Crime in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2019. In Fort Lauderdale, however, property crimes account for about 89% of all offenses.

Property crime is much more prevalent in Fort Lauderdale than it is nationwide. There were 9,082 property crimes in Fort Lauderdale in 2019, or 4,915 for every 100,000 residents. Meanwhile, the national property crime rate is 2,110 incidents per 100,000 people.

Larceny

Larceny is by far the most common type of property crime in the U.S. It is also the most commonly committed type of property crime in Fort Lauderdale. There were 6,945 larcenies reported in Fort Lauderdale in 2019, or 3,759 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,550 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 1,275 break-ins reported in Fort Lauderdale in 2019, or 690 for every 100,000 residents. For reference, there were 341 reported burglaries for every 100,000 people nationwide in 2019.

Motor Vehicle Theft

Across the United States, the annual motor vehicle theft rate is 220 for every 100,000 people. In Fort Lauderdale, meanwhile, there were 862 motor vehicle thefts in 2019, or 467 for every 100,000 people.

Violent crime

Violent crime accounts for a relatively small share of crimes nationwide. These offenses, which are generally more egregious than property crimes, account for about 15% of the nearly 8.2 million offenses reported across the U.S. in 2019. In Fort Lauderdale, however, violent offenses account for a smaller 11% share of all reported crime.

At 594 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in Fort Lauderdale is well above the national violent crime rate of 379 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in Fort Lauderdale reported a total of 1,098 violent crimes in 2019.

Aggravated Assault

Aggravated assault is by far the most common type of violent crime reported in the U.S. It is also the most commonly reported violent offense in Fort Lauderdale. There were 576 aggravated assaults reported in Fort Lauderdale in 2019, or 312 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the rate is lower, standing at 250 aggravated assaults per 100,000 people.

Robbery

Robbery is the second most common type of violent crime in America. There were 408 robberies reported in Fort Lauderdale in 2019, a rate of 221 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 82 per 100,000 in 2019.

Rape

There were 93 rapes reported in Fort Lauderdale in 2019, or 50 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, there were 139,815 rapes in 2019, a rate of 43 per 100,000 people.

Murder

There were 21 homicides committed in the city in 2019. Adjusted for population, the murder rate in Fort Lauderdale is 11.4 murders for every 100,000 people, more than double the national murder rate of 5 per 100,000 people.