TL:DR; FBI agency tables show property-crime count declines between 2019 and 2025 of 58.5% in Hillsborough, 48.9% in Pinellas, 48.2% in Polk, 46.2% in Palm Beach and 32.2% in Miami-Dade. Lee came in at 17.2%. Five of the six Florida sheriffs examined beat the number Tony is advertising.
Sheriff Gregory Tony says crime in BSO’s service areas has fallen since 2019: 23% overall, 18% violent, 24% property. He says the numbers reflect his agency’s work.
Fewer crimes is good news. A claim of credit is a different thing, and it gets examined. A percentage says something changed. It does not say whether the change was exceptional, whether the comparison was honest, or what caused it.
Tony’s statement leaves three questions open.