PANAMA CITY — Violent crime — and crime in general — decreased in Bay County in 2012, but the number of arrests rose, according to the 2012 Uniform Crime Report released last week.
There were 45 fewer violent crimes in Bay County in 2012 than in 2011 — a nearly 5 percent decrease — and 33 fewer nonviolent crimes. The crime rate dropped 1 percent from 2011, when it dropped 0.2 percent from the year before.
There were nine murders in 2012, six of which were domestic violence related. That’s down from 12 the year before, when five were domestic violence related.
Rapes increased 12.9 percent, jumping from 62 to 70 countywide. Domestic violence related rapes decreased from six to two in 2012.
Bay County’s per capita arrest rate continues to be among the highest in the state. Law enforcement made more than one arrest for every 10 residents in Bay County, which is more than double the statewide rate. Only Monroe County has a higher arrest rate.
Bay County had the third-highest arrest-per-resident rate in 2011 and the second highest in 2010 and 2009.
The high rate of arrests may have to do with the number of visitors who come to the beach every year. The Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau puts the number of visitors last year at nearly 11 million, but Police Chief Drew Whitman said he’s heard estimates between 6.4 million and 7 million.
So, it makes sense that Panama City Beach Police, with a jurisdiction over a population of barely 12,000 people, had an arrest rate of nearly 25 percent, Whitman said.
“You can’t compare us to a city of 14,000 because we police over 7 million people a year,” Whitman said.
Parker Police, with jurisdiction over 4,305 people, made 701 arrests last year and had the second highest arrest per resident rate in the county. That’s only about 200 fewer than Lynn Haven Police made, despite policing a population nearly five times greater than Parker’s.
Arrest rates in Springfield and Panama City were about on par with the countywide rate. Panama City Police spokesman Lt. Robert Luther said, like Whitman, proactive policing contributes to the comparatively high arrest rate.
For instance, Luther said, if police notice a trend in criminal activity, such as a spike in burglaries in a certain neighborhood, they can focus their enforcement efforts on that neighborhood.
Lynn Haven and Mexico Beach represent the other end of the spectrum, with arrest rates closer to 5 percent. That’s about on par with the rate of the county’s largest law enforcement agency, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.
Robberies, aggravated assaults and burglaries decreased by 2.9 percent, 6.4 percent and 4.3 percent, respectively.
The value of property stolen in 2012 was $9,017,986, while the value of recovered stolen property was $1,841,468.
Men were nearly four times more likely to be arrested than women, and juveniles made up 8 percent of the county’s 17,567 arrestees.
