Press Release from Cocoa Police:
Cocoa Police announce “significant decrease in crime”
Published on
The City of Cocoa is proud to announce a significant decrease in crime rates. According to the most current data from January 1 through July 21, 2024, there has been a notable decline in both violent and property crimes. Specifically, violent crime has decreased by 14%, and non-violent/property crime has decreased by 18% compared to the same period in 2023. Overall, the total crime volume in 2024 shows a 17% decrease in reported offenses compared to 2023.
Under the leadership of Chief Evander Collier IV, the overall crime rate has steadily declined since 2021. In 2021, violent crime decreased by 17.3%, and property crimes decreased by 8.1%, resulting in an overall crime reduction of 11.1% compared to 2020. In 2022 and 2023, overall crime decreased by 4.1% and 4.0%, respectively.
The Cocoa Police Department is committed to making the City of Cocoa one of the safest cities in Florida. To achieve this, many resources have been strategically deployed to focus on continued crime reduction, particularly violent crime. This includes proactive enforcement in known hot spots where patrol officers are effectively removing dangerous elements from the community, such as known felons, drugs, and firearms in the wrong hands. Officers and department leadership have also established new community partnerships through aggressive community engagement. They are connecting with residents through community walks, engaging students through summer programs and in-school visits, partnering with local businesses to help residents in need, and positively changing the culture to reflect the community they serve while proactively addressing their safety.