Cape Coral crime stats

The (Fort Myers) News-Press reported today that the major crime rate in Cape Coral rose 2 percent in 2005, following a 14 percent drop from 2003 to 2004. The rate also is also lower compared to 2001, when about 42,000 less people lived there, according to the Cape Coral Police Department. there are about 150,000 residents now.

Aggravated assaults dropped from 236 to 226, but all other crimes increased. The city had one more murder in 2005 than 2004. Robberies increased 72 percent from 43 to 74. Burglaries also increased — from 882 to 1,026, or 16 percent. The population also increased by more than 13,000 in the year.

Among cities with more than 100,000 people, Cape Coral ranks third in the state based on population-based crime rate, according to the department. Only Port St. Lucie and Coral Springs had lower crime rates.

Water Woes Continue in Cape Coral

With a severe lack of rain, Cape Coral's water levels have plummeted and the problem could get worse.

The News-Press reported that Lee County received just .32 inches of rain in March. That's the 10th-driest March on record since 1891, according to the National Weather Service. It's also the driest March since 1955. The area typically gets about 2.75 inches in March.

With Cape Coral’s rapid growth — 150,000 residents and climbing -- residents are using about 40 million gallons of water a day for their lawns, said George Reilly, the city's utilities manager, all drawing from a limited amount of water in the Cape's Mid-Hawthorne Aquifer. The aquifer is the primary source of water for people who have wells and aren't connected to the city's water system.

Problems can start happening when water reaches 60 to 70 feet below the surface in the Cape's Mid-Hawthorne Aquifer. That's especially true for shallow wells

Options, if problems keep getting worse, include stepping up watering restrictions or freezing building permits in the Cape, according to a spokesman with South Florida Water Management District.