Blogs We Read
« October 2007 | Main | December 2007 »
November 29, 2007
November 28, 2007
Lakeland Police Prepare for CALEA Reaccreditation: Input from the Public is Welcomed
The Lakeland Police Department is scheduled for an on-site assessment as part of a program to achieve CALEA re-accreditation by verifying it meets professional standards. This onsite will take place starting on December 9th and concluding on December 12th. The onsite will include a static display on Sunday morning followed by tour of the Department. At any time during the onsite, the assessors may ask to speak with or ride along with members of the Department as part of the assessment process.
As part of the on-site assessment, agency employees and members of the community are invited to offer comments at a public information session Monday, December 10, 2007, at 7:00 PM. The session will be conducted in the LPD Community Room located at 219 North Massachusetts Avenue, Lakeland, Florida.
Agency employees and the public are also invited to offer comments by calling (863) 834-8996 on Monday, December 10th between the hours of 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM. Comments will be taken by the Assessment Team.
Telephone comments as well as appearances at the public information session are limited to 10 minutes and must address the agency’s ability to comply with CALEA standards. A copy of the standards is available at the Department’s Accreditation Office. For more information please contact the Department’s Accreditation Manager, Detective Stephen Bucklin, at 834-8907.
Anyone wishing to submit written comments about the Lakeland Police Department’s ability to comply with the standards for accreditation may send them to the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) 10302 Eaton Place, Suite 100, Fairfax, Virginia, 22030-2215.
- Det. Steve Bucklin, Accreditation Manager
Sign of the Times
Saw this sign while driving to work this morning. I could not have said it better myself.
Let's all drive safely out there this holiday season.
- Asst Chief Bill LePere
November 27, 2007
Tracking Assaults on Crime Maps
From time to time we get asked questions that may be of some interest to the general public. To facilitate the flow of information we believe may be useful to you, we are creating a new Q&A category to share these questions and answers via the blog.
Q: Hey Chief ~ why are assaults (simple or aggravated) not listed on the weekly crime reports or marked on the weekly crime maps?"
A: We track assaults during each of our weekly TAC meetings looking for trends or other factors that allow us to intervene and prevent future crimes. Typically we find these crimes to be some type of domestic disturbance or situation involving a relationship between the victim and the offender (bar fight, etc.). Assaults on victims by unknown subjects are not the general rule, though they do happen from time to time.
As such, we do not view these offenses as something threatening a neighborhood's safety or of much interest to the public (unless you really want to know what happened at your neighbor's house last night with all the cop cars there - and who is not curious about that).
We are happy to list assaults if deemed of interest to the public. Please be assured we are not withholding this information to keep it from anyone - we just don't think adding more pins to the crime map that mark the location of assaults or disturbances are of much interest to the public. We get more interest in where cars are being stolen or where residential and vehicle burglaries are occurring so people know what is going on in their neighborhood.
Let us know what you think - should we start listing assaults on our weekly crime maps? Is there a big demand from the public for this type of information?
- Asst Chief Bill LePere
November 26, 2007
Citizen Academies Highlighted
Chuck over at LakelandLocal.com commented today on the LPD Citizens Police Academy he just completed, as well as other local government academies he attended. These include Lakeland's Citizens Academy and the Polk County Citizens Academy. His comments regarding these academies are worth reading. We appreciate him taking the time to highlight these opportunities for citizens to learn more about their local governments.
- Asst Chief Bill LePere
November 23, 2007
Lakeland Police to Discuss Rooming House on Vistabula Street
Representatives from Lakeland PD will be at the November meeting of the Lake Morton Neighborhood Association next Monday, November 26, 2007, at 7:00 PM to discuss issues surrounding a rooming house at 822 Vistabula Street. The meeting will be held at the Lake Morton Public Library.
The focus of this meeting will be a rooming house in the neighborhood on Vistabula Street which is generating a disproportionate amount of police calls for service, including disturbances and noise complaints. Police officers and representatives from Lakeland's Community Development will be on hand to answer questions from the public and explain the rights of the home's owners and residents as well as the rights of those who live in the area.
