INSIDE the Lakeland Police Department

Weekly Crime Stats for June 18 - 24, 2007

View our weekly crime stats by clicking the below link

Download weekly_crime_report_june_18_24_2007.pdf

-Faye Tarpley, Office of the Chief of Police

View our weekly crime stats by clicking the below link

Download weekly_crime_report_june_18_24_2007.pdf

-Faye Tarpley, Office of the Chief of Police

Lakeland Officer Ron Bowling, Jr. Promoted to Sergeant

Lakeland Police Officer Ron Bowling, Jr. was promoted to the rank of Sergeant during a ceremony last Friday. Sgt. Bowling began his career with LPD in 1997. His assignments have included Uniform Patrol Division, as a Field Training Officer, a member of the Honor Guard, and a member of the Street Crimes Unit. He is also a member of the SWAT Team.

Sgt. Bowling and Chief Boatner

Sgt. Bowling has a Bachelor's degree in Criminology from Florida State University. He has previously received the Department's Medal of Valor for his actions and dedication to duty.

Policing runs in the Bowling family - his father, Ron, Sr. and his brother Cory are also officers with LPD.

Congratulations to Sgt. Bowling - we look forward to your service in your new position.

-Asst Chief Bill LePere

When is a Police Department Considered to be Good?

Here's something to think about regarding police performance measures -

Is a police department good when they are doing their job by making lots of arrests and issuing lots of traffic citations, or is a police department good when they do not make lots of arrests?

Looked at another way, does making arrests and issuing citations make a police department good at promoting public safety?

If not, how do you tell if your police department is considered to be good?

Tell me what you think...

-Asst Chief Bill LePere

Alligator Wrestlers: Part II

It's not everyday that a Lakeland Police officer responds to a call of a nuisance alligator, but we occasionally get them. Once dispatched to the call, arriving units rarely remove the animal themselves. Suffice to say it is not something we teach recruit officers in the Field Training program.

So it seems appropriate to recognize the efforts a few officers who, when called upon to serve their community, joined the ranks of alligator wrestlers in law enforcement.

-Asst Chief Bill LePere

Weekly Crime Map for June 11 - 17, 2007

Here is the weekly crime map of significant events for the period of Crime Map - 06/11 to 06/17.
Our thanks to Chuck at LakelandLocal.com for producing the map.

- Asst Chief Bill LePere

Weekly Crime Stats for June 11 -17, 2007

View our weekly crime stats by clicking the below link

Download weekly_crime_report_june_11_17_2007.pdf

-Faye Tarpley, Office of the Chief of Police

Thinking About Controlling Violent Crime

One of the many news services I monitor on a daily basis had a link to a recent article in the Seattle Times. Neal Peirce wrote a column on the recent increase in violent crime nationwide and ways to address it. Peirce urges the community to consider a wide range of crime prevention strategies rather than relying on more police resources to control crime (though he does seem to support community policing).

He urges the use of cost effective rehabilitation programs rather than continuing with a mindset that we can arrest and incarcerate our way out of drug abuse and violent crime problem. He writes in part:

There's surely a smarter way to use our public dollars. A study last year by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy showed that $1 spent imprisoning drug offenders produced 37 cents in crime reduction benefits; the same $1 spent to give offenders community based drug treatment produced $18.52 in benefits.

The column is worth reading as we constantly seek the most effective public policy for preventing crime. I have not read the studies he references and cannot speak to their claims, but his thoughts are certainly worth sharing with our community. Let us know what you think.

-Asst Chief Bill LePere

Boston Police Use Latest Technology to Receive Crime Tips

I had the chance to see a presentation on Friday by Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis during the three-week police management program I am attending here at Boston University. Commissioner Davis noted that BPD unveiled that day a public information campaign designed to promote using text messages to report crime tips.

This concept is in response to recent media attention on efforts by local gangs to suppress "snitching" through intimidation and "stop snitching" messages. Commissioner Davis told us that Boston officers noted many people standing around a crime scene were texting on their cell phones - because they knew who had committed the crime but would not come forward with information due to fear of gangs. He asked why the police could not tap into the texting way of life by using this technology to receive crime tips.

This seems to be a great idea, though it is too soon to tell if it is really practical. We will have to check back with BPD in the future to learn if the program led to any useful tips.

Curious to hear what folks in Lakeland think about this concept. Should we implement such a program?

-Asst Chief Bill LePere

Click It or Ticket Campaign Results

Lakeland PD participated in the recent "Click It or Ticket" campaign, focusing enforcement efforts on seatbelt violations. The intent of this national traffic safety program is to raise public awareness of the importance of seatbelts - they do save lives.

Here are the results from the campaign in Lakeland that ran from May 21 - June 3, 2007.

• Seatbelt violations - 179
• Child restraint violations - 18
• DUI arrests - 8
• Felony arrests - 4
• Recovered stolen vehicle - 1
• Fugitive arrests - 3
• Suspended drivers licenses - 56
• Uninsured motorists - 17
• Speeding violations - 170
• Reckless driving charge - 1
• Drug possession arrests - 9

Our thanks to the many other drivers in Lakeland who wore their seatbelts and obeyed the traffic laws. Safe driving is the reason traffic crashes are down 3% in Lakeland during the first four months of 2007.

-Asst Chief Bill LePere

Weekly Crime Map: June 4 - 10, 2007

Here is the weekly crime map of significant events for the period of Crime Map - 06/04 to 06/10.
Our thanks to Chuck at LakelandLocal.com for producing the map.

- Asst Chief Bill LePere