the 2011 Tampa Police Department Report, there was a 7.4 percent decline in the number crimes committed since 2010 in Tampa area. Nevertheless, others crimes registered a slight increase of 0.4 percent. This leads to an overall decline in crime rate by 0.8 percent that is quite convincing. Indeed, the general crime rate in Florida is on a downward trend 2001 to 2011 (Tampa Police Department 4). Actually, the statistics show that when violent crime was decreasing, property crime was also decreasing. With this decreasing crime rate, we can only assume that the Tampa area crime rate of 2012 will be considerably lower. Indeed, in 2009 the average national violent crime rate was 89.09% while the national property crime rate was 60.82%. These figures should decline in 2012 (Sperling et al 97-101). Indeed, the Tampa police department attributes the 61.5 percent drop in crime rate in the past eight years to increased community involvement and more proactive policing policies. Nevertheless, the number of homicides in Tampa rose by 20 percent in 2010 according to the Tampa Police Department. Indeed, there were 72 homicide cases in 2010, compared with 60 in 2009. At the same time, in 2011, Tampa city had 7.8 vandalism incidents per 1,000 residents, which amounted to about 25 vandalism incidents per square mile. In 2009, there were 1,588 aggravated assault crimes, 150 arson,3,501 burglary, 80 forcible rape, 8,098 larceny and theft, 1,361 motor vehicle theft, 20 murder and manslaughter, 909 robbery crimes that totaled to 19,713 crimes,13,110 property crime, and 2,597 violent crimes. On the other hand, in 2012 it is projected that 870 aggravated assault, 2,704 burglary crimes, 21 forcible rape cases, 6,057 larceny and theft, 16 murder and manslaughter crimes, 280 robbery, 7,973 property crimes, and 1,186 violent crimes will occur (Sperling et al 97-101). The resultant decline in crime rate both in US and specifically in Tampa area follows diverse measures by the federal government and county governments. Alongside other security forces like the CIA, the FBI bears the full mandate of preventing crime around the globe (FBI Web). To this effect, the US government channels a lot of financial support, technological support, and human resource to enable this agency fulfill its purpose. Indeed, the Federal; Bureau of Investigations combats all forms of crimes ranging from the most dangerous crimes and security threats like terrorism, other local crimes like cyber-attacks, corruption, frauds, violence in the streets, murders, rape, kidnaps, and robbery. In Tampa, the mandate of fighting crime rests with the FBI, other security agents, and programs. The FBI have specialized agents that deal with cybercrimes and attacks in conjunction with other agencies. It equally has a professional foreign counterintelligence squad that prevents possession and use of weapons of mass destruction and other embargoed technologies thus securing the secrets of the U.S. government and national assets. Indeed, the FBI works in partnership with other law enforcement partners to address various violent crimes in Tampa (FBI Web). At the same time, there are frequent patrols in Tampa city that covers the Downtown Tampa, Ybor City Entertainment District, Port of Tampa, and the Channel side District. The uniformed officer patrols, ROC squads, and property crimes detectives are responsible for the District Three Patrol Division (City of Tampa Web). These patrols help in prevention of crime and arrests of criminals in Tampa thus combating crime. Indeed, the patrols are very efficient in prevention of crime. Furthermore, there is an effective community policing initiative in Tampa that serves in prevention of crime and identification of criminals. The East Tampa Community Revitalization Partnership ensures that the community can easily reach out to the uniformed officers where the officers respond to calls for service in Tampa. Indeed, there is a close working relationship between the Tampa police officers and the residents of Tampa (Klofas et al 74). The community policing initiative is part of the Tampa’s Four Policing Plan that seeks to prevent crime, identify criminals, and analyze crime in real time. The program has significant effect in combating crime in Tampa. However, there requires investigations in handling crimes in Tampa. To this effect, the District Latent Investigation Squad investigates crimes against property, economic crimes, and robbery, minor and major assaults in District 3 (City of Tampa Web). The investigations are fundamental in establishing all the facts pertaining to a crime and thus its prevention and address. At the same time, we have the School Resource Officer Program that aims at imparting knowledge on the young people on the functions of law enforcement and the importance of safety (City of Tampa Web). The program also seeks to combat crime on a pre-delinquent basis, promote security, safety, and prevent violence among students. This program literally creates a young generation that is aware and free of criminal activities in Tampa. Moreover, the Rapid Offender Control Officers concentrate on high crime areas called Offender Control Zones where they use their intelligence to prevent the occurrence of additional crimes, identify suspects, and solve crimes (City of Tampa Web). Tampa city also has a Crime Prevention Unit that includes the police, community, and business leaders with an aim of improving security and quality of life in each district. This venture further strengthens the community-policing program that combats crime significantly. The Crime Prevention Unit equally seeks to inform and educate citizens of prevention tactics against home burglaries and theft. It also encourages the community’s participation in the Neighborhood Watch Program that scouts for individual