[TriMT7]

Originally Posted by Anamandy

I wrote about this problem the other day and got a lot of responses that I now question whether they have a vested interest in denying the facts. I've been getting private messages that I am not imagining things and that Florida has a big problem that some people, particularly in the Real Estate Industry, would prefer we sweep under the rug.

I've been checking out warm places all over the country and when doing a sexual offender search haven't seen the level of offenders that's in Fl anywhere else. I also wondered why there was such a glut of houses at such cheap prices, compared to other areas of the country? This is especially telling since the rest of the country has been hard hit too but housing prices have not fallen anywhere to the degree they have in Florida. I wonder how much the housing glut has to do with this problem. Whatever the reason, unless this issue gets properly addressed and dealt with Fl's economy and housing will never get better.

Please refrain from "cause and effect" analysis of ANYTHING until you grasp the point that you are not looking at statistics compiled or reported the same way in each state!

Your "research methodology" is flawed. As others have said, rely on the statistics of other states at your peril.

[Msands44]

Florida - Ranked 8 out of the top 10 most dangerous states in the U.S.

Total Violent Crime Rate: 612.5
--Murder/Manslaughter: 5.5
--Forcible Rape: 29.7
--Robbery: 166.7
--Aggravated Assault: 410.6

Most Dangerous States in America - Violent Crime Rates, Page 2 of 2 - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com

[ferret111]

Originally Posted by Msands44

Florida - Ranked 8 out of the top 10 most dangerous states in the U.S.

Total Violent Crime Rate: 612.5
--Murder/Manslaughter: 5.5
--Forcible Rape: 29.7
--Robbery: 166.7
--Aggravated Assault: 410.6

Most Dangerous States in America - Violent Crime Rates, Page 2 of 2 - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com

Yeah? And?

[Mike1306]

Originally Posted by Msands44

Florida - Ranked 8 out of the top 10 most dangerous states in the U.S.

Total Violent Crime Rate: 612.5
--Murder/Manslaughter: 5.5
--Forcible Rape: 29.7
--Robbery: 166.7
--Aggravated Assault: 410.6

Most Dangerous States in America - Violent Crime Rates, Page 2 of 2 - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com

So according to those stats, which are the FBI Uniform Crime Stats, 36 states have a higher forcible rape rate than Florida. This gives even more credence to those who have been stating Florida is more vigilant in tracking the offenders.

Also 16 states have a higher murder rate, Florida is 7th in robbery and 8th in assault. It seems this ranking gives robbery and assault just as much weight as rape and murder in their ranking.

No one has said Florida does not have crime, what was said was that Florida is one of the best states at tracking sex offenders since that was what the original post was about.

[Msands44]

I don't know about anybody else, but I would rather live in one of the top 10 ranked safest states in the U.S. instead of the 8th most dangerous. The fact that there are 10 states, 15 states, 20 states, etc.. Which are ranked worse would not make me feel better about living there.

To me that's like having to choose to live next door to a murderer, rapist, burglar, or a doctor. But hey, I don't live in a state where almost 20% of residential homes lay vacant either so my logic may be different.

[TriMT7]

Originally Posted by Msands44

I don't know about anybody else, but I would rather live in one of the top 10 ranked safest states in the U.S. instead of the 8th most dangerous. The fact that there are 10 states, 15 states, 20 states, etc.. Which are ranked worse would not make me feel better about living there.

By your logic, we should all leave the United States and move to northern Europe or Canada, where it is much safer.

What's that you say? You can find a locale in the US that is not troubled by crime? Oh my! Guess what?! There are countless towns and cities in the huge and diverse state of Florida that are BELOW national average in crime. Sometimes well below. Certain Florida cities are represented in "the safest places" lists regularly, and have even topped the list on many years.

Really, I don't understand how you fail to grasp that?

To me that's like having to choose to live next door to a murderer, rapist, burglar, or a doctor. But hey, I don't live in a state where almost 20% of residential homes lay vacant either so my logic may be different.

It's not that your logic is different. It's that you apparently have NO logical reasoning, or you failed or don't have the initiative to look beyond statistics. Maybe they didn't tell you on whatever news you watch in whatever shangrila state you live in, but second homes and homes of snowbirds were not distinguished from, say, distressed or truly vacant homes:

2010 CENSUS: Owners of second homes in Florida often are not here for the count

"The vacancy statistics are misleading because they are including homes that are not truly vacant," Smith said. "In Florida we have a lot of snowbirds with homes on the beach and we have a higher proportion of units of that type than found in states that don't have a lot of seasonal residents."

Indeed, the county's top 10 cities with the highest vacancy rates in both the 2000 and 2010 Census also have the highest rates of seasonal residents. In the tiny town of Briny Breezes, nearly half of the residents in the mobile home community have homes elsewhere. In Palm Beach and South Palm Beach, about 40 percent of the homes are considered vacant because the owner's primary residence is elsewhere."

[Msands44]

You can rationalize the wings off a fly.

Florida is still one of the top ten most dangerous states to live in.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by Msands44

You can rationalize the wings off a fly.

Florida is still one of the top ten most dangerous states to live in.

So, if that's what you want to believe - don't live here!

[Retiredcoach]

Originally Posted by gypsychic

So, if that's what you want to believe - don't live here!

The sad thing is that Florida law enforcement is doing a great job in tracking and identifying the convicted child predators within their borders. Instead of feeling a sense of confidence, however, neighbors are conveying a sense of uneasiness. I have to be honest, though, I would do my best to avoid moving to a neighborhood (especially if my children/grandchildren are young) with a convicted predator nearby. I would question their projected safety at being anywhere alone, but more so, if the predator(s) have committed more serious crimes against young children, or were repeat offenders. This is not just a Florida problem, but a common sense approach to finding a home anywhere near the convicted predators. Florida is identifying, tracking, and quite possibly, attracting more of these deviants. Why would anyone want to live in an area overwhelmed with those having a history of harming children? It is a Catch 22 situation for those trying to enforce the laws.....

[num1baby]

Originally Posted by Retiredcoach

Florida is identifying, tracking, and quite possibly, attracting more of these deviants. Why would anyone want to live in an area overwhelmed with those having a history of harming children? It is a Catch 22 situation for those trying to enforce the laws.....

This confused me. Maybe it was in your wording. Maybe I read it wrong. To me it says that Florida is identifying and tracking these people. At the same time you are saying that our tough identifying and tracking is attracting them? That just doesn't seem logical to me. If I was a sex offender and I was going to move to another state, I would probably try to find one that doesn't track them as well.

I also feel safer here knowing that they are tracking them. I also know that I can look up the information on the actual case and find out the facts of the case before making any snap judgments about someone just because they have this label. Other states don't track as well so you never know if you are living right next door to one of those "deviants". If I have to choose between being informed and aware or being completely clueless, I will choose informed. I sleep much better at night knowing the real bogeymen out there.

btw... This was not all directed at you. Most of it is directed to many others in this thread. I do agree with you about avoiding the repeat offenders and the ones against young children. I am also glad that you know a difference between those and the ones that (in my opinion) don't deserve the same label.