PORTRAIT OF A POLICE CHIEF AND HIS VISION FOR GULFPORT
Chief Robert Vincent leads the Gulfport Police Department
According to newly appointed Chief of the Gulfport Police Department, Robert A. Vincent, one of the most significant events that led him on his path to becoming a Police Chief was when he was placed under arrest. He was 8 years old.
Rob Vincent was born in Bowling Green, Kentucky in 1972 where he lived for 4 years with his mother Marlene, his father Roscoe, his older brother Scott and his younger sister Kim. Sadly, in a few short years his parents divorced and he moved to Pinellas Park with his mother and two siblings.
It was in Pinellas Park that 8 year old Rob disobeyed his mother and went out to play with a friend among the unfinished houses in the subdivision in which he lived. His friend decided to throw stones and break a few windows. Soon Rob was doing the same. Soon the two boys were breaking a lot of windows. Within minutes Officer Charlie
Prichard of the Pinellas Park Police Department had the two 8 year olds, one in each hand, and was placing them under arrest. Rob now says that he knew that Officer Prichard was serious when he asked him what was his middle name.
Chief Vincent says that it was the professionalism of the officer and the seriousness that he brought to the incident that had a lasting impression on him. The big man in blue got him to reflect on his sins and feel remorse for his actions. He never got in trouble with the law again. In fact, when Rob, at an early age, decided to become a police officer and strive to be chief, it was this incident that had the greatest impact on that decision.
Unfortunately, Rob’s path to police work was not to be a smooth one. In fact, it is a testament to young Rob’s commitment and drive that he should have come close to reaching his goal. At 14 years of age he had to face a challenge that many men would have used as an excuse for failure.
At 14, Rob’s mother passed away. With no father present, his future looked bleak. His aunt, (his mother’s sister), burdened with responsibilities of her own, worked successfully to get Rob and his sister under the formal guardianship of their brother Scott. Scott was 18 years old. Somebody did something right as Rob began to excel in school and at the age of 17 became an Eagle Scout.
With a family unit somewhat intact, young Rob Vincent attended Gibbs High School where he found discipline and order in the ROTC Program. Upon graduation in 1990 he earned an ROTC Scholarship to Florida Southern. In 1991, after attending jump school, he decided that an Army career was not for him. After returning his ROTC Scholarship money, he enrolled at St. Petersburg College where he received an Associates Degree in 1992. He then was accepted into the Police Academy and his police career was finally underway.
While in the Police Academy, he supported himself by working nights at Bill Jackson’s Shop for Adventure where he ran a kayak class. On weekends, he worked at Sunshine Speedway.
Also, while at the Police Academy he met his wife-to-be, Bonnie on a blind date set up by a friend. Bonnie was Salutatorian of Rob’s sister’s class in high school. They were married in 1995. Bonnie is now the Supervisor of the Circulation Department at the Pinellas Park Library.
Six months after completing his Police Academy work, in 1994, he became a rookie police officer with the Gulfport Police Department. He was 21 years old. After a rocky start, (5 cruiser accidents in his first 5 years), Chief Willocks sat him down, secured a commitment from him and outlined a possible career path he might follow.
Starting out as a Patrolman, he soon became the Youth Resources Officer at Boca Ciega High School and resurrected a moribund Gulfport Police Explorer Post. He also mentored students at the elementary school. In his spare time he was attending the University of South Florida where he received his Bachelor of Arts Degree, Magna Cum Laude in 2000. Interestingly, his Major was English, (professional and technical writing).
In 1999, upon the retirement of a Sergeant, Patrolman Vincent had the highest score on the Sergeant’s Exam List and was appointed Sergeant by then Chief Willocks. He then served three years as Sergeant where he trained newly-appointed first line supervisors, implemented the department’s first marine patrol program and secured a $250,000 technology grant. At his appointment as Sergeant he was 26 years old.