talent and sacrifice on combating crime in Tampa (City of Tampa Web). The two programs are very efficient. In addition, a Tampa Bay Strike Force executes search warrants on crimes relating to business frauds, Medicare frauds, and other financial frauds in Tampa (City of Tampa Web). More so, subject to the new technology where almost every citizen is online, the Tampa Police Department is in partnership with RAIDS Online in an effort to avail easy to read crime maps and crime analysis in Tampa city. Tampa city is also prone to crimes relating to prostitution (Tampa Police Department 4). As a result, the Tampa Police Department has created the Prostitution Enforcement Zone in conjunction with State Attorney Mark Ober that seeks to reduce prostitution in Tampa city. This was a reprieve from the past prostitution crimes. In addition, there is a national campaign against gun violence in Tampa fostered by Tampa Police Department and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (Tampa Police Department 6). This effort seeks to reduce crimes related to gun violence in Tampa city. In an effort to address crime awareness and prevention among students, the Tampa Police Department and the University of Tampa has a Public Service video Announcement for the students (Tampa Police Department 7). The video reminds the students on the existence of crime in their schools and the subsequent measures to adopt so that they do not become crime victims. There is a police dog in the streets of Tampa city that detects marijuana, meth, cocaine, Xanax, and heroin. Additionally, there was an anti-crime rally and protests in Tampa seeking to warn criminals against criminal activities in Tampa (Tampa Police Department 9-10). The rally and the protests instilled fear among the potential criminals. Furthermore, there are plans to roll out 200 bicycle officers down Tampa’s streets during the Republican National Convention. This will serve the purpose of ensuring safety for the visitors. This will in a big way combat possible crime during the Republican National Convention (Tampa Police Department 12). As a result of the measures put by the federal government and the county of Hillsborough, Tampa city crime rate decreased by 7.4% in 2011. However, despite these measures, there have been big crimes in Tampa city that caught the attention of the local and national media. On May 2, 2012, the Departments of Justice, Health and Human Services, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement reported charges on Emmanuel Mekowulu a Tampa-area pharmacist. Emmanuel Mekowulu faces charges for illegal diversion of controlled substances and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances illegitimately. According to the Department of Justice, Emmanuel Mekowulu risks a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and forfeiture of his Florida Department of Health Pharmacist License (Middle District of Florida Web). In another incident, a Dover Locos member died this week after instigating a drive-by shooting in Dover. In the fire exchanged involving rivaling Dover Locos and Sur-13, gang members a driver Jose Luis Hernandez, 22 died. The detectives qualify this as an act of felony that is likely to lead to retaliation (Wang Web). As such, despite the many crime-combating measures in Tampa, acts of criminal nature are still present. In conclusion, I find that crime is a major issue in US and specifically in Tampa city. The acts of crime range from violent crimes to serious crimes like terrorism and murder. There have been many measures to curb crime in Tampa, which include patrols, investigations, community policing and others. The FBI, the Tampa Police Department, and other uniformed officers prevent and investigate crime in Tampa. As a result, acts of crimes in Tampa city are on a decline in the period 2002-2012. Nevertheless, acts of crime are still present in Tampa city and its neighborhood. Works Cited City of Tampa. TPD District 3. City of Tampa, 2012. Web 27, June 2012. < http://www.tampagov.net/dept_police/about_us/Police_Operations/district_3/> FBI. Tampa Division. FBI, 2012. Web 27, June 2012. Jonsson, Patrik. US violent crime rate down for fifth straight year. The Christian Science Monitor, 2012. Web 27, June 2012. < http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2012/0612/US-violent-crime-rate-down-for-fifth-straight-year> Klofas, John et al. The New Criminal Justice: American Communities and the Changing World of Crime Control. London: Taylor & Francis, 2009. Print. Middle District of Florida. Tampa-Area Resident Charged In Nationwide Medicare Fraud Strike Force Takedown. United States Department of Justice, 2012. Web 27, June 2012. < http://www.justice.gov/usao/flm/press/2012/may/20120502_Mekowulu.html> Pearce, Matt. Think you know about crime in the U.S? Think again. Los Angeles Times, 2012. Web 27, June 2012. < http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-crime-rate-america-20120617,0,3322767.story> Sperling, Bert et al. Cities Ranked & Rated: More Than 400 Metropolitan Areas Evaluated in the U.S. & Canada. London: John Wiley & Sons, 2007. Print. Tampa Bay’s News Leader. Mall crime stats show surprises. Web 27, June 2012. < http://www.wtsp.com/news/article/254414/8/Mall-crime-stats-show-surprises> Tampa Police Department. Signal 14.Spring, 2012. Web 27, June 2012. < https://www.tampagov.net/dept_police/Files/publications/Signal-14/s14current.pdf> Thuma, Cynthia et al. True Crime: Florida: The State's Most Notorious Criminal Cases. New York: Stackpole Books, 2011. Print. Wang, Stephanie. Recent arrests bring attention to east Hillsborough gang activity. Tampa Bay Times, 2012. Web 27, June 2012. < http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/recent-arrests-bring-attention-to-east-hillsborough-gang-activity/1236377> Read More