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Police credit watchful neighbors for decrease in crime in heart of Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Police Department said Monday that crime decreased by 18 percent in 2018 in the city's Lake Eola Heights neighborhood, partly because neighbors have kept out an eye for one another.

Residents often uploaded photos or videos of criminal activities to the Lake Eola Heights Historic District Facebook group, which has almost 3,000 members.

Resident Taylor Smith said packages were stolen from his porch last month and his car has been burglarized in the past. But he said the watchful eyes of police and neighbors keep crime to a minimum.

"Many of us work from home, so that helps -- that there's always a presence of people coming and going," he said. "There's no reason anybody would want to come here (to) try and rob us, because somebody's going to catch them."

Although burglaries in the neighborhood decreased by 73 percent in 2018, misdemeanor arrests increased by 84 percent and city ordinance violations increased by 115 percent, police said.

Officials said the violations are mostly panhandling or disorderly conduct, such as fighting.

"We're only two blocks from (East Colonial Drive), so that's a real high transient area," Smith said. "(There are) a lot of homeless people, and they filter through here."

Smith said he has noticed an increase in patrols of the neighborhood.

Police said overall crime in the city decreased by 7 percent in 2018, but the number of homicides almost doubled -- from 25 in 2017 to 43 in 2018.

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Here are the 2018 crime statistics for Lake Eola Heights:

Increased crimes in 2018

• Warrant arrest +75 percent (4 to 7)

• Traffic arrest +300 percent (1 to 4)

• Threats/harassment +50 percent (2 to 3)

• Suspicious incident/person +22 percent (9 to 11)

• Stolen tag +33 percent (3 to 4)

• Misdemeanor arrest +84 percent (13 to 24)

• Injunction violation +200 percent (1 to 3)

• Grand theft +57 percent (7 to 11)

• Drug violation +25 percent (4 to 5)

• Battery +29 percent (14 to 18)

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Decreased crimes in 2018

• Aggravated battery -75 percent (4 to 1)

• Arson -100 percent (1 to 0)

• Baker Act -15 percent (13 to 11)

• Burglary -73 percent (15 to 4)

• Commercial burglary -38 percent (8 to 5)

• Criminal mischief -32 percent (47 to 32)

• Traffic crash report -7 percent (28 to 26)

• Motor vehicle theft -64 percent (14 to 5)

• Person robbery -75 percent (4 to 1)

• Petit theft -58 percent (24 to 10)

• Residential burglary -30 percent (10 to 7)

• Sexual battery -75 percent (4 to 1)

• Trespass -100 percent (1 to 0)

• Vehicle burglary -42 percent (50 to 29)

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