Like disturbing details about a Florida man’s crimes Against children and animals receiving national attention, Florida’s reputation as a hotbed of bizarre crimes is compounded.
If you’ve been on the internet since 2013, you’ll know that Florida’s supposed notoriety for weird events is renowned – search for “Florida man meme” if you’re not convinced.
But while the stories seem different from anything happening in other states, it’s likely that these kinds of events are happening all around us in all states – we just don’t have access to it. information.
Why are so many crazy stories happening in Florida?
Many crimes that occur in Florida end up online because the state has one of the most extensive open government laws that make information about all crimes committed there so readily available.
Florida men appearing in court yelling at jurors to cut off their wife’s lover’s private parts with scissors, that’s enough to fuel the meme.
But there are actually legitimate reasons why Florida crime stories seem to be more extreme than in other states.
Florida easy access to public records.
Florida’s sunshine laws and freedom of information laws mean Floridians – and anyone else looking to create a meme – can easily access government documents and court proceedings.
While there are some exceptions, the public records are searchable in real time in Florida, which means crazy stories break easily and without restrictions.
All 50 states and the federal government now have some form of sun law, but many of them aren’t as open as Florida’s.
These are laws requiring government or business openness. They allow citizens to access meetings, records, votes, deliberations and other official matters.
It was about giving citizens back the power to control those they elected to make decisions on their behalf.
Florida lacks mental health services.
Florida’s lack of mental health support may explain why Floridians seem to be committing absurd crimes.
Florida ranks 33rd with a high prevalence of mental illness and low rates of access to care, according to a report released by Mental Health America.
Although it ranks near the middle overall, if we only look at the ranking for access to care, Florida is almost at the bottom in 45th place. Lack of access to care may be affected by Florida’s shortage of mental health professionals.
Florida residents also face some of the worst economic inequalities in the United States. Therefore, for low income communities, accessing mental health care is extremely difficult.
Florida has a large population.
The state is currently the thirdthe largest population in the United States and home to 21.5 million people.
More people means more people are committing crimes, which may be another explanation for some of Florida’s wild tales.
yet, the state is experiencing a decrease in crime and has reported a 15.7% drop in total crime. This means there are fewer crazy Florida man stories popping up every day.
Ciara Litchfield is a writer who works on entertaining and human interest stories with a particular focus on good news.
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