Welcome to Orlando (Tampa, Plantation, Brandon: environment, apartments, income)

[Nirvana-Guy]

Ok, you all have seen my "Central FL crime news" thread. Well, people are desensitized about the sheer number of muders, rapes, DUIs, kidnappings, beatings, robberies and etc.

So this thread will be a "Welcoming" thread to everyone who moves to Orlando. I will try to put the violent crimes in Orlando in a person's perspective.

Hope this helps those who are apathetic to Orlando's violent crime problem to try and put themselves in the victim's shoes and think "this could have been me".

Police: Neighborhood Feud Sparks 3 Shootings In 3 Days In Central Florida --> Anyone can drive by the area and get hit by a stray bullet!!

POSTED: 10:02 pm EDT April 28, 2007
UPDATED: 10:13 pm EDT April 28, 2007

PINE HILLS, Fla. -- A neighborhood feud in a Pine Hills neighborhood is being blamed for sparking at least three shootings in three days, according to Orlando police.

The latest shooting in the area happened Saturday near Bramblewood Drive in Pine Hills.

A teen was shot three times in the stomach but told investigators he would not identify the shooter, according to the report.

Local 6 reported that an alleged fight in the neighborhood has been going on for several weeks.



http://www.local6.com/news/13217342/detail.html


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Vandal Paints Orlando Police Cruiser Red --> does this show how little respect the locals have for cops? >_<

POSTED: 10:39 pm EDT April 28, 2007
UPDATED: 12:00 am EDT April 29, 2007

A vandal painted a red streak on a police cruiser while it was parked in downtown Orlando over the weekend.



http://www.local6.com/news/13217395/detail.html

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Students' Cars Broken Into While They Attend Grad Night At Disney --> A prom night to remember!

POSTED: 5:42 am EDT April 30, 2007
UPDATED: 7:05 am EDT April 30, 2007

Dozens of vehicles were broken into and vandalized at Ocoee High School over the weekend while the owners attended Grad Night at Walt Disney World.

http://www.local6.com/news/13219849/detail.html

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Police: Several Cars Hit Pedestrian, None Stop -->The lesson here must be.... Do NOT cross any streets in Orlando!!!

POSTED: 11:18 pm EDT April 28, 2007
UPDATED: 8:40 pm EDT April 29, 2007

Authorities in Orange County, Fla., arrested a man Sunday on suspicion he was the first of at least three other drivers who hit and ran over a man crossing a street and continued driving, according to police.

Officers said the man and a woman were crossing a portion of Orange Blossom Trail just south of Interstate 4 Saturday when the man was struck.

The victim, who was not identified in the report, died on the scene, according to the report.



http://www.local6.com/news/13217478/detail.html

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More to come...

Let's sound off: how would YOU feel if you were a victim or a family member of a victim of one of these common daily violent crimes in Orlando?

[Nirvana-Guy]

Shots Fired At Deputy's Cruiser --> yeah, we ONLY have a few violent gangs in Orlando... they are so crazy they even shoot COPS!! Yeah, you, some nice person down the road will not get shot by criminal gangs...

POSTED: 7:45 am EDT April 29, 2007

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- A suspect in a fleeing car fired shots at pursuing Orange County deputies, hitting one of the deputies' cruisers. The deputy was not hurt.

Two bullets hit the car's door and another blew out a tire in the Sunday morning shooting.

Investigators say two cars were racing down Hiawasee Rd. when deputies gave chase. The cars turned into the Plantation Villa Apartments on Balboa Dr. That's where the shots were fired.

Deputies say the people in the cars jumped out and ran off. They have not been found.

http://www.wftv.com/news/13217751/detail.html

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Pedestrian Killed In Hit And Run Accident --> Illegal aliens kill people and they bond out same day... no problems there....

POSTED: 11:50 am EDT April 29, 2007
UPDATED: 1:26 pm EDT April 29, 2007

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A pedestrian trying to cross South Orange Trail was killed Saturday night after being struck by three different cars.

The driver of the first car, 39 year old Manuel Acero, was located and taken into custody.

http://www.wftv.com/news/13218294/detail.html

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Man Charged With Robbing Pharmacy With Butter Knife --> Pills are gooooooood and so easy to get even a man with a butter knife can get them!

POSTED: 7:57 am EDT April 30, 2007

SPRING HILL, Fla. -- Authorities said they've arrested a Citrus County paramedic who used a butter knife to steal pain pills from a Spring Hill CVS pharmacy.

Deputies said Brandon Scott Johnson, an employee with the county's private EMS service, confessed to threatening a pharmacist with a butter knife and stealing 140 pills of Oxycontin, a prescription pain medication.

http://www.wftv.com/news/13220316/detail.html

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Men Arrested After Fake Kidnapping --> Need money? Kidnap yourself!

POSTED: 10:36 am EDT April 30, 2007

TAMPA, Fla. -- Authorities said a Tampa man faked his own kidnapping to pay for his drug habit. John Patterson III called his girlfriend on Friday, telling her some men were going to kill him unless she brought $350 to him.

The woman called Tampa police, who called Patterson's cell phone. Police said they later found him with another man, Dan Myers.

http://www.wftv.com/news/13221541/detail.html

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Deputy Shoots Man Threatening To Commit Suicide --> Go kill yourself, but please do not kill anyone else for no reason!! I know Orlando is depressing, but COME ON!!!

