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Robberies Up In Pinellas, Down In Tampa This Year

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By VALERIE KALFRIN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 4, 2008

Reports of robberies have increased in Pinellas County this year but decreased in Tampa, law enforcement statistics show.

Clearwater police statistics show 264 commercial, residential, bank and other robberies reported from January through October, compared with 200 reported during the same period in 2007 – a 32 percent increase.

St. Petersburg police show 902 robberies reported from January through October, compared with 859 during those months in 2007 -- a 5 percent increase.

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office also shows a 5 percent increase in reported robberies when comparing statistics from January through November of both years. There have been 297 robberies reported during those months this year, compared with 282 reported during those months in 2007.

By contrast, Tampa police statistics show a 13 percent decrease in robberies reported from January through November. There have been 969 reported this year, compared with 1,112 reported during those months in 2007.

Tampa Police Assistant Chief Jane Castor said the decrease is attributable in part to assigning patrol officers to follow up immediately on reported robberies instead of referring the reports to detectives. That helps reduce the possibility of a pattern occurring, she said.

St. Petersburg police spokesman George Kajtsa said there is no clear month-to-month pattern or reason behind that agency's slight increase. He declined to speculate that the poor economy was partly to blame, saying that if it were, the increase would have been greater.

"Around the holidays, there's always a spike in armed robberies and muggings," Kajtsa said.

It is difficult to determine whether reported robberies have increased or decreased in Pasco County. Sheriff's office statistics show 132 armed robberies reported from January through June of this year and 295 reported in 2007; a half-year breakdown for 2007 was unavailable.

Reporters Stephen Thompson and Lisa Davis contributed to this report. Reporter Valerie Kalfrin can be reached at (813) 259-7800 or vkalfrin@tampatrib.com.

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