Crime in Fort Walton Beach, Florida

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2019. In Fort Walton Beach, however, property crimes account for about 87% of all offenses.

Property crime is about as prevalent in Fort Walton Beach than it is nationwide. There were 475 property crimes in Fort Walton Beach in 2019, or 2,098 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 Walton Beach. There were 372 larcenies reported in Fort Walton Beach in 2019, or 1,643 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,550 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 59 break-ins reported in Fort Walton Beach in 2019, or 261 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 Walton Beach, meanwhile, there were 44 motor vehicle thefts in 2019, or 194 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 Walton Beach, however, violent offenses account for a smaller 13% share of all reported crime.

At 300 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in Fort Walton Beach is below the national violent crime rate of 379 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in Fort Walton Beach reported a total of 68 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 Walton Beach. There were 47 aggravated assaults reported in Fort Walton Beach in 2019, or 208 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the rate is higher, standing at 250 aggravated assaults per 100,000 people.

Robbery

Robbery is the second most common type of violent crime in America. There was just one robbery reported in Fort Walton Beach in 2019, a rate of 4 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 82 per 100,000 in 2019.

Rape

There were 18 rapes reported in Fort Walton Beach in 2019, or 80 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, there were 139,815 rapes in 2019, a rate of 43 per 100,000 people.

Murder

There were 2 homicides committed in the city in 2019. Adjusted for population, the murder rate in Fort Walton Beach is 8.8 murders for every 100,000 people, considerably higher than the national murder rate of 5 per 100,000 people.