- November 17, 2024
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John F. Kennedy said "every community gets the kind of law enforcement it insists on." I believe he was correct. I also believe that the type of law enforcement a community receives is based upon the needs of each community and how the law enforcement executive in a community fulfills those needs. But the truth is that for law enforcement to be successful, it requires a good relationship with the community that it serves.
Perhaps you have heard recently about the crime rate in New York City being the lowest in two decades. The community policing philosophy responsible for most of the crime reduction there was introduced by the present NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton under Mayor Rudolph Guiliani in the 1990s. It has proven to be the most effective way to create the right environment for law enforcement and communities to work together to prevent crime from occurring.
Its tenets are that law enforcement treats the citizens it serves as its customers; that crime prevention is the first goal of law enforcement and apprehension is second; and that law enforcement must be proactive in preventing crime.
At the Flagler County Sheriff's Office these goals are effectuated by weekly CompStat meetings with the agency command staff. From data presented at these meetings it is determined where and what type of crime is occurring and how to prevent it from reoccurring. The meetings also ensure that commanders and supervisors in the field know that they are accountable for crime occurrences and are motivated to seek solutions to prevent crime reoccurrence.
The position of Mr. Glover, the writer of the letter that I am responding to herein, is that crime is on the increase in Flagler County. This is not true. Crime has been and is still being reduced in the county. In fact the number of burglaries committed in 2014 is less than it was in 2001 when Flagler had half its current population! By every measure, Flagler's crime statistics are considerably lower than the state and national averages for crimes per 100,000 people (see box on this page), and both national and statewide crime has been and still is on a downward trend.
I believe the reason for this in our community, state and nation is that there are more educated law enforcement executives and officers, better trained executives and officers, and most importantly the expansion of community policing into more agencies.
The perception of an increase in crime may be the result of sensationalized crimes reported from more urbanized area of the state and nation in television, video and print media. We know we have more work to do to continue to lower crime, but that requires not just the hard work of determined deputies. It also mandates that the people in our communities make it harder for criminals to succeed by removing valuables from their vehicles and locking them, protecting their homes from intruders either by alarm or video systems, installing quality locks and using them, and keeping garage doors closed. We cannot eradicate all crime, but, with the assistance of residents, we can do more.
As far as Mr. Glover's suggestion that Palm Coast develop its own police force, I believe that would be a huge fiscal and operational mistake. The city of Palm Coast has estimated that it would take $6 million to $10 million in capital costs to replicate the law enforcement services that the Sheriff's Office provides plus an additional $6 million to $10 million in annual operating costs to run a city police force.
The city currently pays $2.5 million annually to the Sheriff's Office for services. The FCSO presently has a close working relationship with the city administration, and a new Palm Coast precinct in close proximity to city offices is now able to better serve the public.
Fear is a debilitating state of mind, especially when it comes to crime. We live and work in a beautiful area of the world, from a weather and quality of life perspective. Crime, though it does exist here, is much lower than in most communities, and it is about equal no matter where you live in Flagler County. The perception that crime is more prevalent in the P-, B-, or R-sections or any other area of our county is just not true.
I would ask all residents of our county to join with the FCSO to help keep crime rates low by being vigilant of their property and persons and to report crime as soon as it occurs. Let us continue to enjoy the Florida lifestyle that we have come to love.
James Manfre is the sheriff of Flagler County.
The box below shows that crime has declined 9.4% since 2012.
Number of crimes per 100,000 population in 2013
| Violent | Property | Murder | Forcible sex offense | Robbery | Assault | Burglary | Larceny | Motor vehicle theft | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | 367.9 | 2,731.0 | 4.5 | 25.2 | 109.0 | 229.0 | 610.0 | 1,899.0 | 221.0 |
| Florida | 476.1 | 3,151.2 | 5.0 | 51.2 | 120.3 | 300.0 | 730.0 | 2,250.2 | 181.0 |
| Flagler | 294.3 | 1,943.9 | 3.1 | 42.9 | 58.3 | 190.0 | 486.5 | 1,373.0 | 84.8 |
