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With crime in unincorporated Sarasota County having fallen 35 percent since he took office in 2009, Sheriff Tom Knight and his admin- istrative staff remain focused on hiring and retaining the best possible employees, the sheriff told the Sarasota County Commission during a recent presentation. The Jan. 14 discussion came just before the Sheriff's Office released its year-end report for 2013, which showed a 15.86-percent drop in violent crime, an 11.16-percent decrease in major crimes known as Part 1 Offenses in the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Index and a drop of more than 8 percent in total offenses, compared to 2012 figures. (See the accompa- nying chart.) Since early 2009, Part 1 Offenses are down 34 percent and total crime is down 28 percent, a Sheriff's Office news release pointed out. A chart shows how the Sheriff's Office has reallocated resources to save money. Image courtesy Sheriff's Office STATISTICS SHOW A 35-PERCENT REDUCTION IN CRIME SINCE TOM KNIGHT TOOK OFFICE AS SARASOTA COUNTY SHERIFF IN 2009 By Rachel Brown Hackney Editor Sarasota News Leader January 31, 2014 Page 42