Orlando Police Department and Crime Rates

Orlando Police Department (also referred to as OPD) is in charge of maintaining law and order and investigating crimes in Orlando municipal area. In addition, the department engages in secondary activities, such as community policing and crime prevention education in schools and neighborhoods. The OPD mission statement is to keep the city safe by diminishing crime rates and maintaining high quality of life for the residents. Currently the department has approximately 700 regular officers in full service. They are aided by more than 100 civilians who mainly take part in maintaining the peace in the city's neighborhoods and responding to nonviolent emergencies, such as road accidents.

The department's divisions

Orlando Police Department is composed of a couple of units and divisions which include

• A communication Division whose function is to receive and process 911 emergency calls.
• Property and Evidence unit which is in charge of storing property and evidence.
• The Records Unit which manages the city's public records archive.
• The Criminal Investigation Division which is divided into three units. The property Crime unit investigates frauds, forgeries, thefts and burglary cases. The Youth Service unit investigates crimes committed by juveniles including street gangs. The Violent Crime unit is in charge of investigating homicide and kidnapping cases, assaults, and domestic violence.
• The Patrol Services Bureau is composed of three divisions that cover the entire city and provide quick response to emergency cases, some of which originate in 911 calls.

In addition, Orlando Police Department operates specialized units, such as a Mounted Patrol Unit, a Traffic Enforcement unit, an Airport Division and a K-9 unit.

Orlando crime rates

There are 246,513 people living in Orlando. In 2013, a total of 19,267 crimes were committed in the city, of which 2,550 were violent. From a statistical point of view, 10.34 crimes of violent nature are committed per 1,000 residents. Indeed, Orlando is considered one of the most unsafe cities in the entire United States: 98 per cent of all US cities are considered safer than it! Last year, 24 murders, 108 rapes, 608 robberies and 1,810 assaults were committed in the city. On average, 171 crimes occur per 1 square mile (In the entire State of Florida, the figure is 71).

Conducting an Orlando criminal background check

If you want to carry out a background check on a person residing in Orlando, it is recommended turning to the OPD Records Unit. You need to send a record request to their postal address which is: Their phone number is 407-246-2148. Their e-mail is records@cityoforlando.net. By the way, you can also file a request by visiting their office in person. The information they can provide you with includes

• Road accidents reports
• A Criminal background check
• Tampa arrest records
• Crime grids

Orlando city clerk may also provide you with access to public records. You will need to send a formal request by telephone (407-246-2148) or by e-mail (records@cityoforlando.net). In your request make sure to mention the type of records you are interested in. For a more elaborate inquiry, you should use the resources the county offers you. To undertake an Orange County warrant search, use the online search tool on the sheriff's website. In addition, you may contact the Record Division and ask for information on the county's outstanding warrants. Their phone number is 407-254-7000; their address is Orange County Sheriff's Department. Records Division 2500 West Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL 32804. To locate Orange County arrest records, we strongly advise using the computerized inmate search tool offered to the public by Orange County Department of Corrections.