Jacksonville is not the crime capital of Florida, despite the occasional hysteria in the local media, but it could do better.

That conclusion comes from examining the 2018 crime statistics now available from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Duval County was No. 2 in crimes per thousand residents among the 67 counties in the state, after Leon County. It was not much better in violent crimes, coming in fifth after Dade, Broward, Orange and Palm Beach.

That is not a rap on the police. It speaks more about the population of the counties.

The 20 counties on the list with the most crime have a higher population in the 18 to 24 age range than those in the lowest 20 counties. These are the people who commit most crimes.

But one critical figure does cast a shadow on local police agencies.

Duval had the lowest rate of crimes cleared by arrest than any county except crime-ridden Dade.

Why can’t the local cops catch crooks?

This is also troublesome when it is coupled with another statistic Eye on Jacksonville has noted several times. Offenses committed in local public schools result in police action less than in any other district in Florida.

Why don’t the police take action against troublemakers in schools more often? Eye plans to keep asking these questions until we can get answers.