INSIDE the Lakeland Police Department

Lakeland Police Introduce New PAL Executive Director

The Lakeland Police Department is pleased to announce Mr. Tim Abram is the new Executive Director of the Lakeland Police Athletic League. The public is invited to meet him at a social function on Tuesday, January 8, 2008, from 5:30 - 7:00 PM, at the Apostle Henry Ross, Sr. Family Life Center, located at 1302 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. (Map of this location available here)

Tim was born and raised in Lakeland, having attended Lake Gibson High School where he was the captain of the football team. He was the leading rusher in Polk County during the 1991 school year, and later set a state record by rushing for 315 yards in a district game. Upon graduation from high school, Tim attended Grambling State University where he played for the legendary Coach Eddie Robinson, Sr.

He earned his BS degree from Grambling in Leisure Studies/Therapeutic Recreation and later obtained his MBA from Everest University. Tim and his wife, Tomeka, live in Lakeland with their two children.

Tim brings a diversified background to the PAL position, but all of it is grounded in the belief that working with children can promote positive lifestyle habits and improve the welfare of youth in our community. PAL's goals are to instill good health habits, good sportsmanship, and high morals and civic standards in the youth of the community. This is accomplished by helpful fulfill the need for recreational, educational, and social activities that are designed to rehabilitate youthful first-time offenders, and prevent their return into the criminal justice system.

Come join us tomorrow evening and welcome Tim Abram to Lakeland PAL!

- Asst Chief Bill LePere

"Brother Can You Spare Me a Dime" - Policing Panhandlers in Lakeland

A recent Letter to the Editor in The Ledger addressed a problem with panhandlers on East Memorial Boulevard. Such nuisances create a lower quality of life in our community, for who wants to be accosted by these individuals when we are taking our families out for dinner.

I experienced this problem first hand myself while dining downtown several months ago. An individual who obviously just arrived in town via the most recent freight train or bus approached my wife and I looking for a handout. I promptly and assertively told him to leave us alone as such activity was not permitted in town. He then turned to another table just a few feet away where a repeat performance of his plea for assistance produced a $20 bill from the diner's wallet.

Asking for assistance is not a crime, but aggressive panhandling is a violation of a City Ordinance. We do respond to calls for service of this nature along East Memorial Boulevard when merchants request our assistance. We rely on getting calls from the public when panhandlers become aggressive or when merchants want an individual removed from their property. Our limited resources simply do not permit us to maintain a heavy presence in the area in hopes of preventing such incidents.

So how can we prevent future acts of aggressive panhandling? Let's start by understanding human nature. Panhandlers go where they know they can get a quick buck or two. It is a bit like hunting or fishing - you go where you have the greatest chance of succeeding. What is needed is for people to realize that your "gracious" act of giving money to someone who is panhandling is actually perpetuating the problem rather than making things better.

Stop giving money and the panhandlers move on.

The other aspect of this problem is linked to something we have blogged about repeatedly - how we deal with the homeless problem in Lakeland.

Many of the panhandlers on Memorial Boulevard are looking for places to sleep, food from restaurant dumpsters, and opportunities to beg for money. Our community simply does not have enough social services providers to meet the needs of the many homeless individuals who travel to Lakeland because we are known across the country for being so generous to anyone coming into town looking for a handout.

Problems such as homelessness and aggressive panhandling expose the deep social ills that we routinely expect to be solved with a quick call to the police. We will not arrest our way out of this problem - we need to continue as a community to find ways to deal with homelessness and the related problems of aggressive panhandling.

Something to think about the next time you see someone giving money to a panhandler...

- Asst Chief Bill LePere

Lakeland Police Conduct Refresher Training in Homeland Security Operations

No, it's not the latest version of police uniforms being considered by Lakeland Police officers in the photo to the left here. And it is not an invasion of aliens, though people do sometimes look at us like we are from another universe.

Rather, these photos are from recent in-service training sessions where our officers donned protective suits that are to be worn in the event of some type of chemical or biological hazard requiring full-body protection.

The masks and suits are intended to be worn by officers on security perimeters of incidents related to homeland security threats. These threats may not come from terrorist activity. The most common use for the protective suits will be chemical spills or perhaps an incident involving a biological threat.

In any event, the training sessions gave our officers the opportunity to suit up and see what a challenge it would be to do their jobs in the hot Florida sun while completely encased in a protective suit.

Lakeland PD continues to offer specialized training in homeland security operations and required NIMS training (the National Incident Management System) as established by FEMA.

We hope the need for using these suits never comes our way. (They are hot, in case you were wondering. I know because I suited up myself one day.) But if the need arises, our officers are prepared and ready to respond.

      

- Asst Chief Bill LePere

It's Nice to Have Friends

It's nice to have friends thinking of you during the holiday season. A thoughtful gesture goes a long way at this time of year.

With that thought in mind, it was very nice of Chuck at LakelandLocal.com to think of the Lakeland Police Department when he assembled a list of presents for Santa to bring to his friends. LPD made the list this year.

While we seem to always be on somebody's list, this was a nice list to get on. We would love to get the present he asked Santa to deliver to us.

Thanks for thinking of us Chuck - Season's Greetings!

