Orlando Set to Shatter Homicide Record

ABC News ^ | July 21, 2006 | TRAVIS REED

[seacapn]

ORLANDO, Fla. - Mickey Mouse made this medium-sized city loom much larger in the public eye than its population would suggest, but this year it has been running up a big-city statistic its residents would be better off without.

In less than seven months this city of about 215,000 reported 33 homicides, more than it's seen in any full year except one. It's only three shy of its 1982 record, and on pace to have one of the 15 worst per-capita murder rates in the country.

Victims include a 6-year-old apparent child abuse victim who died of severe head injuries and a 22-year-old shot in the back of the head for unknown reasons. Shortly after New Year's, a transient stabbed near a homeless camp bled to death on the same day an 18-year-old's bullet-riddled body lay on the street; two gunmen had apparently mistaken the youth for someone they were feuding with.

"People can attribute crime to failing schools, failing families. There's a bunch of sociological things you can put your finger on," said police Sgt. Rich Ring, head of Orlando's homicide investigation unit. "All we can do as police is say the biggest things are drugs and robbery, and we're going to take action to attack those issues."

FBI figures from 2005 released last month showed a 2.5 percent increase in violent crime nationwide the largest since 1991 and a 4.8 percent rise in murders.

Jacksonville, Florida's murder capital for 12 of the past 17 years, is on track to hit more than 130 homicides for the first time in more than a decade.

[seacapn]

If any Florida Freepers need motivation to go out and get your concealed carry permit, there you go. Even if the murder rate drops dramatically, and no matter how responsive the police are, we are always the first line of our own defense, and that of our families.

[thoughtomator]

Mouse of Peace, my @**.

[MinorityRepublican]

33 is nothing compared to 300 murders yearly in the Nation's Capital. And that's much improved over "Murder Capital" in the late 80's and early 90's where there were nearly 600 murders a year.

[Thermalseeker]

Mouse of Peace, my @**.

Wasn't it just a week or so ago that somebody posted an article about the Orland PD being chased away from arresting a thug by an angry mob? Sounds to me like the Orlando PD needs to grow a set and do their job.......

[dukakis kerry the dream team]

It's not the heat, it's the humidity.

[Moral Hazard]

"33 is nothing compared to 300 murders yearly in the Nation's Capital. And that's much improved over "Murder Capital" in the late 80's and early 90's where there were nearly 600 murders a year."

Proof that if the population decreases enough eventually the number of murders will too. When Washington DC's population hits 0 there'll probably only be a couple hundred murders a year.

[MplsSteve]

I've never been to Orlando.

The first image most of us have of Orlando is Disney World, Universal Studios, etc.

But it sounds like the city of Orlando may be a crime-ridden pit.

Is it? Anyone?

[ilgipper]

I wouldn't say that...but there is a lot more to Orlando than Disney. There's a whole city away from there, and it is growing. With that comes new problems. There are definitely some bad areas...sounds like more than there were just a short time ago.

[seacapn]

Orlando has some bad areas. Most tourists avoid them easily.

[domenad]

I can say from experience that Orlando is a frigging cesspool. It's overrun with filth leaching off of the so-called Disney largesse. You could not pay me to live in that town again. Couple that with the fact that not one sorry son of a you-know-what knows how to drive down there (there isn't an undented quarter panel in a fifty mile radius), and you have a great floating turd in the middle of the Sunshine State.

[Little Ray]

Not in any of my visits. Orlando was always a pleasant tourist trap. Can't wait to visit again.
My sister is moving there.

[VeniVidiVici]

That's funny. I think the same thing about NYC.

We've had explosive growth from thousands of Yanquis moving down here from the inner cities and bringing their homies.

[brothertrav]

lol... domenad's response is a hoot!

The issue with drivers is mostly the tourists and the people coming down from up north, still driving like they have to worry about snow! It makes for lots of stops and starts for no apparent reason... Also, the amount of retirees is God-awful, there's nothing like riding down a 3 or 4 lane highway with a bunch of 80 year olds driving 3 or 4 wide at a minimum of 5 below the speed limit(usually more like 10 below).

Sorry to digress... the touristy area really isn't in Orlando, it's actually closer to Kissimmee. Tourists are pretty safe as long as they stay in the tourist areas. In other words, don't go into Orlando looking to buy crack!!!

[Westlander]

Deeeetroit can whup Orlando.

[fuente]

Orlando, 215,000? Maybe in one small sector or in a large neighborhood. It's an area that has about 1.6 MILLION.

[DCBryan1]

Little Rock has surpassed Orlando (per capita) and we are witnessing historic level of crimes....they are all south of I-630 and in SW Little Rock....I won't describe the demographics to you but I will tell you that with further research you won't be too suprised.

[DCBryan1]

Little ROck has record levels of crime (and then some) due to the 10 year gun/drug laws that were mandatory...all those drug dealers from 1992-1998 (our last gang war..see "Banging in Little Rock" where gang members shot at cops and news crews while filming....) that are now getting out and are smarter (somewhat) in not getting caught. Cops have had to shoot 3 guys the last 30 days in our metro area of 500k+.....these animals are going wild....rapes are up 200% also.

[NoCurrentFreeperByThatName]

The issue with drivers is mostly the tourists and the people coming down from up north, still driving like they have to worry about snow! It makes for lots of stops and starts for no apparent reason... Also, the amount of retirees is God-awful, there's nothing like riding down a 3 or 4 lane highway with a bunch of 80 year olds driving 3 or 4 wide at a minimum of 5 below the speed limit(usually more like 10 below).

Yep. They are a hazard.

[ExSoldier]

Just GREAT. We were so ecstatic when our daughter elected to go to school out of town (we live in Miami). Felt even better when she loved it so much she decided to stay in ORLANDO with her new hubbie after she graduated four years ago. She manages a high end designer coture botique. I hope I spelled all that right. Being the general manager means she has to close up and it means late nights and a very dark and empty parking lot when she leaves work. I taught her to shoot when she was 10 and now she has her own SP101 357 Ruger for home defense, but she refuses to get (let alone use) a CCW. When she's not managing the store she teaches aerobics. Now I'm really worried. All I can do is pray. I did give her a tactical light made by Pentagon. She knows it can blind temporarily. I hope it's enough.

[NoCurrentFreeperByThatName]

Don't sweat it. This crap is generally limited to just a couple of areas in Orlando.

high end designer coture botique

From what I can tell, most of the money isn't in Orlando itself, but in a few surrounding areas. I know a girl that owns a store like you described above. Its in Winter Park. A really decent area.