St. Petersburg crime rate jumps, with huge increase in auto thefts in Midtown
June 3, 2009 at 1:19 pm by Wayne GarciaThe old saw that you heard from Mayor Rick Baker and Police Chief Chuck Harmon was that despite perceptions and neighborhood leaders’ unhappiness, the crime rate in St. Petersburg was actually going down.
Not any more.
The Times is reporting that in the first four months of the year, crime is up:
Crime is on the rise in the city, jumping up 7 percent the first four months of this year.
The rise is fueled mostly by an increase in property crimes, which have risen 8 percent from January to April, according to police department statistics. Violent crime is up 3 percent.
The most serious jump may be in Midtown, which has seen a 16 percent rise in property crimes, including a 39 percent leap in auto thefts.
And here’s the obligatory “No shit, Sherlock” quote from Harmon:
“This is only four months of data, it’s early,” said Police Chief Chuck Harmon. “But these are trends you don’t want to see continue.”
