INSIDE the Lakeland Police Department

LPD Open House Reminder

Reminder that our Open House is tomorrow, Saturday, March 17, 2007, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Fun activities for the children as our theme this year is "Cops and Kids", but adults will have a good time, too, with tours of the police station and displays of our helicopter and tactical equipment.

Makes plans to join us tomorrow for the annual LPD Open House.

Eyewitness to a Job Well Done

Chris Mahoney, a Lakeland Community member, recently wrote to the editorial section of The Lakeland Ledger about recent activities within his neighborhood.

Mr. Mahoney states, "I, for one, have witnessed the employees of our Police Department perform their jobs admirably, displaying complete professionalism in terms of control and investigation".  Open the link for a more indepth look at this editorial.

Remembering Sgt. Pete Peterson

Funeral services were held this morning for Retired Sgt. Delton "Pete" Peterson who passed away on Sunday, March 11, 2007. Sgt. Peterson was a 26-year veteran of the Lakeland Police Department, having served the community from 1959 - 1985 as a police officer and police sergeant.

Officers who were fortunate enough to have worked for Sgt. Peterson remember him as a "cop's cop"...someone who expected his officers to give the very best they had, but yet a leader who supported his officers when they made mistakes. His easy going personality made working for him a pleasure because he made working the streets of Lakeland fun. Pete could stare at you with his eyes and young officers knew right away when they messed up, but at the same time he would smile and the twinkle in his eyes reinforced how much he loved his officers.

Sgt. Peterson remained a member of the extended Lakeland PD family upon his retirement and would return to the station for various retiree functions or neighborhood meetings. Our condolences to his family - we will all miss seeing Pete at our next retiree luncheon.

Lakeland Police Respond to a Shooting

Lakeland Police responded to a shooting at approximately 7:30 a.m. today at 1853 Crystal Grove Drive, Lakeland, Florida.

Victim, Andre F. Lott, who resides at that location, had been shot multiple times and was transported to Lakeland Regional Medical Center where he is in unknown condition.

Blythers was arrested at approximately 1:15 p.m. today by the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

Download media_release_shooting_at_1853_crystal_grove.pdf

Lakeland Police is Seeking Your Help

The Lakeland Police Department is seeking information from individuals who may have been victimized by a woman hired as a housekeeper.

On March 9, 2007, Patricia Ann Lemley, of Plant City, Florida, was arrested by Lakeland Police for dealing in stolen property, grand theft and false verification to a Pawn Broker.  Lemlely was charged in connection to a theft in a home in South Lakeland. Property stolen consisted of various items of jewelry, credit cards, and cash.

Please contact Detective Jim O'Neill, (863) 834-6968 or Sergeant Jeff Birdwell (863) 834-6972 if you have any information or feel you have been a victim.

Download dealing_in_stolen_property.pdf

Alzheimer's Training for Public Safety Agencies

The Lakeland Police Department just completed six training sessions over two weeks for sworn and non-sworn members into the issue of Alzheimer's disease and wandering. This exceptionally useful training was co-sponsored by the Alzheimer's Association and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement as a way to help promote the "Safe Return" program, a 24-hour nationwide identification, support, and enrollment program.

The goal of "Safe Return" is to help identify and return to safety a person with Alzheimer's or a related dementia who has wandered locally or far from home. The program offers registration into a nationwide database and identification jewelry that can be worn by individuals to help police or other emergency workers identify a wanderer and return them to their loved ones.

The training addressed common scenarios where police officers might encounter someone with Alzheimer's disease and how to best deal with the situation. Common patterns found in wandering were also presented to help officers quickly set up search patterns to locate the missing person safely.

You can learn more at the "Safe Return" program from the Alzheimer's Association web site or contact the Lakeland Police Department at 863-834-6900 and let us see how we can help.

Weekly Crime Stats for March 5-11, 2007

INSIDE the Lakeland Police Department's newest addition.

We will be posting our weekly crime stats and you can find them under the category entitled "Weekly Crime Statistics"

Download weekly_crime_report_march_5_11_2007.pdf

Honoring Retired Sgt. Edgar Pickett, Jr.

In case you missed it this morning, The Ledger had a very nice article about Retired Sgt. Edgar Pickett, Jr. You can read the article online here. Sgt. Pickett was one of the first black officers to work at Lakeland PD when he was sworn in as an officer in 1954.

A photo of the four black officers on the police department at that time is to the right. Sgt. Pickett is seated in the middle of the photo. The other officers include Samuel King, Thomas Hodge, and Samuel Williams.

During his service to Lakeland, Sgt. Pickett was a driving force toward expanding our forensic crime scene capabilities. He retired in 1983 after nearly 30 years of service to our community. In 1996 we dedicated our crime lab in his honor and that of Retired Sgt. Herman Moulden into what is now referred to as the Pickett/Moulden Crime Lab.

Sgt. Pickett remains an active member of the LPD family with our other retirees, and he will from time to time come to the police station and walk the hallways to visit with old friends. We appreciate his service and always look forward to seeing him around the PD.

Various photos of the Pickett/Moulden crime lab are shown below.

     

Lakeland Police Seeking Robbery Suspect

Lakeland Police are looking for a suspect who robbed the Bob Evans Restaurant on North Road 98 at gunpoint earlier this week. On March 7, 2007, at approximately 9:45 PM, a subject entered Bob Evans, displayed a firearm, and demanded money from the cashier. The robber fled on foot.

Suspect Description:

W/M, 5'10" tall, between 180 - 200 pounds, medium build, 25 - 35 years of age, short dark blond/reddish hair, tanned complexion, with a goatee and a round face. Suspect wore a white ball cap, light colored dress shirt and blue jeans.

The artist sketch to the right is based on witness descriptions.

Anyone with information regarding this suspect is asked to contact Detective Nicole Cain at 863-834-8955.

LPD Open House March 17th

Make plans to attend the upcoming Open House at Lakeland PD on Saturday, March 17, 2007, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Our theme this year is "Cops and Kids" with plenty of activities for the children.

It is also a good opportunity for adults to visit your police department and take a tour to see what goes on behind the scenes here. The tours will include visits to the 911 Communications Center and the Crime Lab. We will have several informative displays by our various divisions set up for your visit, particularly our victim services and youth programs. Admission is free and refreshments will be served.

The highlight of any Open House (besides having the opportunity to pose for a photo with Chief Boatner) is the static display in the parking lot. Weather permitting, our helicopter will be on display along with other tactical equipment from the various Special Operations teams like SWAT, Hostage Negotiations, and Motorcycles to name a few. It is a great opportunity to learn more about the services provided by the Lakeland Police Department and meet the members who serve the community day and night.

So make some time on your St. Patrick's Day to stop by our Open House - be sure to wear something green. And while you are here, ask for Chief Boatner and request a photo with him!