In 2002 when one of Gulfport’s Lieutenants retired, Sergeant Vincent, having the requisite 3 years experience as a Sergeant and a Batchelor’s Degree and having excelled at his job, was appointed Lieutenant. He then became the Investigative Services Division Commander where he served until he became Interim Chief in December of 2008.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Vincent continued his education attending the FBI Academy in 2006, securing a Graduate Certificate in Criminal Justice Education from the University of Virginia in 2006 and a Certificate in Criminal Justice Administration from USF in 2007. In 2008, he received a Master of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice Administration from USF where he achieved a 4.0 graduate level GPA.
Since 2001 Chief Vincent has been an assessment team member for the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation. Between 2000 and 2006 he was an adjunct instructor at St. Petersburg College. Most recently, he has volunteered at Boca Ciega High School where he has chaperoned Army jROTC student field trips and has served as a mentor for at-risk children on a weekly basis.
While Patrol Commander/Interim Chief, (in what must have been a maddening period of suspended reality), Chief Vincent had to handle mid-cycle changes to the operating budget and was able to create an employee career development program. He was also able to create a modified community policing strategy for application with reduced personnel resources, (force is down 4 officers and 2 support staff positions).
It was at the point of explaining his interpretation of what “Community Policing” is that Chief Vincent became most animated. Community Policing has become a buzzword in law enforcement and, in many cases, has been given lip service. Chief Vincent’s vision for Gulfport is to change the entire emphasis of the Department from a focus on violations to a focus on problems that underlie violations. This new philosophy will require a complete retraining of personnel and in the long term, a better understanding by the public of what’s going on. Retraining of personnel is already underway.
Currently, police officers are sent out to cover a specific zone of the city. They respond to violations that they observe or are reported to them by their dispatchers. They also react in support of fellow officers and other emergencies when required. Once they are free, an officer will pull over in his/her cruiser and prepare necessary reports and paperwork. Then they will follow a zig-zag course through the zone looking for violations and by their presence, to deter violations.
According to Chief Vincent, the relatively non-productive zig-zagging through the city will be a thing of the past under the department’s new vision. Instead, officers are being trained to become thoroughly familiar with the zone that they serve and the people and institutions that are in it. Their primary focus will be on identifying the problems that may lead to violations that are specific to their zone. Once inherent problems are identified, it will be the officers’ jobs to deal with them and solve them in order to avoid a crime or violation. Only if resolution of a problem requires random patrolling of an area will it be done, but only for that specific purpose.
Of course calls will still be answered and arrests will be made, but the hope is there will be less of them. With reduced personnel and lower city revenues, getting “more bang for the buck” by improving departmental productivity could be e welcome secondary effect of the Chief’s new policies.
Throughout our interview, Chief Vincent was obviously comfortable with all questions and comments by the interviewer. His answers and comments were clearly stated, completely open and confident. In fact, he states, openness and respect for public input by all members of the department are essential for the Community Policing program to work. Also important to the program’s success is a Police Chief who is able to think outside the box, develop policies and deliver them to his department and the public at large. With his long tenure in Gulfport, his rather extraordinary educational accomplishments and his excellent communication skills, his vision for Gulfport has a good chance of success.
Chief Vincent likes to hear from Gulfportians. He needs to know what people’s expectations of his department are. A prime proof is that unlike most chiefs of police, he will travel about in a marked police car with the word “Chief” plainly marked on the outside. When you see him, stop and share your views. He wants you to.
Great story about a great guy. Gulfport is lucky to have him. Much success to Chief Vincent and all of the great men and women in the G’Port PD!! Their success will only bring about good things for everyone in the City.
Good article Big Dog! It would be a relief if the Chief properly identified the underlying causes and addressed the issues with cost effective remedies. I would like to see the list of causes defined and remedies applied. I would like to see a written explanation of the department’s limitations as they apply to each issue. I would like to start by getting an explanation of how a $5 million dollar budget, with fewer officers, translates into a cost effective approach to law & order?
