DURING 1978, THE DEPARTMENT UNDERWENT A COMPREHENSIVE MANAGEMENT ANALYSIS BY CONSULTANTS WHO FOUND A COMMENDABLE PROGRAM FOR DEPLOYING PATROL UNITS EQUITABLY. CONSULTANTS CONCLUDED THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAS ACHIEVED A DEGREE OF SUCCESS THAT IS BEYOND THAT OF MOST DEPARTMENTS. A TOTAL OF 26,966 SERIOUS CRIMES WERE RECORDED BY THE END OF 1978, REPRESENTING A 6 PERCENT INCREASE OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR. MURDERS INCREASED 31.3 PERCENT; RAPE 31.4 PERCENT; AGGRAVATED ASSAULT 15.6 PERCENT; AND AUTO THEFT 15.9 PERCENT. CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS INCREASED 17.3 PERCENT OVER 1977 FIGURES. CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY WERE UP 5 PERCENT AND ROBBERY INCREASED 1.7 PERCENT. CITIZENS AND MERCHANTS IN TAMPA EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF $11,518,711 IN PROPERTIES AS A RESULT OF 1,075 ROBBERIES; 14,643 LARCENIES; 7,520 BURGLARIES; AND 1,311 VEHICLE THEFTS. THE DEPARTMENT REDUCED THIS LOSS BY 35.8 PERCENT THROUGH RECOVERIES OF STOLEN PROPERTY. ARRESTS OF JUVENILES AND ADULTS FOR SERIOUS CRIMES INCREASED 21.7 PERCENT COMPARED TO 1977. OF THE 18,960 OFFENSES REFERRED TO THE DETECTIVE DIVISION FOR LATENT INVESTIGATION DURING THE YEAR, 13,090 WERE SATISFACTORILY CLEARED (A 69 PERCENT CLEARANCE RATE). OF THE 2,746 CASES ASSIGNED TO THE HOMICIDE AND ROBBERY BUREAU, 1,608 WERE SATISFACTORILY CLEARED FOR AN OVERALL 58.5 SUCCESS RATE. CLEARANCE RATES FOR THE BURGLARY AND LARCENY BUREAUS WERE 57.5 PERCENT AND 69.2 PERCENT, RESPECTIVELY, FOR 1978. PHOTOGRAPHS AND TABULAR DATA ARE INCLUDED IN THE REPORT. (LWM)