THE VOLUME OF REPORTED INDEX CRIMES INCREASED 12.1 PERCENT FROM 1978. THESE CRIMES INCLUDED THE VIOLENT OFFENSES OF MURDER, RAPE, ROBBERY, AND AGGRAVATED ASSAULT; AND THE NONVIOLENT OFFENSES OF BREAKING AND ENTERING, BURGLARY, LARCENY, AND MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT. A TOTAL OF 608,896 INDEX CRIMES OCCURRED, OR 1 EVERY 52 SECONDS. THE 1979 CRIME RATE INCREASED TO 73.6 INDEX CRIMES FOR EVERY 1,000 RESIDENTS. FOR ARSON, A TOTAL OF 2,644 OFFENSES WERE REPORTED AND $11,070,324 WORTH OF PROPERTY WAS DESTROYED. DURING THIS SAME PERIOD, FLORIDA'S POPULATION INCREASED 3.1 PERCENT, REFLECTING A POPULATION DENSITY OF NEARLY 171 PEOPLE PER SQUARE MILE. THE DOLLAR LOSS OF REPORTED PROPERTY STOLEN REVEALED A 36.2 PERCENT INCREASE TO A TOTAL OF $340,819,738. LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES RECOVERED 25.1 PERCENT OF THE LOSS, OR $85,580,162. ALSO IN 1979, CRIMINAL ARRESTS IN FLORIDA INCREASED 5.3 PERCENT. A TOTAL OF FOUR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WERE KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY IN 1979. MAPS, CHARTS, AND DIAGRAMS ARE PROVIDED, AND THE NUMEROUS STATISTICAL TABLES, BREAK DOWN THE DATA ACCORDING TO SUCH CATEGORIES AS COUNTRIES; OFFENSES; AGE, SEX, AND RACE OF THE OFFENDER; ASSAULTS ON LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS; AND PERCENTAGES OF OFFENSES CLEARED. (PRG)