- Asst Chief Bill LePere

Reflections from a Candlelight Remembrance Vigil

From time to time I take the opportunity to use our blog to share some thoughts, often introspective, about the job of a law enforcement officer. Such a posting is appropriate for this Sunday morning.

My wife and I were blessed this week with the opportunity to attend the recent Candlelight Remembrance Vigil hosted by the Polk County chapter of MADD - Mothers Against Drunk Driving. This annual event, held ever December, allows family and friends of victims of drunk driving crashes to come together and remember their loved ones during the holiday season. It is a remembrance of lives tragically lost from a senseless violent crime.

Law enforcement agencies are always in attendance of these vigils. We go to honor the victims and offer support to the families left grasping to understand why their loved one had to die at the hands of a drunk driver. Though the investigation may be over and the court case concluded, we still feel connected with the families and believe joining them at vigils is one way of saying we remember your loved ones, too.

Cops are fairly tough on the outside, often hiding our emotions from others as a way of dealing with the stress of our jobs. Having said that, you may notice misty eyes if you gaze at the officers attending a vigil and even catch a glimpse of a tear streaking down a cheek. And if you look deeper into our eyes, you will see the resolve each officer has to do everything possible to prevent another similar tragedy from impacting one more family in Polk County.

That is why law enforcement agencies are increasing patrols this holiday season looking for impaired drivers. Drivers in Lakeland should know we have DUI Enforcement Officers working every night in an effort to detect and arrest drunk drivers. Extra patrols are planned for the remainder of the month, including a comprehensive DUI Saturation Patrol on Friday, December 21, 2007. You can read the entire media release here as well.

We remain committed to delivering on a promise "Over the Limit. Under Arrest." It's the least we can do for the victims and their families.

- Asst Chief Bill LePere

Lakeland's Annual Christmas Parade

Lakeland's annual Christmas parade was held Thursday night through the downtown and Lake Mirror neighborhoods. An estimated 30,000 people lined the streets to watch the many floats and bands in the festive parade.

The Lakeland Police Color Guard once again led the parade, including Officer Sheryl Jett, Officer Tye Thompson, Officer Ed Jett, Officer Will Long, and Sgt. Felicia Caldwell-Wilson.

The parade is always a fun time for the entire community, and it certainly helps kick off the holiday season in Lakeland.

While those who attended the parade know what it looked like from the sidewalks, I thought it might be interesting to show you what the parade looked like from someone who was in it - showing you what you looked like on the sidelines.

And so, here is a collection of photos from tonight's Christmas parade.

 

Season's Greetings to everyone from the Lakeland Police Department.

- Asst Chief Bill LePere

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

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

Happy 30th Birthday to Lighthouse Ministries

We would like to take a moment and send birthday greetings to Lighthouse Ministries who are celebrating their 30th year of service to the Lakeland community. Lighthouse held a party at their complex today to celebrate this milestone. A luncheon, tours, and comments from community leaders were the highlight of the event. State Representative Dennis Ross delivered the keynote speech.

The U.S. Post Office unveiled a special Lighthouse stamp and dedicated an authorized Lighthouse stamp cancellation in conjunction with the celebration.

Lighthouse provides services to homeless individuals through a pathway to success by focusing on Spiritual Growth, Community, Industry, and Education. Their successful integration of people back into mainstream society is both admirable and appreciated.

Our congratulations to Lighthouse Ministries for 30 years of success - Happy Birthday! Thank you for the services you provide which makes Lakeland the community it is today.

- Asst Chief Bill LePere

Annual Great American Smokeout

Today is the 31st annual Great American Smokeout, an initiative by the American Cancer Society that encourages Americans to quit smoking due to the known health risks of tobacco usage. I thought this might be a good time to explain our policy at Lakeland PD to refrain from hiring new employees who have used tobacco products within the past year.

At LPD, new employees must sign a tobacco affidavit attesting to the fact they have not used any tobacco product during the 12 month period prior to being hired. That's right - any tobacco product. No smoking, no chewing, no dip. Anyone found to have filed a false affidavit is subject not to being hired and being charged with perjury.

And so now you must be thinking - why would we have such a policy? Glad you asked!

Our goal in refusing to hire anyone who has used any type of tobacco product in the prior 12 months is to reduce medical expenses for illnesses associated with tobacco use, to reduce the amount of sick leave taken by employees who use tobacco, and to improve worker productivity. The policy applies to all new employees, not just police officers.

The affidavit is for any tobacco use prior to employment, so anyone hired could conceivably start to use tobacco products the day they begin with us. We find that not to be the case - hiring people who have not used tobacco in the previous 12 months generally gives us an employee who will not start using tobacco.

The policy does not apply to current employees who are permitted to use tobacco products. That is why you may still see our members smoking from time to time, though our policy is to refrain from smoking in public. We do offer incentives to quit smoking - nonsmokers pay lower medical insurance premiums and we offer a wide range of wellness programs.

Does the policy work? We think so, but it's still early and we are in the process of collecting data. Such a policy obviously affects our applicant pool for new hires, but our experience in the couple of years we've been using this policy shows no significant impact on our ability to hire qualified applicants for any of our vacancies.

Not everyone agrees with our policy - and it may not work for every police department - but for us, it seems like the right thing to do. We're glad to do our part to encourage employees to quit using harmful tobacco products.

- Asst Chief Bill LePere