I do agree that Community Policing was, in many cases, no more than lip service or short trial runs and dropped balls. I suspect that community policing requires time, and a background in sociology would go a long way. Many of the calls for service are domestic, often violent, with no physical evidence or “he said-she said” resulting in roadside judgment call that may or may not address the cause. A psychological assessment will certainly be beyond the scope of officers and or our ability to pay for that level of education.
I would like to see a comprehensive published assessment of applying electronic surveillance to key areas of the City. I think that it is now affordable with a proven track record in most locations where it’s applied. I understand that it will watch the cops as well as the offender but that’s a small price to pay for the benefits of deterrence and collecting useful evidence.
After years of involvement and having seen how easily a good department can turn into a worthless expense through selective enforcement, I may not be as optimistic about an old cop with a new title making that much of a difference. I’m not opposed to Mr. Vincent and I do wish him well, its just experience is the best teacher and seeing is believing when it comes to Gulfport.
Maybe I should write a dissertation or an article in Psychology Today on how people who are victims of environmental terrorism become cynical with their oppressors and collaborators.
Chief Vincent spoke at the March 49th Street South Business Association meeting (http://www.so49.org) and besides being a great speaker, was full of interesting, and even surprising, information about crime and the perception of crime in Gulfport. Areas where many Gulfport residents would think has more crime in reality had no more than other areas. Crime is spread fairly evenly throughout the city, and it is not as prevelant as some might assume.
I applaud Chief Vincent for his common-sense efforts, his public visibility, and open availability.
Rob,
There is crime.
There is the perception of crime.
There is enforcement.
There is selective enforcement.
There are statistics.
There is the interpretation of statistics.
There are reasons to state the facts.
There are reasons to hide the facts.
What is a crime on Beach Boulevard is not a crime on 49th street.
What stops businesses from being successful on Beach Blvd are not the same things that close the doors on 49th street.
If a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it, does it make a sound? On Beach Blvd it does, on 49th street it does not.
I can point out businesses who have closed their doors because of druggies and dealers harassing them or their customers then slipping back across the 49th street DMZ out of the reach of Gulfport. I can point out a business that left because the noise levels from Boombox cars drove them out of business. Do you know of any incidence on Beach Blvd where this has happened?
How many homes or cars are hit with stray bullets on Beach Blvd?
After years of excuses and neglect, residents and businesses have resolved to the fact that Gulfport PD is inadequate in dealing with the border along 49th street. Many times I’ve heard it said that it was St. Petersburg fault, but if you have an issue with St. Petersburg they respond. They will also tell you that Gulfport has not been a cooperative partner for many decades.
Gulfport has resisted the only authority that can address both sides of 49th street, the Sheriffs dept who have told us personally that they would be willing to help if the city(s) agreed. The solution has been available for years; the only thing standing in the way is the local Police. It may cost them a piece of their budget; it may cost them the prestige or limit their authority in a dumb competitive enforcement market. The object of the game is to solve problems not take credit for problems solved. This petty competition has cost this city plenty through the years.
Police department don’t exist in a vacuum so there is an element of political influence going on here. It could be that the Mayor’s “Our City is an Island” concept has overreached logical proportions. One can really never tell.
Under the new Chief’s authority I saw a response to an accident on 15th Ave and about 54th street a few days ago. There was a car accident where it appeared to me that that fender of a car had popped off. It looked fully intact on the side of the road. I saw a fire truck, an ambulance and 4 or 5 police cars, marked and unmarked. I wish I had my camera with me to show you this scene. There wasn’t one cop in the street directing traffic; they were either in their cars or on the side of the road talking between them. Come-on…5 cop cars for a fender bender? This is cost effective patrolling and enforcement?
In reply to 2iview,
Concerning the car accident,it was not “a fender bender” as you stated. A car collided with a motorcycle and the person on that motorcycle suffered serious injuries.