We encourage residents within the Lake Morton neighborhood to attend the meeting. Hope to see you there next Monday.
- Asst Chief Bill LePere
November 22, 2007
Things We are Thankful For Today and Everyday
Thought it may be a good time to list a few things we are thankful for on this Thanksgiving Day. Such a list could include a wide range of personal and professional items, but I will limit it to the professional side of life.
Thus, in no specific order of prioritization (even though I may have done so unconsciously), here is a list of things for which we are thankful.
- Our military men and women who are serving to protect the freedoms we enjoy everyday and often take for granted. Whether they are overseas confronting an enemy or serving closer to home but still away from their families on this holiday, we give our thanks for your service to our country. May God bless you and offer divine protection as you go about completing your duties.
- To the 300+ members of the Lakeland Police Department, be they civilian or sworn, we are grateful for their dedication to duty and willingness to protect our community. Police officers often get the most public recognition, as their jobs require them to be in harm's way during daily tours of duty. The job is more dangerous than people realize, but just as important for our department to complete its mission is the civilian support staff that keeps the officers operational. Thank you to all for your unending commitment to excellence.
- To the families of LPD members, we realize it is not easy to watch your loved one - be it your spouse, mom, dad, son, or daughter - go to work everyday wondering if they will be safe and come home at the end of their tour of duty. Your support behind the scenes makes it possible for us to do our jobs. Our jobs are tough, but your role is undoubtedly tougher. We are grateful that you have the strength to let us do what we are sworn to do.
- To our LPD volunteers who give back to the community through the countless hours of volunteer service, we offer our heartfelt thanks. Whether it be as a victim advocate, a domestic violence advocate, a member of the Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association, or a Neighborhood member, volunteers are an essential part of the Lakeland Police Department. We simply could not do all that we do without the assistance of our wonderful volunteers.
- To our city leaders who support our endeavors and give us the resources we need to get the job done. We are blessed to have a City Commission that embraces the vision and mission of the police department, as well as a City Manager and Staff who ensure we are able to have equipment and financial resources needed to serve the community. In times when budgets are tight and getting tighter, we have it much better than other police agencies across the state and nation. That is something we should never forget.
- To our many community partners who are willing to work side by side with us to prevent crime and fix neighborhood problems, thank you for being there. Preventing crime takes more than law enforcement - it requires an entire community to take ownership for the conditions in which crime is allowed to occur and be willing to work hard to correct those conditions. No police department will ever be able to control crime alone. We are thankful for the community's support and your efforts to make Lakeland the wonderful city it is today.
Happy Thanksgiving Day to all...
- Asst Chief Bill LePere
Weekly Crime Map for Nov 12 - 18, 2007
Here is the weekly crime map of significant events for the period of Crime Map - 11/12 to 11/18.
Our thanks to Chuck at LakelandLocal.com for producing the map.
- Asst Chief Bill LePere
November 21, 2007
Lakeland Police Issue a Holiday Traffic Safety Reminder - Yield to Pedestrians
We are now in the official holiday shopping season... a time when parking lots and shopping districts like the downtown Lakeland area become very crowded. This means lots of pedestrians will be walking around, sometimes loaded down with packages of gifts making it difficult for them to see all around. Drivers are asked to practice patience during the holiday season - particularly in the crosswalks.
Florida law requires drivers to yield to pedestrians in a designated crosswalk, yet you will sometimes see impatient drivers ignore this rule and hurriedly drive through the intersection. Such behavior is subject to a traffic citation, points on your driving record, and a hefty fine.
"Yield to Pedestrians - It's the Law"
As an educational reminder, LPD has posted a traffic safety information board in Munn Park to remind everyone that pedestrians have the right of way. Slow down and save a life this holiday season.
- Asst Chief Bill LePere
Recent Comments