Headline Surfer photo illustration / Safety on Seminole County roads and in local schools with a recent Facebook Live Chat session is part of part of Sheriff Dennis Lemma's ongoing initiatives to educate citizens on his law enforcement agency's efforts to improve safety. SANFORD, Fla. -- The Seminole County Sheriff's Office held a Facebook live chat session on Tuesday regarding school safety and security.
It is the latest in Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma's ongoing effort to help educate citizens and help alleviate their fears about how safe they are despite news media reports of violent crimes.
Though violent crime totals in Seminole County are by far the lowest compared to neighboring counties along the I-4 corridor, Orange to the southwest and Volusia to the northeast, its own violent crime rate increased 10.5 percent in 2016, according to figures compiled by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Headline Surfer infographic by Henry Frederick / Statistical data from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for calendar year 2016.
Orange County's violent crime rate was nearly double Seminole County’s and Volusia County's was nearly one third higher than Seminole County’s violent crime rate.
The violent crime rate throughout Florida decreased 3.5 percent in 2016, and that's including last year's Pulse nightclub massacre where 49 people were shot to death and dozens more were injured.
Violent crime rose overall, nationwide 5.3 percent in the first six months of 2016, according to the Uniform Crime Reports compiled by the FBI. That does not include the Pulse massacre, which occurred June 12, 2016 (12 days after the mid-year cutoff for the semi-annual reports).
In addition to periodic Facebook chats on public safety and awareness, Seminole County's first-year sheriff, Dennis Lemma, also is continuing the law enforcement agency's crime mapping initiative. This electronic program plots crimes on a map in real time using crime figures and is accessible online.
And Sheriff Dennis Lemma says that deputies on patrol are encouraged to get out of their vehicles in between calls and start conversations now and then with citizens to see how they are doing and to inquire about any concerns the citizens might have about public safety and crime issues.
"Sheriff Lemma is always preaching interaction with the citizens," Deputy Fred Hilaire said. "We get tips occasionally and most people feel safe seeing us. It's good to get out of the patrol car and stretch your legs. You never know when something important is passed along."
Deputy Fred Hilaire (left) is shown with Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma earlier this year in this SCSO photo receiving a life saving award for his actions in saving the lives of two women in separate incidents: utilizing a defibrillator to revive an unresponsive female found lying on the side of a road and for administering Narcan spray to a female who overdosed on heroin.
"Sheriff Lemma is always preaching interaction with the citizens," Deputy Fred Hilaire said. "We get tips occasionally and most people feel safe seeing us. It's good to get out of the patrol car and stretch your legs. You never know when something important is passed along."
With social media initiatives like Facebook live chats and electronic crime mapping, as well as encouraging deputies to interact more with the citizens, Sheriff Lemma remains vigilant about reducing Seminole County's violent crime rates, already lower than neighboring counties Orange and Volusia, even more Hilaire said.