It’s easy to look at something without asking any questions and make assumptions. It’s just as easy to post on a board anonymously and seem like you know what you are talking about. I suppose your perception is your reality.
Just fyi for those who did not read it on our website. Our Chief has a mission. This is just the start.
http://gulfportpolice.com/mediarelease32610.html
3/26/10 – St. Petersburg Police and Gulfport Police work together along 49th Street corridor
Gulfport, – There was a collaborative effort between the St. Petersburg Police Street Crimes Unit and the Gulfport Police Special Enforcement Team today. The mission of the two units was to arrest persons involved in the sales and use of narcotics and to attempt to arrest persons involved in stealing cars. Both crimes have been a problem in the area for some time. St. Petersburg Times Staff Writer Jamal Thalji was embedded with the units during the operation. The operation resulted in the arrests of 6 adults for charges including Possession of Cocaine, Possession of Marijuana, and Grand Theft Auto.
Dontbedumb,
I saw the bike, and sure, when a bike and car collide the bike usually comes in second. I could understand the ambulance and maybe two cruisers, but what was there for a fender bender, bike or no bike, makes no sense. The accident didn’t require that many officers. Injury accidents could require more ambulances but lets be realistic here, there was one.
I was behind a bus that found it difficult to past the cruisers lined up on fifteenth. The bike was on the side street as was the car with no fender. I could certainly understand if traffic needed to be diverted, but there were no officers directing traffic, though the bus certainly could have used some assistance.
This is not the first case of overkill, and think about it if you will, just about every officer on that shift with a car, was on 15th ave you would think with all the communication equipment y’all have, you could tell each other who’s responding and who’s too late to the ball.
Watchman,
That’s very good news indeed. If you want to know what’s going on around here talk to the folks that see it everyday. Talk to Helena, Ken, or any businesses along the corridor that face it without remedy. We could point out the cars, the people, and the times of day. We have in the past, as you very well know, we have all been cooperative. But you can’t be here 24/7, which goes to the argument of electronic monitoring.
to 2ivew
it appears to me you know alot about nothing. first of all 49sthas very little crime compared to the rest of the city.it would pay for you to come to a crime awareness meeting once in a while and learn first hand what goes on in the city. also the new chief gulfport now has will be good
for the city if people given him there trust and stand behind him i’veknown Mr. Vicent sence he came to the Department he has earned every bit of his new job it wasn’t handed to him he has my respect and i hope he has the respect of the citizens of gulfport.
Guarddog,
When beliefs stop being negotiable, bad things happen.
R. Dawkins
In this weeks Gulfport Gabber there were 45 crime incidents reported.
11 were on 49th street itself– 25%.
Add reports from 49th to 52nd street, considered to be the 49th street Corridor, and you have 18—40%.
Which part the facts do you not understand?
If you have any facts to contribute to this discussion please do, I’ll be more than happy to concede to your thoughtful hypothesis.
2iveiw and guarddog,
I beleive you left out the crimes that are not reported, well, because we already know that nothing will come of it so why bother.
To 2iveiw,
I’m sure the officers that were there were needed. It’s easy to be looking from the outside in and make assumptions.
As for the bus needing assistance, I find that hard to believe. Those drivers are professionals who encounter those kind of situations all the time. if they need assistance, they will make it known.
2iveiw
you are looking at a weekly report that’s only given in part if you go to the police dept and look at the total yearly reports i think you will find I’m right don’t look at part of the picture look at the whole picture.come to a crime awareness meeting an find out much more you are welcome.
To demonstrate the distinctions in statistical analysis look at this web-link. I’m well aware that our police Department would have you believe that crime is down, but that opens up the questions, for example, as compared to what?
We know many of the properties are empty, which means that the population is reduced, so is the statistical analysis take into account an account for crime by “Per Thousand” population as the nation does? Many of these houses are empty, less people to commit crime.
