happens. All right, we'll pick it back up on Friday, Gloria. Thank you. At five as we enter 2024 Pope County Sheriff Grady Judd is reflecting on 2023 and the challenges the year brought when it comes to crime, including an increase in car thefts. FOX 13's Carla Byron explains how his focus this year will be on stopping violent juvenile offenders. Sheriff Grady Judd says crime in Polk County decreased once again in 2023, in fact, where they 52 year low in the unincorporated area and our service cities that we directly police force. There were 11 murders last year compared to 2022 were. There were 20 in 2021 when there were 27. One category that did increase last year were auto thefts or conveyance burglaries that sheriff says 115 guns were stolen out of unlocked vehicles the majority stolen by juvenile offenders and we know that these little gang bangers are going throughout neighborhoods not just in Pope Callie but throughout Central Florida and Florida, probably across the nation. And flipping handles, and they're looking for guns so that they can use them or sell them on the streets. He says. The juvenile justice system is working for the majority of juvenile offenders, but not the violent once the sheriff says he's going to the state Legislature this year to push for change when it comes to holding juveniles accountable for using and stealing guns to commit crimes. The sheriff says the bill would focus on intervening earlier on in the violent juvenile offenders life before they are charged as adults, which would include, for example, a short term thing. Therapeutic program where we give them intense therapy. About the dangers of stealing guns and using drugs, guns and shooting it out with each other on the streets. We don't think that's too much to ask. And it's not happening now even Children from a life of crime and a life in prison reporting in Polk County, Carla Byron FOX 13 news The sheriff says he is working with the Department of Juvenile Justice, the state attorney general and the Florida Sheriff's
