Crime in Jacksonville, Florida (Miami, Orlando: home, safest area, live in)

[rotwein]

Here is the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office map showing various crimes. Click on accept, click on the map and then click on any street.
JSO | Jacksonville Sheriffs Office Disclamer (http://maps2.coj.net/crimestatsdiscl.asp?sJAxGIS=Y - broken link)

[Magnolia Bloom]

Originally Posted by rotwein

Here is the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office map showing various crimes. Click on accept, click on the map and then click on any street.
JSO | Jacksonville Sheriffs Office Disclamer (http://maps2.coj.net/crimestatsdiscl.asp?sJAxGIS=Y - broken link)

Crime stats on the JSO site are not accurate. We've known it for some time in my neighborhood, but it was recently announced in the newspaper that many stats were grossly under-reported.

[gradco2004]

**Don't take my word for it. Read the sources**

First of all, crime statistics are skewed. The crime statistics are based on CITY LIMITS, and not metropolitan area. If you trust the news, I would assume that you think that it ACTUALLY rains cats & dogs (bark bark, meow)!

Lets take a look-see at City Limits:

Jacksonville: 767 sq.mi.
Orlando: 93.5 sq.mi.
Tampa: 112.1 sq.mi.
Miami: 92.42 sq.mi.
Tallahassee: 95.7 sq.mi.
Gainesville: 45.52 sq.mi.

That means Jacksonville's city limits are 7-times the size of the other major cities in Florida.

Source(s):
Jacksonville, Florida - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Orlando, Florida - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tampa, Florida - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Miami, Florida - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tallahassee, Florida - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gainesville Florida Profile and Resource Guide, City or community of Gainesville, Florida Facts, Information, Relocation, Real Estate, Advertising


Let's look at Populations:

Jacksonville: 794,555
Orlando: 220,186
Tampa: 332,888
Miami: 404,048
Tallahassee: 159,012
Gainesville: 95,447

Source(s):
Jacksonville, Florida (FL) Detailed Profile - relocation, real estate, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, news, sex offenders
Orlando, Florida (FL) Detailed Profile - relocation, real estate, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, news, sex offenders
Tampa, Florida (FL) Detailed Profile - relocation, real estate, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, news, sex offenders
Miami, Florida (FL) Detailed Profile - relocation, real estate, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, news, sex offenders
Tallahassee, Florida (FL) Detailed Profile - relocation, real estate, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, news, sex offenders
Gainesville, Florida (FL) Detailed Profile - relocation, real estate, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, news, sex offenders






Jacksonville vs. Tallahassee City Limits Crime




Jacksonville vs. Gainesville City Limits Crime





Now, The Hard Numbers:

Jacksonville vs. Orlando




Jacksonville vs. Tampa




Jacksonville vs. Miami




Jacksonville vs. Tallahassee




Jacksonville vs. Gainesville




Given those stats, it actually is the fact that Jacksonville is THE SAFEST MAJOR CITY IN FLORIDA (Out of Jax, Tampa, Orlando, Miami)

If you have a problem with crime, I suggest moving to Gainesville. Hey, you may not get killed, but I guess forcible rape and stolen cars are more up your alley? Who knows?

I guess that it is fun and somehow liberating to submit an anonymous opinion, just make sure that it is based in FACT and PERSPECTIVE next time. Peace & Love.

[Magnolia Bloom]

Well that was TMI! And statistics are only as good as the numbers behind them.

Actually it wasn't a media claim of inaccurate reporting...it was our sheriff. And our state attorney has been making that claim for quite a while.

11-2-7 Times Union headline: Sheriff admits crime numbers have been misreported

Jacksonville.com

.....The most recent example of under-reporting made available to the Times-Union showed 397 fewer violent crimes and 858 fewer property crimes were reported to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in the first six months of 2006 than actually occurred. A spokeswoman with the FDLE, which records the statistics, said agency officials would review the matter.

From Harry Shorstein, our state attorney:
"It was clear to everyone I've spoken to that we've been under-reporting ... and now it's proved true," Shorstein said. "It's just not logical."

[gradco2004]

Originally Posted by HIF

Well that was TMI! And statistics are only as good as the numbers behind them.

Actually it wasn't a media claim of inaccurate reporting...it was our sheriff. And our state attorney has been making that claim for quite a while.

11-2-7 Times Union headline: Sheriff admits crime numbers have been misreported

Jacksonville.com

.....The most recent example of under-reporting made available to the Times-Union showed 397 fewer violent crimes and 858 fewer property crimes were reported to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in the first six months of 2006 than actually occurred. A spokeswoman with the FDLE, which records the statistics, said agency officials would review the matter.

From Harry Shorstein, our state attorney:
"It was clear to everyone I've spoken to that we've been under-reporting ... and now it's proved true," Shorstein said. "It's just not logical."

Are you insinuating that crime in Jacksonville is worse than in the other "Big 3"?

[agreatlife]

There is a big article in Today's Florida Times Union (front page) about the statistics issue and Rutherford.

[gradco2004]

Even with new numbers, the new stats would have to be 7 times as high as the current reported numbers to even compare to other cities. That's all I'm saying. I'm not defending Jax for the hell of hearing myself type; there is a lack of correlation to the size of Jacksonville/Duval county to the other areas when being reported. In order to establish whether somewhere is "safe" or not, you need to have a comparison, an equal comparison. These articles are not that. They are just "shock pieces".

[riveree]

Originally Posted by agreatlife

There is a big article in Today's Florida Times Union (front page) about the statistics issue and Rutherford.

I read it, it's a good article .

[songgirl]

Originally Posted by gradco2004

Even with new numbers, the new stats would have to be 7 times as high as the current reported numbers to even compare to other cities. That's all I'm saying. I'm not defending Jax for the hell of hearing myself type; there is a lack of correlation to the size of Jacksonville/Duval county to the other areas when being reported. In order to establish whether somewhere is "safe" or not, you need to have a comparison, an equal comparison. These articles are not that. They are just "shock pieces".

I totally see what you are saying. It's hard to compare Jacksonville to other cities due to it's mamouth proportions.

I think most who have lived in and around the city for any length of time would agree that statistics aside, Jacksonville is for the most part a safe, clean and very livable city.

However, as in most cities, there are some poverty stricken areas that are drug and crime infested. The majority of violent crime happens in these few pockets. You can't just look at the statistics to get a clear view of the quality of life in Jacksonville and surrounding areas.

That being said, being the wonderful city that it is, Jacksonville needs to provide much more in the way of outreach and services to the people in these blighted areas. I have worked in social services for 20 years in different parts of the country, and Jacksonville has the fewest programs (and jobs) of all the cities I have lived in.

[Mandy D]

You can have crime anywhere, I have a friend who lives in a very nice neighborhood at the beach and her house got broken into in the middle of the day, it can happen anywhere but there are parts of northside and downtown that are pretty bad.