Gulfport Florida has almost double the rate of violent crimes than the national average with the exception of murder.
Rape= National average .32 per thousand persons
Rape= Gulfport Florida .55 per thousand persons
Robbery= National average 1.41 per thousand persons
Robbery= Gulfport Florida 3.09 per thousand persons
Assault= National average 2.91 per thousand persons
Assault= Gulfport Florida 4.67 per thousand persons
Property Crime
Burglary= National average per 7.27 thousand persons
Burglary= Gulfport Florida 19.64 per thousand persons
Burglaries average 248 per year. +/-
VEHICLE THEFT= National average 4.17 per thousand persons
VEHICLE THEFT= Gulfport Florida 4.44 per thousand persons
VEHICLE THEFT= average 307 per year +/-
Crimes per square mile National Median= 49.6
Crimes per square mile Florida Median= 91
Crimes per square mile Gulfport Median= 179
So, some may be convinced that Gulfport has little crime, or less crime or a solution to crime, but I don’t think the data demonstrates that.
This weeks Gulfport Gabber reported 59 Police Complaints 7 were directly on 49th street 7% but when you include the corridor from 49th to 52nd street the count is 26 which is 44% of the calls to the city.
The Tax Payer spent approximately $65, 400.00 for police services last week.
Go Figure.
http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/fl/gulfport/city-center/#goto-tab-crime
correction=
This weeks Gulfport Gabber reported 59 Police Complaints 7 were directly on 49th street 12% but
Be careful what you sow
I was talking to one of our elderly Gulfport neighbors the other day and the topic of the number of burglaries in her neighborhood had stuck close to home as her backdoor neighbors had been burglarized a few months back.
She went on to tell me that she had seen the burglars but had not called the police while the crime was in commission. Apparently when she was much younger, possibly in the 1970’s she was ruffed up by the local constables (the Gulfport Police Department) who responded to a call from one of her neighbors who had an extreme dislike of her. The neighbor had notified the police that she was armed and was going to hurt someone, because she was mentally unstable.
Since that incident she has had nothing to do with the Gulfport Police Department. When the current constabulary came calling as they routinely do when a crime has been committed in the neighborhood, she told them she saw nothing. Naturally they ran this lady in her late 80’s to see if she had any warrants out for her arrest. She hasn’t driven for years.
So current police authorities; take heed of your actions, because a watchful citizenry is better then a bitter citizenry when it comes to helping you do your job.
This week the Gulfport Gabber reported 71 calls for service to the Police dept. 25 were in the 49th street corridor, which means 35% of the calls came from 49th to 52nd street. This is not an isolated statistic, this has been going on for a very long time. There is a need for electronic surveillance in key areas of this city and there is political will on both sides of 49th street. I’ve have personally spoken to Mayor Mike Yakes and Councilman Sam Henderson from Gulfport as well as Councilman Wengay Newton and Mayor Bill Foster from St. Petersburg on this issue and they all agree that surveillance would be helpful. Mayor Mike Yakes said that he could get it done.
If the Council truly wants a redevelopment area they need to observe what is developing. The culture and crime level of 49th street is not conducive to redevelopment and the situation along the DMZ is not improving.
Aside from the 49th street issue there were 4 more burglaries this week. Can anyone demonstrate where the new chief of police has actually made a difference in the crime rate of Gulfport? From my observation the crime rate seems to be escalating along with the noise level along the 49th street corridor.
The Tax Payer spent approximately $65, 400.00 for police services last week.
All knowledge is the hypothesis for what is examined next.
…and these are some of those that live among us:
http://mugshots.tampabay.com/browse/zipcode/33707/
I heard that barbeque smoke from Gulfport Boulevard was observed inside Gulfport Elementary School, I wonder if any of the children called the police to file a complaint? I wonder if they were instructed to call the police if they observed smoke in their school?
