Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/256534
EDITORIAL OPINION EDITORIAL One of the delights of l i v i n g i n S a r a s o t a County is how liberating the warm climate is. Being out of doors, walking instead of driv- ing, basking in the sunny days and balmy nights … all add a special dimension to life here on the Suncoast. The fear of becoming a victim of criminal activity definitely would detract from that, but Sarasota County is also blessed with a rather low crime rate. And, thanks to Sheriff Tom Knight and his staff, it keeps getting lower and lower. Recently, Knight and other members of his team reported to the County Commission on crime statistics for 2013. Crime in the unin- corporated county dropped by more than 8 percent over 2012, but it was down even more in terms of serious offenses: Violent crime was down almost 16 percent, and total major crimes were down 11 percent. Forcible sex offenses were down 29 percent. Robberies were down by a third. But two statistics Knight presented paint an especially rosy picture of his tenure as sher- iff. In the almost five years he has been on the job, crime has fallen about 35 percent in the county. Moreover, Sarasota County continues to lead the state's most populous counties — those with populations of 100,000 or more — in crime reduction. As residents, we can take comfort in how this makes everyday life safer for all of us. But SHERIFF TOM KNIGHT DELIVERS POSITIVE RESULTS OPINION