Forcible rape is down

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Crime in the Unites States in 2005, forcible rape is down by a little over one percent.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation took statistics from total agencies in the nation and then separated it by cities as well.

Total all agencies reported

• In 2004, there were 84,608 forcible rapes reported
• In 2005, there were 83,312 forcible rapes reported
• These numbers show a one and a half percent decrease

In total cities, they reported

• In 2004, there were 62,616 forcible rapes reported
• In 2005, there were 61,666 forcible rapes reported
• These numbers show a one and a half percent decrease

The cities that showed most forcible rapes reported were metropolitan cities, cities with population of 250,000 and over, cities with populations of 100,000 to 249,999, and suburban areas. For the complete chart, click on this link, http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/05cius/data/table_12.html

The fact that forcible rape is down is great, however, it may be that the victims are not reporting the incidents. There is still plenty of work left, but at least the numbers show that awareness helps.

Murder rates in South Florida above average

Murders in South Florida rose by 28 percent from 2005 to 2006. The national average rose two percent.

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), South Florida murders increased by 28 percent. In 2005, there were 883 murders reported. In 2006, there were 1,129 murders reported. Nationally the number rose only by two percent.

Lonn Lanza-Kaduce, a University of Florida criminology professor, told the Sun-Sentinel that the numbers show, "a sizable uptick in murders."

Even though the numbers are up, Palm Beach County, according to Lieutenant Mike Wallace, when comparing numbers from 2006 to 2007 in Palm Beach, it has actually decreased. That came after law enforcement placed more officers in areas where crime is an issue.

Other violent crimes, like, robberies increased, but forcible rape and aggravated assault decreased in both Florida and nation wide.

Knowing that crimes, overall are decreasing are great, however, murder increasing scares me as a South Florida resident.

For more information on this story, go to, http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/sfl-flpcrimestats0925pnsep25,0,2044644.story

Guard shot

A security guard was shot this afternoon at a bank in city of Lauderhill. Police are investigating a suspect that may have been involved. This suspect was found dead in a nearby apartment.

The shooting took place this afternoon at the Bank Atlantic on State Road Seven and near Northwest 21 Street in city of Lauderhill.

Police chased the suspect, who appears to be in his 20s and was holding a handgun, into the Brampton Court apartment complex located on the 4300 block near Northwest 19 Street.

The security guard has been identified as a 51 year-old man and has suffered two gun shot wounds to his upper torso. Police say the guard is in serious condition at Broward General Medical Center.

Police are investigating whether the suspect they were chasing is the dead body they found in an apartment. A gun shot wound was found on the body and police report they did not shoot during the chase.

This comes after a few cases where law enforcement has suffered injuries and death.

For more information on the story, go to, http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-105bankshooting,0,6061945.story?coll=sofla_tab01_layout

11 people arrested for Mortgage Fraud

According to police, 11 arrests have been made in a first round of suspects involved in mortgage fraud. The 11 arrests, include, brokers, title agents, borrowers and sellers.

What has been happening is that people used stolen identities, false mortgage documents and used fraudulent appraisals. These tactics were used to get loans that totaled two million dollars.

On the first round of arrests, a week ago, federal prosecutors charged 18 people with mortgage fraud that totaled more than $50 million dollars for real estate in South Florida.

For more information on the story, go to, http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking_news/story/261515.html

Man Burglarizes 13 vehicles

Broward Sheriff's Office is looking for a man who is belived to have burglarized 13 vehicles in one neighborhood.

According to the Sun-Sentinel, police spokesman, Sergeant Frank Sousa, said that the man is believed to have burglarized the vehicles between midnight and 7 a.m., Thursday morning.

The suspect was described as a man between the ages of 25 and 30 years old, unshaven, carrying a backpack, wearing dark clothes and seen in the 2100 block of Northeast 27 Avenue around 7:20 a.m.

The vehicles burglaries seem to be popularizing. City of Plantation, Sunrise, Fort Lauderdale, and Parkland all seem to be having the same problem.

For more information on the story, go to: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbburglaries1005sboct05,0,6706866.story

Officer Reyka's Memorial

Officer Reyka's death took place at the Walgreens on Powerline. Finally, after a few weeks of searching for the memorial at the Walgreens, i came across it this weekend.

It is truly a site. People have left their shirts, caps, letters, pictures, flowers, prayers, and many American flags. What amazes me is that there still have been no arrests.

The reward is set at $267,000, it's been two months, and still no response.

Broward Sheriff's Office, Sergeant Chris Reyka was shot and killed at the Walgreens located on Powerline Road, just south of Atlantic Boulevard, while looking for stolen vehicles, on August 10, while on duty, early that morning. Since then, there has been few other incidents where police officers have been injured, wounded and killed.

In Sergeant Reyka's memory, there will be a street named Sgt. Chris Reyka Place will run in front of the city's safety building where he worked. The street runs along Dixie Highway to Cypress Road.

For more information and updates, click on the link for crime stoppers, or go to the Sun-Sentinel website and search Sergeant Chris Reyka.

Seminole Indians face problems

Along with casinos rising up in South Florida, the Seminole Indians drug abuse increases.

According to a drug therapist in a Boca Raton Treatment Center, the Seminole Indians are ignoring their drug abuse problem. Seminole women receive a dividends check from the state of Florida each month for $6,000 a child. These mothers are continuing to have kids to support their drug use, while the children are raised by other family members in the reservation.

Once the children get older, their drug use becomes a problem as well. According to this therapist, there is a high-rate of young Seminole adults who are caught by law enforcement and given two options, jail or treatment. To escape the route of facing jail time, the chiefs place these young adults, between the ages of 18 and 25 at drug treatment centers. Once they rehabilitate, they go back to the same routine. About 95 to 100 percent of them head back to treatment, again.

This problem is increasing as casinos keep rising on every other corner. The state has either not realized the issue, or has decided to look the other way. If the drug use continues and nothing is done about this, the Seminole population might face a population decrease in the years to come.