Police: More crime means more cops
By DAVE SHELTON
Article published on Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2007  |
LARGO – Police Chief Lester Aradi is concerned at the rise in violent crimes in Largo last year and said he needs 10 more officers on the street. For three months, the chief said after last week’s city commission meeting, he has withheld the latest statistics, hoping they were wrong. He said that he wasn’t sure about the numbers since the city had computerized its reporting system last year.
During the Oct. 9 meeting, Aradi told elected officials the numbers show violent crimes in the city rose 9.2 percent during 2006, contrary to county and state numbers that showed fewer violent crimes.
In addition, the rate of violent crimes per 100,000 residents of the city rose 7.8 percent, to 4,182. Aradi noted that there are only 76,000 residents in Largo, but that the actual numbers are adjusted so the rate can be compared to other cities.
The crimes, compiled by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement include murder, rape, robbery, assaults, burglaries, larcenies and car thefts.
Domestic violence, which is included in the reported assaults, is the one bright spot, Aradi said. Last year Aradi launched a major campaign to stem domestic violence on the heels of numbers showing it was fueling the city’s violent crime rate more than rapes, murders and robberies.
That campaign, however, came after the 2006 numbers had been filed. The 2006 numbers, the chief said, indicate that the primary fuel for violent crimes in Largo that year were drug related.
Burglaries and larcenies, often committed by drug users, accounted for almost all of the city’s crimes last year, Aradi pointed out. He said there were two murders, 300 aggravated assaults, 102 robberies and 35 rapes.
Aradi said his 140 officers aren’t enough to “adequately” combat crimes in the city. He said that, at 1.84 officers per every 1,000 residents, ratio is far below the rate in neighboring municipalities.
The chief said Clearwater has 260 officers, a rate of 2.35 per 1,000; Pinellas Park has 2.10 per 1,000, and St. Petersburg has 540 officers, a rate of 2.18 per 1,000 residents.
Aradi said he believed he should have 10 more officers on the street and would seek federal money to hire that many during 2008. This was endorsed by the City Commission.
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Article published on Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2007
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