Sheriff`s Corner

Hi and welcome to this week's Sheriff's Corner. I'd like to use this week's Corner to remind everyone about crime prevention. I realize that we have dedicated issues to specific crimes, trends in crime and deterrence measures in the past.

Crime prevention is a process by which, we anticipate, recognize and appraise a crime risk and then initiate an action to remove or reduce that risk. Simply put, it means you anticipate that people will break the law. You acknowledge that criminal activity may be occurring around you and you take actions to reduce your risk of being their next victim.

You know what the first two crime prevention goals were? First, "Stamp out the existence of crime." Second, "Prevent outbreaks of crime in the future." This came out in 1750 and was written by Henry Fielding, the "Father of Crime Prevention." Things have changed since 1750 I think.

Crime prevention here at your Sheriff's Office is a little more diverse. Some of the top concerns in our Sheriff's Office crime prevention process include burglary, fraud and identity theft. These three areas are the top concerns for just about every law enforcement agency in our Country. The men and women here at the Levy County Sheriff's Office are investigating these types of cases everyday. We are seeing the exact same type of crimes here as are being seen across the country.

The key is to be ever aware and up to date in understanding our counties specific needs. We must have specific intelligence that center on our situation. We must stay in contact with our neighboring counties and our citizens. The information you provide, the relationship we maintain together is so important. We will continue to stay aggressive and active on your behalf. Take care.