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A serious Florida county made it by 2025 and not using a single murder.
St. Johns County, which homes the historic metropolis of St. Augustine and boasts a inhabitants of greater than 300,000, is the one county among the many 100 largest within the US with out recording a prison murder, in accordance with a report by the St. Johns Citizen final week.
“Generally you whisper accomplishments since you don’t wish to take them without any consideration,” county Sheriff Robert Hardwick advised the outlet. “We’re really blessed.
“There’s no single motive for a 12 months like this. It’s cumulative — plenty of variables.”
St. Johns did report two deadly shootings — each officer-involved shootings that had been dominated justified and subsequently not labeled as prison homicides, First Coast Information mentioned in a separate report.
Hardwick, who mentioned there additionally was only one prison murder within the county in 2024, credited metropolis officers with offering his division with the assistance, coaching and funding required to maintain locals secure, with almost 80% of the sheriff’s workplace price range going to salaries and advantages.
“I truthfully return to our commissioners approving our price range and permitting me to put money into expertise, permitting me to put money into our company members and their gear,” he mentioned.
“It goes again to the neighborhood believing in us, not being afraid to name when one thing suspicious happens, Hardwick mentioned. “In the event that they see one thing, they are saying one thing, and so they allow us to do our job.”
The sheriff acknowledged there’s nonetheless work to do, with domestic-violence instances and violations of orders of safety up final 12 months — which means it should take loads of focus to maintain the zero murder streak going.
“We had an incredible 12 months — and a fortunate one,” he advised the St. Johns Citizen.
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