Visitors planning to trek to the southern tip of Florida for frolicking and fun now have even more incentive to do so. Crime in several key areas, according to the Key West Police Department’s end of year report to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, has dropped by double digit percentages; although the city did experience a slight increase in the number of rapes reported.

The report shows overall crime drop-ped by almost 11 percent in 2015. The most dramatic drop was a reduction in robberies, which dropped by 50 percent over 2014. In 2015 there were 20 robberies, compared to the 40 reported in 2014. Violent crime dropped by over 20 percent in 2015. Burglaries dropped by nearly 17 percent and there has not been a murder since the single murder in 2012.

Each year the Key West Police Department reports its crime statistics to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. These statistics are compiled for the entire state by the FDLE in its Uniform Crime Reporting system.

“I’m reassured by this data,” said Police Chief Donie Lee. “It reinforces the fact that Key West is a safe community. But even with these good numbers, we have to continue to reduce opportunities by locking doors and closing windows. I know we can do even better.”

Among other statistics reported:

  • Aggravated assaults dropped by 15.6 percent: 119 in 2015 compared to 141 in 2014.
  • Incidents of rape increased from 15 in 2014 to 18 in 2015.
  • Overall thefts went down by 7.8 percent, and within that, bicycle thefts went down by 12 percent.

The partnership between the Key West Police Department and the community plays a vital role in preventing crime from happening, and solving crimes when they are committed, says Lee.