When the talk turned to crime at Tuesday night's District 3 town hall meeting at Brownsville Assembly of God church, Sheriff David Morgan countered the impression that violent crime is on the rise locally.

“Do you know when the highest crime rates in Escambia County were? 1995, much more than we see today.” 

FACT CHECK: True, based on data from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

The total violent crime index -- the number of murders, forcible sex offenses, robberies and aggravated assaults reported in the county -- for 1995 was 3,365 reported offenses in a county with a population of 282,742 people.

In that year there were 16 murders; 334 forcible sex offenses; 594 robberies and 2,421 aggravated assaults.

For 2013, the violent crime index was 2,180 offenses reported in a county with a population of 301,120.

In 2013, there 26 murders; 269 forcible sex offenses; 439 robberies and 1,446 aggravated assaults.

Those figures include crimes reported to the Escambia Sheriff’s Office, the Pensacola Police Department, University of West Florida police, Pensacola State College police, and Florida Highway Patrol.

A year-by-year look is attached here.

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