Zero Murders, Drop In Violent Crimes Reported In 2023: Sarasota Police

SARASOTA, FL — Sarasota saw “a historic drop” in violent crimes in 2023, including zero murders reported in the city, according to a Sarasota Police Department news release.

Last year was the first time since 1967 that no homicides were reported in Sarasota for a full calendar year, police said. In 2022, detectives investigated seven homicides.

Rape and forcible sex crimes was the only type of violent crime to increase year over year with 28 reported in 2023, a 12 percent jump, data from the agency shows.

The number of robberies remained the same in 2023 compared to 2022 with 75 reported in each year.

Last year, aggravated assault dropped 5.4 percent to 243, burglaries dropped by 36.8 percent to 146, larcenies dropped 14.9 percent to 1,129 and motor vehicle thefts dropped 21.3 percent to 144, data shows.

Overall, violent crimes fell 16.2 percent last year.

"I want to highlight the rigorous training that every police officer undergoes to fulfill their duties," Mayor Liz Alpert said during a presentation Tuesday morning, according to a city news release. "Each officer dedicates countless hours to training, exams, and ongoing education to progress in their roles and maintain their effectiveness. It's important for the public to understand that they are continually striving to be the most effective protectors of our city, and we wholeheartedly support our officers in these endeavors."

“We are excited to share this data proving our beautiful city is safer than it has been in years, and these motivated men and women that make up our agency contributed in some way,” Sarasota Police Chief Rex Troche said. “We are utilizing all of our resources to not only solve crimes, but to prevent them from ever occurring.”