Crime Stats Analysis: Neighborhood more a threat to Hope Place facility for homeless families than other way around

Hope Place logo / Headline SurferPhotos for Headline Surfer / 
 
By HENRY FREDERICK
Headline Surfer

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Joshua Wagner, the district 2 county councilman representing greater Daytona Beach, said if he had any doubt as to whether Hope Place, the facility for homeless families and unaccompanied teens would have an adverse impact on the working class single-family neighborhood that surrounds the former Hurst Elementary School where the social services haven would be located, those doubts were erased when he heard one of the audience members cite some chilling crime statistics.

Stan Escudero, a political insider and retired foreign ambassador speak in favor, summarized key statistical analysis provided to him by Headline Surfer that showed the neighborhood could be more of a problem to the facilty rather than the other way around as residents and critics have vehemently suggested.

 

Neighbors see the school as a magnet for crime by outsiders, when in fact, the crime stats show the residents who live within a 1-mile radius of the school deal with a heavy crime load, much of it from within their own ranks as opposed to outsiders. Headline Surfer shared the statistical analysis with one of the outspoken opponents of Hope Place and he begrudgingly acknowledged this is factual. He did not show up for the Cpunty Council public hearing and subsequent vote.

One thing Headline Surfer is clearly cognizant of in its ethical thinking in publishing this news is not to unduly portray the neighborhood and its residents as criminals or scum. Many are hardworking and working poor, and proud, too. To them, their homes are their castles. This hopefully also will serve to educate those who may be newer in live there, who may not realize the extent of criminal activity.

LOCATION: 1340 Wright St, Daytona Beach, Hurst School (Hope Place)

DISTANCE: 1-mile radius 
DATES: Jan. 1, 2016 to June 15, 2016  
DAYS: 161
Total Criminal Incidents: 460
Law Enforcement Agencies Responding: Volusia County Sheriff's Office, Daytona Beach PD and Holly Hill PD.
The breakdown is as follows:
• Assault: 47;  • Burglary: 26; • Disturbing the Peace: 78; • Drugs/Alchol: 27; • DUI: 13; • Fraud: 32; • Motor Vehicle; • Thefts: 13; • Robbery: 4; • Larceny: 123; • Vandalism: 31; • Motor vehicle break-ins: 64.
Per Day Crimes on Average in 1-mile radius: 2.85
DISTANCE: 2-mile radius (same dates): In excess of 800 crimes, too many to allow the electronic program to plot on map.
Headline Surfer® plotted the crimes using an electronic Crime Mapping database program of all criminal complaints for the address indicateds as well as thew distances from that location, along a set period of dates. 

When it comrs to regoistered child sex offenders and predators, the statistics for the impact on Hope Place are even more startling.

The neighborhood within a 1-mile radius of the Hurst School is infested with "registered" sex offenders and "predators." The latter are far more dangerous.

The graphics show a sampling of the offenders ( including mugs, locations, crimes and level of supervision). The second shows a map with them plotted in proximity to the school. Obviously, these are mere quick-hit samples. There are far too many to illustrate for the story space.

Vicinity of Hurst School loaded with sexual offenders / predators

The value of these electronic statistics -- violent crimes and property crimes and child sex offenders/predators demonstrate that the Hurst School clearly is a good fit for "Hope Place" in countering NIMBY claims otherwise. 

Here are some telling figues on sex offenders: There are 34 such offenders located within a mile of the school address, 1340 Wright St, Daytona Beach, FL 32117. Even more of an eye opener is the fact that slightly more than a third of the total (12) live within a half mile or even closer to the Hurst School.

At 2 miles from thew Hurst School, the number of sexual offenders or predators jumps to a whopping 114. At 3 miles, it climbs to 189 sex offenders. At 4 miles, it continues its ascent to 253 sex offenders. At 5 miles it climbs to 505 sexual offenders and predators. That's the limit and a reasonable cutoff in terms of proximity to the Hurst School, the Hope Place locale.

So what is the key difference between a sexual offender and a sexual predator? The Florida Departmrent of Law Enforcement defines a sexual offender as someone convicted of a sex crime and a sexual predator as an individual who has been convicted of a "sexually violent offense" as defined in Florida Statute 775.21 (which may include offenses from another jurisdiction) and has a written court order designating the individual a sexual predator; or as an individual who is civilly committed under the Florida Jimmy Ryce Sexually Violent Predator Act and has a written court order designating the individual as a sexual predator.  

Sex offenders living within 2 miles of Hurst School in Daytona Beach numbers 135 / Headline Surfer®