While a lessening in traffic accidents and car crashes was to be expected amid all the shutdowns, police departments in South Florida have also seen a decrease in crime since the start of the coronavirus outbreak.
According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, last month Broward and Miami-Dade saw 2,847 fewer car crashes than they did March of last year.
While homicide numbers have not changed as dramatically, a spokesperson from Miami-Dade police did say that there has been a 15% reduction in overall crime.
Crimes related to homicide, larceny, robbery, assault and sex offense are all down.
"There is definitely a correlation between the lockdown, the pandemic, and the decrease in crime," said Ron Papier, deputy chief of the City of Miami. "Whether that's necessarily causation or not is very difficult to tell at this time, because it's only been a few weeks."
Papier said he expected the trend to continue through April, noting that it was important to remain vigilant as criminals may begin to change their behavior.
Fort Lauderdale's police department also confirmed that officers had seen a decrease in several categories of crime.
