• public safety
• neighborhood
• transportation
• recreation and culture
• health and human services
• economic development
• general government

Feeling secure in one’s surroundings is a priority for our residents. We’ve been working hard to protect you and your neighborhoods from harm. By most accounts you agree. Seventy-five percent of residents surveyed felt safe walking alone in their neighborhoods during the day and 51 percent felt safe walking alone at night -- an improvement of about 20 points each over 2005.

• Emergency response you can count on. In spite of the increase in population and number of incoming calls, emergency response remained relatively unchanged in 2008 -- 8.2 minutes for police and 8.05 minutes for fire.
• Always ready to serve and protect. More than half of the residents surveyed said they are happy with the ability to access police when they need one, with satisfaction ratings of 52 percent during non-emergencies and 60 percent during emergencies. That's a 6-point increase across-the-board over 2005 levels.
• Taking guns off the street. The number of illegal guns seized from the streets has tripled since the implementation of the Gun Bounty Program. In 2008, the seizure of 188 guns led to 110 arrests. More than 30 criminal cases were solved as a result.
• Serious crime has declined. Violent crimes like murder, forcible sex offenses, robberies and aggravated assaults are down 40 percent overall in the last decade. Although there has been an 11 percent increase in these offenses between 2007 and 2008, satisfaction with access to police increased 6 points during that period.
• Making sure you are hurricane ready. Satisfaction with the overall quality of the County's emergency preparedness services is up 9 points to 69 percent in 2008 over 2005; the most active hurricane season in recorded history. While 73 percent of residents surveyed said their households were prepared for an emergency, County emergency managers have continued to step up public education efforts so that all residents are prepared. Take steps to be prepared and download a copy of the Hurricane Guide.