The annual Crime in Florida report released on April 7, 1998 by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement indicates that crime in Florida is remaining at a relatively constant level. In 1997, the overall crime rate dropped by 2.6% compared to 1996. This slight decline marks the 6th year in a row Florida has experienced a drop in the standard crime rate. In addition, Florida's violent crime rate also fell by approximately 2.4%, marking a decrease in this category for the past five years.

Juvenile crime continues to be a concern in Florida. The number of juveniles arrested for murder, sex offenses, drugs, and robbery all rose in 1997. In the overall category of violent crimes, murders are down 5.8% from 1996. This represents 6.9 murders per 100,000 population. This is the lowest murder rate recorded for the state since 1933 . However, forcible sex offenses rose by just over 2%.

In the area of domestic violence, the number of incidents and arrests are up this year. This may indicate that victims are more willing to report abuse to law enforcement. In 1997, domestic violence arrests rose 4.3% in Florida, and reported domestic violence offenses increased by 2.7%. In fact, nearly 41% of certain offenses including murder, rape and assault were domestic violence related.

This year's report contains statistics from 377 of Florida's 394 local law enforcement agencies. Of the 17 agencies that did not report, their combined populations represent less than 1% of Florida's total population.