Since the wind would have to be blowing from the ese, se, s, sw, wsw to a get into the school, maybe someone from the Barbeque Police Devision could keep an eye on the wind http://www.sailflow.com/windandwhere.iws?regionID=149&siteID=1600&Isection=Forecast+Graphs and observe the smoke for themselves.
Remember what Smokey the Bear said: Only you can prevent Childhood Asthma, Macular Degeneration, Diabetic Retinopathy, Thyroid Eye Disease, Optic Neuropathy, Chronic Respiratory Disease, Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension, in an institution filled with kids in captivity.
Week of 6-25 to 7-1 2010
There were 59 calls responded to by the police department.
25 calls were to locations along the 49th street corridor 49th to 52nd street. There were 8 burglaries some thefts an auto theft and trespassers among other incidents. The City of Gulfport paid this Police Department $75,000.00 + for this week of service.
There will be close to 200 residents in this small-congested City that will experience the feeling of being violated by burglers in their homes this year. Where is the plan to stop this, where is the Police or surveillance equipment to deter this activity?
Good job catching the Druggies on July 9th! Come back tomorrow and I’ll show you some more. I’m glad the south 49th street Business Association decided to stop pretending that there was no crime on 49th street and do something to fix the problem. Telling Sam Henderson that they couldn’t understand why people thought there was crime on 49th or were not accurate in what was being observed was a deceptive tactic. Even the blind could see the obvious.
People are not going to come to 49th street because the Business Association pretends that it’s rosey. People have eyes, ears and apparently more sense than the Association, and know what’s really going on. Create an attractive atmosphere and the people will come. Tell them it’s safe and crime free when it’s obviously not and sacrifice your credibility. Jeri Reed and her crowd need to understand that point and get on with addressing the truth and creating an atmosphere conducive to redevelopment.
I grew up in the 50′s and 60′s on 46th st and 14th ave so. We didn’t lock our doors then. Few did. It really was incredible growing up there, and I especially loved Gulfport as well. As a kid, I could see the checkerboard storefront of what is now the Gabber from my sidewalk.
Now, I cannot visit or even walk through my old neighborhood. It is so sad to see how negatively things have changed in this area. What the hell happened to my paradise?!
ricky said: What the hell happened to my paradise?!
the Great Society policy of Lyndon B Johnson under the threat of domestic terrorism in cities across the country…happened.
White Flight happened, property was sold cheap or abandoned as the ghettos emptied by statute. North of Central Ave was always segregated; south of central was designated to absorb the consequences of the new laws. Your Paradise Lost…in an effort to create the conditions that would allow others to find their paradise… theoretically.
Hopefuly the police department is preparing for the new bar that will open on Labor Day weekend, the same weekend of Gulfport’s largest street party Gecko Fest.
On Monday August 9 at about 4:00 Pm my friends on Tifton St. in Gulfport were burglarized, on Tuesday after 1:30 AM the thieves came back and stole their car. The car was found by the St. Pete police on 45th St. S just five blocks from their house. The St. Pete police dusted the car and returned it to my friends. The car was never searched my friends found a ring in it that did not belong to them and turned it into the Gulfport police.On Saturday August 14 they received a form letter from officer Coombs saying that their case would be placed on the INACTIVE list. BRIEF investigation eh? OUTRAGEOUS. I wrote an e-mail on Tuesday to Chief Vincent and recieved no reply.
There have been 6 burglaries 2 robberies and 1 theft in the Marina district in a 9 week period! A woman on 29th Ave S. in the Marina district was also told her burglary would be placed on the INACTIVE list shortly after it happened. She spoke to the chief but got no satisfaction.
As residents and TAXPAYERS we do not want to hear “oh well you live close to a high crime area”! What we would like is for our Chief and city manager and officer coombs to become Tax paying residents of Gulfport and experience the angst and insecurity we all experience. In the future we should strongly consider a more Vigilant police force and that they become residents. That would give them all jobs , take care of the surplus of homes on the market and you can be Damn sure they would be more vigilant in preventing, investigating and prosecuting these criminals.
