Top 10 Safest Cities in Florida
Based on the 2023 “Safest Cities in Florida” polls, Key Biscayne appears to be losing its typical high position to pickpocketing.
Over the past few years, most analysts of FBI crime data have ranked Key Biscayne among the top three safest communities in the state, typically moving areas like Satellite Beach and Marco Island based on population baselines and levels of violent and property offenses.
Last year, the Village ranked as the second safest city in the state, according to movingwaldo.com, one of several relocation-friendly sites that offer analyses of the safest living areas. That same site dropped Key Biscayne to seventh this year, the highest ranking found on a variety of 2023 listings, according to a recent article by Hillard Grossman of the Islander.
Another list ranks Key Biscayne ninth, another 11th, and others shut out “Island Paradise” among the Top 10 rankings.
“We strive to stay on top, and it is unique with the various metrics utilized,” said Key Biscayne Police Chief Frank Sousa, whose department does not go by just one particular ranking. “Because of the various metrics, it is difficult to understand by the various publications what they look at.”
One listing actually takes into consideration cities with the fewest police officers, which relates to a typically safe area.
“The one thing I can state with certainty is Key Biscayne is an extremely safe community,” Chief Sousa said.
Invasive crimes are likely the cause of the downfall. For example, over the past 18 months on the island, there has been a stolen Lamborghini; some vehicle break-ins and two kids mugged at gunpoint; an arrest of a wanted homicide suspect from Pennsylvania; a breakup of an e-bike theft ring; an incident involving a car chase, the ramming of a police vehicle and AK-47; and a smash-and-grab early morning burglary at a local pharmacy.
Major Daniel Valdes, who has taken the lead on crime prevention since 2008 as part of his nearly 20 years on the Village police force, said the rankings usually correspond to the time of year and holidays, which go “up and down like the stock market, but usually, we average 1, 2, 3.”
He pointed to one primary reason for more crimes.
“We’re now dealing with a lot of traffic coming into the island,” he said. “The more populated, the more chances to be victimized. The amount of people who travel through here on a weekly basis … you’ve got workers, the beaches, all the events going on. Even though (this) is a small area, it can be challenging.”
According to statistics from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, the property crime rate in Key Biscayne is 13.30 per 1,000 people, which is 37.82% below Florida’s average, and the violent crime rate is just 0.20 per 1,000 residents.
In 2020, Florida finally began to fall in under the national rate for violent crimes, with 3.8 incidents per 1,000, compared to 4.0 across the U.S. Aggravated assault was the most common violent crime in Florida, with more than 60,000 statewide.
As far as being preventive, Valdes said residents need to be more careful when securing valuables, even when packages are left at the door.
“Even in my neighborhood (in Broward County), I’ve heard of cars being broken into and even stolen because the keys were left in it,” he said. “It’s a partnership (with the law and staying secure), and that’s where the disconnect is. We assume that we’re safe and we’re not. Times have definitely changed.”
Chief Sousa approached the Village Council this year to ask for additional surveillance cameras at pivotal points on the island, as well as another License Plate Reader (LPR), and was granted both.
“Our DB (detective bureau) has been very successful in closing out a lot of those cases,” Valdes said. “The LPR we have has helped a lot.”
In the meantime, Valdes said people should keep enjoying island life but be cautious.
“Every day I drive that bridge (coming into Key Biscayne), and I think, it doesn’t get better than this,” he said. “There are a lot of worse places you can (live) on.”
Ten Safest Cities in Florida (August 2023)
1. Parkland
2. Sebastian
3. Marco Island
4. North Palm Beach
5. Groveland
6. Lynn Haven
7. Key Biscayne
8. Oviedo
9. Naples
10. Satellite Beach
Last year’s ranking (2022)
1. Satellite Beach
2. Key Biscayne
3. Marco Island
4. Parkland
5. North Palm Beach
6. Lynn Haven
7. Oviedo
8. Sebastian
9. Naples
10. Groveland
On Rocket Homes’ list of 10 safest cities in July of 2023:
1. Marco Island
2. Venice
3. Palm Beach
4. Longboat Key
5. Naples
6. West Miami
7. Weston
8. Lighthouse Point
9. Key Biscayne
10. Miami Lakes
Another ranking of 11 safest cities on BudgetTravel Buff in April:
1. Weston
2. Satellite Beach
3. Parkland
4. Sebastian
5. Marco Island
6. North Palm Beach
7. Oviedo
8. Naples
9. Sanibel
10. Groveland
11. Key Biscayne
A ranking on Simple Showing from November shuts out Key Biscayne among the top 10:
1. Naples
2. Weston
3. Satellite Beach
4. Palm Beach
5. Cape Coral
6. Parkland
7. Santa Rosa Beach
8. Windermere
9. Sanibel
10. Sarasota
This article originally appeared on Islander
