Located almost in the middle of the state of Florida, the census-designated place of The Villages, FL shares its name with the larger master-planned and age-restricted community that spreads between Sumter County and parts of Marion and Lake counties. With a population of over 132,000 people that have a median age of 71.7, it’s easy to see how the master-planned community impacts the CDP The Villages. Many retirees from Florida and outside of the state move here to enjoy the plethora of age-appropriate amenities, and safety is a big concern for all those thinking about moving here.
As a master-planned community that was designed for active seniors, safety was always a main concern of the developers. With so many independent living seniors, it’s easy to see the reason behind this focus. So let’s see how they manage to reach their goal of becoming the safest area in all of Florida.
Safety in The Villages a Group Effort
The census-designated place of The Villages, Florida, belongs to The Villages metropolitan statistical area, and the data available is calculated based on the MSA’s borders. Because of that, we will consider what is happening in all of Sumter County, which includes areas outside of The Villages, but not the areas of The Villages that belong to Lake and Marion counties as they belong to another MSA.
The Villages, Florida, belong to the protective services of the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. The low crime statistics prevalent in The Villages result from the Sheriff’s department philosophy and a great collaboration with the county residents. Several programs have also been in place to make things even better for the residents. One of these programs is the Peace of Mind, which ensures great communication between the residents and the Sheriff’s department by providing a direct line where people can inform the department that they’re all right. A second program would be Vial of Life, which provides residents with vital medical equipment and information to store in their refrigerators. Finally, scent prevention kits are also in place to help locate individuals with dementia that have wandered off. All these programs and methods were set in place to ensure the safety of the residents of The Villages.
The Results
Over the last two decades, crime rates, which were already pretty low, decreased further. By 2019, violent crimes in The Villages, Florida dropped to 1.45 per 1,000 residents, while Florida’s average is 3.78. Additionally, these numbers dropped to 6.81 per 1,000 residents regarding property crimes, while Florida’s average is at 21.46.
With a Community Watch program now in place, the safety rates in The Villages, Florida, is higher than ever. It’s safe to say you can safely move here, but don’t forget to contact real estate agents in The Villages FL as they can make the transition a lot easier both for you and your family. They will make sure that you know you’re safe in any of the villages from The Villages, FL, and that your family has fewer reasons to worry about your well-being.