The crime rate in Manatee County dropped 17 percentage points last year when compared to 2015, according to data in a report released Wednesday. In Manatee County, indexed crimes saw a decrease in every category, including three fewer murders, 556 fewer burglaries, 872 fewer larcenies and five fewer motor vehicle thefts in 2016 than the year before. Sarasota County saw an 8.6 percentage point drop in crime rate in 2016 compared to 2015. Crime rate for the state has dropped 4.4 percentage points since 2015, a 46-year low. The state saw a total 18,146 fewer crimes, for a 2.8 percent decrease. Despite the general decrease in crime, murders in the state increased by 6.5 percent.