I was a member of crime awareness for a few years, even was a block captain. They suggest you put three inch screws in your strike plates, get an alarm, leave your TV on night and day, get a dog and put up beware of the dog signs, in other words the burden is on the victim. As residents and taxpayers it is about time we DEMAND better police surveillance and investigations of these crimes. Gulfport is 2.8 square miles it is disgusting that we have so much crime. Don’t tell me it is because of our St. Pete neighbors! Consider it the tough job you have the privledge of holding and do something to protect the citizens who pay your salary and expect more from you than you are giving us.
2iView is right on and in the future I expect we will hear more from all the concerned citizens.
Let us not forget that the city council seat representing the Marina District (which happens to be the same seat as represents the downtown area) is up for reelction this upcoming election cycle. And while the Marina district voted overwhelmingly for the current incumbant, they may want to ask them selves is it time to get our own representative for the marina district and cut ourselves loose from the downtown area.
We should ask ourselves are things getting better in our area, and are we prepared to just let it deteriorate further?
It’s the little things that inform city values.
Newton Avenue sprung a leak, a pipe burst in the street. Without much delay the city workers showed up to repair it. They needed to dig a trench to access the pipe, repair it and replace the pavement. If you drive down Newton Ave today you’ll find a pothole. When trucks or buses that cut across Newton to avoid the 15th street light hit the pothole the ground vibrates and it’s felt inside the adjacent houses. How long will it take before the pipes on the property also burst? Or the sewer pipe cracks from all the pounding? Out of sight out of mind.
Now I know damn well if the broken pipe was in Beach Boulevard the repair would have been done properly, with care, with oversight, but anywhere away from the valued assets that the City holds dear and you will find this kind of workmanship.
Which brings me back to the police department and what they prioritize. If you go down to the marina or the coast guard station you will find the cops you need, parked in the lot everyday on a property that already has surveillance cameras. Why hang out in a parking lot that has little to vandalize? Because they can park their cars side by side for a extended period of time? Go figure.
Don’t say they are not doing anything…they arrested this guy at the nursing home…..
http://www.pcsoweb.com/InmateBooking/SubjectResults.aspx?id=1418974
Week ending 9/23 in Gulfport Fl. their were 8 burglaries.
Can someone please demonstrate where this new Chief and improved Police Dept has made an effective difference?
I would post a link but the content of the Gabber’s “Eye on Crime” page has mysteriously disappeared.
http://www.thegabber.com/Stories_July_December_2010/092310/www/eyeoncrime.html
You can see the weak performance record in the hard copy version of the Special Addition.
Week ending 9/30
7 additional burglaries in Gulfport fl.
This week the Gabber posted the Eye on Crime
http://www.thegabber.com/Stories_July_December_2010/100710/www/eyeoncrime.html
The properties in Gulfport are like sitting ducks for burglars, shouldn’t someone ask what is being done to deter this activity? These statistics are collected and posted globally, our crime rate is higher than the National, State and County average with little to suggest that it will improve. Some might say that this is an argument for more cops and an increased police budget, but if one examines the record they will see that the criminal activity is unusually high even when we had a full police roster. Is the Police Dept. inadequate to address the problems they face? Is it a lack of resident and or property owner’s responsibility? If all residents were required to obtain security systems the police would spend their day chasing alarm calls, so what should be done? I’ve suggested cameras, and or full electronic monitoring in key locations that would deter the activity and also capture traffic identity in the areas to begin to establish patterns and build a database. If other Cities use electronic monitoring then it is not impossibility. If out-front statistics demonstrate that monitoring is not effective and doing nothing else is the solution then the City is stuck in a spiral of adding and subtracting more cops and getting the same results over and over again Ad nauseam. We have a new chief and a newly revamped department but the old problems remain.
