LEE COUNTY, Fla.- We're learning 2011 was a bad year for crime in Fort Myers. The city's overall crime rate jumped up nearly 12% last year compared to 2010. But at the same time Cape Coral and Lee County saw a drop in crime.

We start in Lee County where violent crime has dropped 11%.

Sheriff Mike Scott credits his aggressive campaign against crime despite tough times. "Our budget has been reduced $17 million and at the same time that budget is coming down we're seeing that rate of crime occuring in this county continue to come down," he said.

But hard times is being blamed for the increase in crime in the city of Fort Myers.

It's 11.5% overall, with burglaries and thefts with the highest increases. Homicides also jumped in 2011: to 20 versus 7 in 2010.

"We are continuing looking at ways to deploy our resources, where we deploy our resources, I think we're doing everything we can under the current conditions," said Fort Myers Police Chief Doug Baker.

In Cape Coral, the department saw a drop of violent crimes to nearly 14% while non-violent crimes rose by almost 6%

Lieutenant Tony Sizemore says more cases are being solved. "The ones that do occur, we're solving them, at an even better rate," he said.

Cape Coral police say this drop in crime couldn't be achieved without help from watchful neighbors. "It's just neighbors watching the neighborhood, you don't have to go out of your way," explained Marvin Applegate, with the Cape Coral Neighborhood Watch program.

In Lee County: Included are sharp drops across the board for murder (down 12%), forced sex crimes down (down 24%), robbery (down 4%) and aggravated assault (down 11%).

In Fort Myers:

                          2010              2011  
Burglary               628                667  
Theft                  1,877             2,153  
Auto Theft           194                198  
Robbery               152                170  
Assault                474                518  
Sex Offenses        65                  62  
Murder                  7                  20  

For more information about the Cape Coral Neighborhood Watch Program visit this link:  http://www.capecoralwatch.com/

For more information about the Fort Myers Neighborhood Watch Program visit this link: http://www.fmpolice.com/Prevention/NeighborhoodWatch/tabid/69/Default.aspx