This message contains images. If you don't see images, click here to view. Click here to advertise in this news brief.   Mobile version    RSS    Subscribe    Unsubscribe    Archive    Media Kit Nov. 1, 2012 Home   About   Sheriffs   Legislative   Conferences   Training   Programs   Membership   Contact Us         Crime down statewide in first half of 2012, FDLE stats show The Tampa Tribune    Share    The Florida Department of Law Enforcement unveiled its statewide crime statistics for the first half of this year, showing crime rates dropping locally and throughout Florida. Overall, there were 359,051 crime victims in Florida from January to June, compared with 434,563 for the same period in 2008. Locally, there was a 6.3 percent drop in Hillsborough County, a 7.4 percent drop in Tampa, a 2.4 percent drop in Pinellas County, a 1.9 percent drop in St. Petersburg, and a 6.6 percent drop in Pasco and Polk counties. More Florida Sheriffs Task Force nets nearly 12,000 felony arrests during Operation Felon Sweep Moore Communications Group via Florida Sheriffs Association    Share    The Florida Sheriffs Association announced that a three-week operation of the Florida Sheriffs Task Force resulted in 11,875 felons being removed from the streets. Operation Felon Sweep combined the strengths of 43 sheriffs' offices from Sept. 28–Oct. 22 and focused on removing violent felons and felons with outstanding warrants off the streets. This was a concentrated effort that included targeted enforcement activities as well as adding extra resources to highlight the role sheriffs and their teams play in crime reduction. More BCSO hosts vigil to honor accident drug overdose victims Florida Today    Share    The Brevard County Sheriff's Office recently hosted a candlelight vigil in memory of people who died from accidental drug overdoses. The Narcotic Overdose Prevention and Education Task Force vigil is held annually for community leaders to join with the public to light candles, take a moment of silence and remember the stories of those who have died. The goal is to educate the public about the dangers of drug abuse. NOPE is a nonprofit organization formed in Palm Beach County in 2004 with the goal of reducing overdose deaths through community education, family support and advocacy. More US violent crime down for 5th straight year CNN    Share    Violent crime in the United States fell for the fifth consecutive year in 2011 with murder, rape and robbery all going down, although crime remains a serious problem in many urban areas, the FBI said. The report of all crimes reported to police nationwide showed slightly more than 1.2 million violent incidents nationwide, while property crimes hit a nine-year low. More Oxycodone ring operated in plain sight in Palm Beach County; 12 arrested The Palm Beach Post    Share    The gang of alleged oxycodone peddlers chose places to do business that they thought wouldn't attract the law: a barbecue restaurant in Boynton Beach, a gas station on Yamato Road, a glass shop in Boca Raton, even a Best Buy. The group of at least 12 were involved in the ring from 2010 to 2012 and have since been arrested on charges including racketeering and trafficking in oxycodone. As the group did their drug sales throughout southern Florida, they did not realize they were being watched by law enforcement, according to the affidavit that details some of the interactions. More New Blue Alert System helps protect law enforcement Carrollwood-Northdale Patch    Share    Citizens can now sign up to receive email alerts through Florida's new Blue Alert Program, which helps protect police officers across the state. A new law requires the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to immediately issue a statewide Blue Alert if a law enforcement officer is killed, assaulted, missing or suffered serious injury, and the suspect is gone. The alert is issued like an Amber Alert or Silver Alert with the information being transmitted over the statewide emergency communication system. More Monroe County Sheriff's Office features missing persons, unsolved cases on Facebook The Associated Press via Sun-Sentinel    Share    The Monroe County Sheriff's Office is featuring missing persons and other unsolved cases on its Facebook page. The cases will be posted on a new Florida Keys Missing and Unsolved Facebook page. Visitors can read about those who have been reported missing, bodies that remain unidentified or unsolved murders and other major crimes which still haven't been resolved. The goal is to reinvigorate long unsolved cases and perhaps help people remember details which might help solve a few of them. More Making a difference: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office rebuilds for the homeless WTSP-TV    Share    The majority of the homeless populations across the state simply want a home. This is where the idea of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Homeless Initiative was born, the brainchild of Deputy Steven Donaldson. He didn't want to just help the homeless find a shelter; he wanted to provide them with a place to live where they can focus on getting their lives back on track. So, he developed Homes of Second Chances, a program that takes borrowed homes and transforms them into homes with the homeless using donated time and supplies. More Alachua deputy helps save unresponsive woman The Gainesville Sun    Share    Two Florida law enforcement officers saved an unresponsive woman on recently, according to the Alachua County Sheriff's Office. "Deputy D. Reibsome and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer B. Lasher were investigating the report of dead fish in the Twin Lakes community," Alachua County Sheriff's Office spokesman Art Forgey said. The victim was a 66-year-old female. She was found on the ground with no pulse. More Child predator sting yields 40 arrests in southwest Florida WINK-TV    Share    A statewide initiative targeting online sexual predators found its way to Lee County over the previous seven days, resulting in 40 arrests. The Lee County Sheriff's Office Sex Crimes Unit along with the FBI Innocent Images Task Force, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, State Attorney's Office of 20th Judicial Circuit and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security participated in the sting which was named Operation SPIDERWEB. More   FSA Weekly InSight Colby Horton, Vice President of Publishing, 469.420.2601 Download media kit Sam Morton, Content Editor, 469.420.2638   Contribute news This edition of FSA Weekly InSight was sent to ##Email##. To unsubscribe, click here. 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