Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/147897
Sarasota News Leader August 2, 2013 Page 53 (From left) Sheriff Tom Knight, Col. Steve Burns and Maj. Kurt Hoffman address the County Commission during a June 21 budget workshop. File photo IN HIS EFFORTS TO KEEP THE CRIME RATE GOING DOWN, SHERIFF TOM KNIGHT IS WORKING WITH THE COUNTY COMMISSION ON HIS STAFFING CHALLENGES FOR THE FUTURE By Rachel Brown Hackney Editor Expanding on brief statistics he reported to the Sarasota County Commission last month, Sheriff Tom Knight has announced crime was down 10 percent in the county for the first half of 2013. As he has in appearances before the commission over the past year, Knight credits "proactive policing, actionable intelligence on prolific offenders and crime prevention partnerships with the community" for the reduction, a news release notes. decreased 13 percent from January to June, while violent crime fell 10 percent, resulting in part to declines in the following categories, the Sheriff's Office reported: • Murder, down 75 percent. • Burglary, down 21 percent. • Grand theft, down 11 percent. • Robbery, down 28 percent. • Auto theft, down 14 percent. Major crimes, known as Part 1 Offenses in The decrease for the first six months of this the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Index, year follows an overall decline of more than