POSTED: 6:57 am EDT April 30, 2007
UPDATED: 7:22 am EDT April 30, 2007

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- Sunday night, an Orange County deputy shot a man threatening suicide when the man allegedly turned his 14-inch butcher knife away from himself and tried to attack a deputy near Ohio Avenue.

When their suicidal subject turned a knife on those who came to save him, deputies believed it was clearly a case life or death.

http://www.wftv.com/news/13220021/detail.html

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Woman Killed, Daughter Injured In Shooting Spree
Bramble Considered Armed And Dangerous

POSTED: 9:41 pm EDT April 28, 2007
UPDATED: 9:47 pm EDT April 28, 2007

Authorities in Orlando, Fla., are searching for a man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend's mother and injuring two others during a weekend shooting spree.



http://www.local6.com/news/13217314/detail.html

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Man Dodges Bullet During Road Rage Incident --> The locals are friendly...

POSTED: 6:40 am EDT April 30, 2007
UPDATED: 7:10 am EDT April 30, 2007

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- A road rage incident escalated to gunfire in Orange County, and two bullets came dangerously close to a man's head.

Orange county deputies suspect the two people who ditched a car after a crash near Pine Hills Road and Clarcona-Ocoee Road are the same two involved in a road rage incident that ended in a shooting.



http://www.wftv.com/news/13219997/detail.html

[jeffm]

that you could take almost any major city and post all the crimes that occur every day and it wouldn't look much different. Which leads me back to my question that you haven't answered....have you ever lived anywhere else?

[Jammie]

It sounds like some areas of Orlando do have a lot of crime. I also read about a double shooting this weekend in the Sentinel. It horrified me, but when I read the article I realize it could happen anywhere. It was a woman and her Mom who had been shot and the suspect had a child with the woman. So it was a crime of passion. Maybe a scenario like he was kept away from the child or something personal going on there. Much of the violence may be related to family type feuds and it could happen anywhere.

[Dalt10]

Run for the hills, grab you guns, kids, family and lets get out of town. I'm scared to death now.
And the answer to your question Jeffm is that he has never lived anywhere except his moms house.

[Obamanation]

Originally Posted by jeffm

that you could take almost any major city and post all the crimes that occur every day and it wouldn't look much different. Which leads me back to my question that you haven't answered....have you ever lived anywhere else?

Exactly correct. Although I have heard that crime in O-Town is fairly high... but nothing like LA, etc. If you hadn't noticed, most of these crimes happened in Pine Hills, which even I as a Tampa native know to avoid. The simple solution is not to drive through these areas, and you'll be fine. I would definitely like more insight on Orlando since I am considering a move there, to attend UCF.

[Nirvana-Guy]

Originally Posted by Obamanation

Exactly correct. Although I have heard that crime in O-Town is fairly high... but nothing like LA, etc. If you hadn't noticed, most of these crimes happened in Pine Hills, which even I as a Tampa native know to avoid. The simple solution is not to drive through these areas, and you'll be fine. I would definitely like more insight on Orlando since I am considering a move there, to attend UCF.

In case you did not know, the gang war in Pine Hills has spilled to the surrounding areas as well.

Check out the map. It is not entirely in "Crime Hills".... The local news are reporting shootings and murders happening outside of that are.



Anyhow...

[Jammie]

Originally Posted by Obamanation

Exactly correct. Although I have heard that crime in O-Town is fairly high... but nothing like LA, etc. If you hadn't noticed, most of these crimes happened in Pine Hills, which even I as a Tampa native know to avoid. The simple solution is not to drive through these areas, and you'll be fine. I would definitely like more insight on Orlando since I am considering a move there, to attend UCF.

http://www.city-data.com/city/Los-An...alifornia.html

http://www.city-data.com/city/Orlando-Florida.html

HMMM, this is strange. I also thought that L.A. would be a much more dangerous city then Orlando. But according to CD, L.A. is actually safer.

OK, since it sounded odd, I checked another site and it pretty much confirms it. There seems to be more crime in Orlando then in L.A.

Is that possible?

[Annie31]

There is alot of crime and I lived in Pine Hills since I was 5yrs old and moved out of that area into Apopka when I was about 24 yrs old. Apopka is getting bad also. We been living in Mt.Dora for the last 6yrs or so, and not so bad up in this area, but for how long, I have no idea. It is sad, that it has gotton this bad down here. I wouldn't suggest anyone to come down to Florida and raise a family here. I have 2 small kids and we are looking to move out of here, just because the schools are horrible and I want them to have a good education and not have to worry about all the other terrible crime here. Every night you turn on the news there are several terrible crimes happening and it is someone getting killed, robbed, raped.

[ktdid2000]

Hell, all that news happened in Charlotte, NC where I grew up. There is always SOMETHING happening for crying out loud. Where there are people and human emotions crime will happen. Given the environment often plays into it coming to fruition, but the underlying issues will always be there.

I do agree there are a lot of crazy people living around here, but that is what happens when low income, poor education, and road rage combine.

Having said that, I haven't felt threatened here yet. But I do live in east Orlando, a supposedly "safer" area.