I suspect that the department is not pleased with their performance and would much rather be praised for a job well done. Fancier Cars, bigger guns and hanging more stuff from their belt are not solutions. We can’t just issue every cop a Corvette with a roof mounted rocket launcher and call it a day. Eyes on the ground seems to be called for but with a strained budget now at $3.4 million more eyes are not unaffordable, so it seems logical, given our conundrum, that cameras would take the place of eyes and many locations can be viewed or activity replayed by cops in their cruisers or by a dispatcher/monitor since we have them sitting in a dispatch office. Adding value to the dispatch job just might help them in their negotiations?
There were 8 burglaries last week and 7 this week, that’s 15 properties and possibly 30-40 victims in two weeks. When your burglarized you feel invaded and it takes a long time to feel comfortable and secure in your home or business. You begin to suspect every noise or anything out of place, it’s an eerie feeling that more that 200 property owners are experiencing so far this year and the year’s not over yet.
What also concerns me a bit is the number of arrests of Gulfport people for commiting crimes in other areas. There seems to be a preponderence of them coming from one or two specific wards. I’m not a sociologist but have to wonder how that perhaps ties to the larger socio-economic issues in G’port and in the general South Pinellas community? Go to the following link and search on 33707 for more insight. http://mugshots.tampabay.com/
“Insanity is repeating, repeating, the same behavior and expecting different results” In regards to burglary in Gulfport the more things change the more they stay the same!!
Week ending 10/07/10 is missing from the Gabber
Week ending 10/14/10 4 burglaries can be added to the list.
And… there were 6 thefts, 2 robberies, 4 batteries and more.
The Justice department granted the City $180,000.00 for a new entry level police officer for three years. The City will need to keep the officer on the job for an additional 3 years. (cost unknown at this time) We really didn’t need this officer since we rented an extra one out to the School Board, but what the heck, in three years time we’ll have more money to pay for the extra cop. In the mean time, s/he can be the “Perceived” Gulfport Policeman that we so desperately needed.
Week ending 10/21/10 In Gulfport Florida
Burglaries = 6
Thefts = 7
Batteries = 3
Trouble with Individual = 17
…and more
Let’s just isolate Burglaries.
The Police respond 1-2 cruisers
Examine the premises.
Question the witnesses.
When the call is complete they turn it over to the investigation branch and data collection center.
The cost is variable from case to case but let’s say for the sake of argument that each unsolved case involves 10 man-hours, for the response team including the Patrol Sergeant, Investigator and data entry. Let’s say at a cost of $35.00 per hour x 10 = $350.00 per call x 6 calls = $2100 per week x 52 weeks = $109,200.00 annually for just responding to Burglaries +/-.
What would strategically placed cameras cost and how much would the deterrence of crime, the collection of data that could expedite in the capturing of criminals save? How many Gulfport residents will be saved from this intrusion into their lives? How many TV’s, stereos, treasures can be saved?
We’re starting with a cost of near $100,000.00 per year in Police time alone, not including the cars, buildings and equipment use, maintenance and depreciation addressing Burglaries 15% = $15,000.00. If the average property loss is valued at $500.00 and there are 200 incidents per year, there’s an additional $100,000.00. Insurance claims and insurance increases.
On top of it all the statistical data is compiled and distributed to National Data Centers that reflect the conditions of this City and the quality of life. With the ongoing inefficiency of the City to address the burglaries alone, the value and desirability of the property, schools, and businesses is being depreciated.
Even with the New Chief and reorganized department the same problems continue and issues go unaddressed.
This City needs to step into the 21st century and spend money on proven technologies and even go further and be a part of the process of testing new technologies to protect this City from sliding into a lawless abyss.
With the rate of crime that we have, no reasonable argument could be made that the motives for surveillance equipment were anything more than to serve and protect everyone, everywhere in this City. Failure is not an option.