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decreased 4 percent in the past year and 21 percent since 2009. "We are committed to our intelligence-led policing model, Intelligence 2 Action, which certainly contributed to this unprecedented drop in crime," said Knight in the release. "These results can be directly attributed to the tireless efforts of our personnel. They not only accepted this model but took complete ownership of it. And, despite our impres- sive accomplishments in the first few years of the program, the men and women of the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office did not grow complacent." Knight added, "The mission now is to main- tain our quality workforce and continue to adapt to crime trends to further improve the quality of life here. I could not be more proud of our people." During an appearance before the County Commission in mid-January, Knight noted that his office's statistics continued to show Sarasota County with the greatest decrease in crime of the 33 Florida counties with pop- ulations of 100,000 or greater. In reporting on the department's workforce, Maj. Kurt Hoffman, head of the Administrative Division and general counsel, said, "We're starting to get a reputation as the place to go" for people interested in law enforce- ment careers. Between mid-November 2012 and mid-Feb- ruary of this year, Hoffman pointed out, the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office scheduled (From left) Sheriff Tom Knight, Col. Steve Burns and Maj. Kurt Hoffman prepare to discuss their office's proposed 2014 fiscal year budget with the County Commission in June 2013. File photo Sarasota News Leader May 2, 2014 Page 57