Famous for its beautiful beaches and historic riverfront, Fort Lauderdale offers arts, culture, and fabulous shopping to its residents. Fort Lauderdale has no shortage of exciting things to do and excellent local amenities. But Fort Lauderdale also offers something less desirable: one of the highest crime rates in America for a city of its size. Let's take a look at the latest crime statistics for Fort Lauderdale and see what's going on.
How Fort Lauderdale Ranks in Terms of Crime
Although the beautiful beaches and excellent shopping make Fort Lauderdale a great place to live, a crime rate that is 123% higher than the national average does not. This makes Fort Lauderdale 92% more dangerous than other cities in the U.S. The Fort Lauderdale crime rate averages about 110% higher than the rest of Florida.
Number of Annual Crimes in Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale residents have a 1 in 17 chances of becoming a victim of any crime. However, when you look at the data for violent crimes and property crimes, the statistics are very different. The amount of violent and property crime in Fort Lauderdale is 11,078. For every 100,000 people in Fort Lauderdale, there are 16.77 crimes committed a day, based on 2016 data. As bad as that sounds, year over year crime in Fort Lauderdale has not increased.
Number of Violent Crimes in Fort Lauderdale
Violent crime is composed of four offenses: murder and non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Although murder and homicide are often used as synonyms, they are not the same in terms of criminality. A murder is always a crime, while a homicide may not be. Your chances of being a victim of violent crime in Fort Lauderdale is 1 in 169.
Number of Property Crimes in Fort Lauderdale
Property crimes include burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson. The distinction between theft and burglary is the use of force. Theft means taking someone's property but does not involve the use of force. Burglary means illegally entering a property in order to steal property. You have a 1 in 19 chance of being a victim of property crime in Fort Lauderdale.
Fort Lauderdale Annual Violent and Property Crimes by the Numbers
To break it down further, here are the numbers of violent and property crimes in Fort Lauderdale as compared to the rest of the nation according to the latest data.
Fort Lauderdale Violent Crimes
- 15 murders, 81 rapes, 429 robberies, 547 assaults
Fort Lauderdale Violent Crime Rates per 1,000 Residents
- 0.08 murders, 0.45 rapes, 2.37 robberies, 3.02 assaults
United States Violent Crimes
- 17,284 murders, 135,755 rapes, 319,356 robberies, 810,825 assaults
United States Violent Crime Rates per 1,000 Residents
- 0.05 murders, 0.42 rapes, 0.98 robberies, 2.49 assaults
Fort Lauderdale Property Crimes
- 1,657 burglaries, 7,424 thefts, 925 motor vehicle thefts
Fort Lauderdale Property Crime Rates per 1,000 Residents
- 9.16 burglaries, 41.02 thefts, 51.1 motor vehicle thefts
United States Property Crimes
- 1,401,840 burglaries, 5,519,107 thefts, 773,139 motor vehicle thefts
United States Property Crime Rates per 1,000 Residents
- 4.30 burglaries, 16.94 thefts, 2.37 motor vehicle thefts
Fort Lauderdale Topped Florida's Most Dangerous Cities in 2014
In a state-by-state breakdown by the website Homesecuritysheild.net in 2014, Fort Lauderdale ranked number seven on the list of Florida's most dangerous cities. The listing was based on data released by the FBI and included violent and property crimes. While ranking seventh on the list overall, Fort Lauderdale was the top-ranking city in Broward County. Other Broward cities on the list included Pompano Beach (11th), Oakland Park (16th) and Lauderdale Lakes (19th).
The best indicator of whether or not Fort Lauderdale is becoming a safer city is an analysis of the crime rate in the area year over year. And in fact, the year-over-year violent crime rate in Fort Lauderdale has decreased by 13% while the rate of property crime has increased by 2%.
Safest Neighborhoods in Fort Lauderdale
These Fort Lauderdale crime statistics may seem alarming, but that doesn't mean that the entire city is unsafe. As in any major city, some areas are relatively safe and other areas that you should avoid.
For example, the pedestrian-friendly The Landings features a wonderful mix of older architecture styles and elegant modern design and a crime rate 51% lower than the national average. This makes it safer than 85% of the cities in Florida.
The Rio Vista area is teeming with arts, entertainment, and nature, and boasts a crime rate 34% lower than the national average. The small Fort Lauderdale neighborhood of Bermuda Riviera features gorgeous, tree-lined streets and pathways for running and biking. Even better, it has a crime rate 38% lower than the national average.
Other safe neighborhoods in Fort Lauderdale include Harbor Drive, Breakwater Surf, Imperial Point, Lake Estates, Tarpon River, and River Oaks.
Things to Consider When Comparing Crime Data
Keep in mind that comparing crime statistic can be like comparing apples to oranges. There are some similarities, but enough differences to make an accurate comparison problematic. For example, many crimes are not reported where they occurred. Police stations, schools, and hospitals often report crimes that do not occur on their premises.
In addition, some cities take a more relaxed outlook when it comes to reporting crimes. Large cities often do not report all crimes because of the sheer volume of crimes that occur. And minor crimes may be under-reported when law enforcement agencies are busy with more significant crimes such as homicides or home burglaries. This makes a difference in the overall picture created by crime statistics.
If you need a criminal defense attorney in Fort Lauderdale with real courtroom experience, contact Weinstein Legal. If you or a loved one are accused of committing a crime, we can help. Additionally, our injury lawyer in Fort Lauderdale can assist with PIP needs throughout Florida.
