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COCOA POLICE DEPARTMENT: Data Shows Violent Crime Has Decreased by 14% Since Last Year

By  //  July 31, 2024

department established 'aggressive community engagement'

The City of Cocoa announced a decrease in crime rates as Cocoa police officials said the most current data from January 1 through July 21, 2024, shows there has been a decline in both violent and property crimes. “Under the leadership of Chief Evander Collier IV, above, the overall crime rate has steadily declined since 2021. In 2021, violent crime decreased by 17.3%, and property crimes decreased by 8.1%, resulting in an overall crime reduction of 11.1% compared to 2020,” said Cocoa police officials. (City of Cocoa image)

BREVARD COUNTY • COCOA, FLORIDA – The City of Cocoa announced a decrease in crime rates as Cocoa police officials said the most current data from January 1 through July 21, 2024, shows there has been a decline in both violent and property crimes.

Cocoa police officials said the data showed violent crime has decreased by 14%, and non-violent/property crime has decreased by 18% compared to the same period in 2023.

“Overall, the total crime volume in 2024 shows a 17% decrease in reported offenses compared to 2023,” said Cocoa police officials.

“Under the leadership of Chief Evander Collier IV, the overall crime rate has steadily declined since 2021. In 2021, violent crime decreased by 17.3%, and property crimes decreased by 8.1%, resulting in an overall crime reduction of 11.1% compared to 2020.”

In 2022 and 2023, overall crime decreased by 4.1% and 4.0%, respectively.

“The Cocoa Police Department is committed to making the City of Cocoa one of the safest cities in Florida,” said Cocoa police officials.

“To achieve this, many resources have been strategically deployed to focus on continued crime reduction, particularly violent crime. This includes proactive enforcement in known hot spots where patrol officers are effectively removing dangerous elements from the community, such as known felons, drugs, and firearms in the wrong hands.”

Officers and department leadership have also established new community partnerships through “aggressive community engagement.”

Cocoa police officials said they are connecting with residents through community walks, engaging students through summer programs and in-school visits, partnering with local businesses to help residents in need, and positively changing the culture to reflect the community they serve while proactively addressing their safety.

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