On many levels the cities of Sarasota and Bradenton are rivals. Similar in geographic size and population, the two vie to top each other. But for decades, Sarasota’s claim to the lowest crime rate was unchallenged. Until last year, when Bradenton Mayor Wayne Poston began bragging his crime rate – for the first time in memory – was lower than Sarasota’s.

An analysis by the City of Sarasota’s Finance Department backs Poston up. In an analysis for the city’s Police Review Panel, the department compared eleven Florida cities of comparable population of a variety of benchmarks, including the crime rate per 1,000 people. Using figures from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), it showed Bradenton’s crime rate at 52.7 and Sarasota’s at 77.0. In fact, Sarasota was the second highest of the cities surveyed, coming only below North Miami’s 77.8.

Part One of this series saw arrests and jail admissions fall in the City of Sarasota by sizeable fractions year over year. The SPD’s own figures detailed a 23.8 percent decline between 2009 and 2010 for total arrests. An analysis of jail admission figures by Sarasota Patch found a 26 percent decline in the same period.

“Yes, arrests are down,” said Police Chief Mikel Holloway. “But we don’t necessarily look at that as a bad thing. I would like to think we’re doing a fine job.”

Holloway was joined by three captains in an interview at a sixth-floor conference room of the brand new Sarasota Police Headquarters overlooking Payne Park. Capt. Paul Sutton, head of the administrative division said, “There’s never been a problem we could arrest our way out of.”

In years past the Sarasota County jail was filled with repeat offenders, mostly alcohol and drug abusers. Sutton said a number of rehabilitation programs with surprising success rates and beginning to slow the revolving jail door. “The fact that arrests are down isn’t necessarily bad news,” he said. “If they are not doing that anymore, it’s a great improvement in the community.”

He produced an analysis showing Sarasota City Police officers outperform other agencies. Using sheriff’s department data, Sutton said each officer in 2010 was responsible for 16.7 jail admissions, compared to 12.8 for sheriff’s deputies and 10.5 for the Venice Police Department.

Sutton used 2009 FDLE statistics to compare Sarasota with Bradenton, with the SPD making 26.2 arrests per officer while Bradenton Police made 20.7 arrests per officer. Sarasota County Sheriff’s deputies averaged 17.8 arrests. “We out-produce those other agencies,” said Holloway. “It ain’t bragging if you can back it up.”

Sutton said comparing Sarasota to Bradenton is an artificial assessment. “We have 30,000 part-time residents in this city. We have thousands of tourists, while Bradenton is not a tourist town, and we have thousands of county residents who come to Sarasota every day to work,” he said. “Unlike Bradenton, we have a lot more people to take care of than just the census population.”

Holloway’s force is 13 officers smaller following two years of force reductions. “These guys are working really hard,” said Holloway. Patrol Captain Lucias Bonner said, “Our philosophy under Chief Holloway has changed. It’s now community policing. And I’ve seen some changes already.”

Holloway is a Sarasota native and a near-30-year veteran of the force. He is the city’s latest police chief, replacing Peter Abbott last year following a widely publicized prisoner-abuse scandal.