INSIDE the Lakeland Police Department

"Do The Right Thing" Awards Presented for May

The final bi-monthly awards for the "Do The Right Thing" program were presented during an afternoon ceremony last week. A total of five students were recognized for their actions and positive behaviors as exemplary citizens in our community.

From left to right: Officer Wayne Skinner, Danielle Bass, Shannon Gill,
Hannah Keyt, Mitchell Salazar, and Chief of Police Roger Boatner.

Overall Winner

Hannah Keyt - a fifth grade student at Southwest Elementary School, Hannah was recognized for her involvement in various fundraisers at the school, including one to provide funds for an outdoor play area for Pre-K ESE students. She also volunteers to work with Pre-K ESE students in addition to being on the A/B Honor Roll.

Honorable Mention Winners

Danielle Bass - a Senior at Kathleen Senior High School, Danielle was recognized for her involvement in numerous FFA programs at the school, including participating in State and National FFA Conventions. She is also active in volunteer service through her church and the National Honor Society.

Justin Gundell - from Lakeland High School, Justin was nominated for assisting police officers following a recent vehicle burglary at the school. He witnessed subjects running from a vehicle and recognized one of them. Based on his information, officers were able to locate the suspects and recover stolen property.

Shannon Gill - a fifth grade student at Southwest Elementary School, Shannon was nominated for the DTRT award for her volunteering to work with Pre-K ESE students at her school. She helps walk the students to class in the morning and helps them reach their destinations in the afternoon. A straight "A" student, Shannon also tutors a kindergarten student and is a member of the school's E-Team.

Mitchell Salazar - a junior at Kathleen High School, Mitchell was nominated for his volunteering to coach a North Lakeland Little Leage baseball team as well as being active in a mentoring program at the Duff Road Community Park. Mitchell is an exceptional student with over 200 hours of community service to his credit.

- Asst Chief Bill LePere

Lakeland Police Reaccredited by CALEA

The Lakeland Police Department is proud to report our agency was recently reaccredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA). This is the fourth time Lakeland PD has been reaccredited following our initial award in 1994. Read the formal media release from CALEA here.

Law enforcement accreditation is a voluntary process agencies use to demonstrate their compliance with a set of over 400 standards recognized as best practices in management and service delivery. Being awarded the status of reaccreditation requires an ongoing compliance with these standards for the past three years.

We previously posted a series of updates from our accreditation onsite back in December. Once the assessors completed their visit to our agency, they submitted a written report documenting their findings to the Commission which met last month to review the report and question Chief Boatner about the organization. Following that hearing on March 15th, the full Commission voted to award reaccreditation to Lakeland PD.

We are proud to remain in the ranks of police agencies who are fully accredited by CALEA. This award demonstrates our commitment to highest standards of law enforcement service - recognition that we are proud to share with the community.

- Asst Chief Bill LePere

Here We Go Again: Lakeland Police Preparing for Budget Cuts

This is the time of year when we typically begin formulating our budget request for the upcoming fiscal year which starts October 1. The headlines across the state of Florida continue to chronicle the budget shortfalls that state, county, and local governments are facing as revenues fall short of projections. This the result of recent property tax reform and reduced collections of state sales tax and communications taxes.

Like other City of Lakeland departments, Lakeland PD is preparing for a 5% reduction in next year's budget from FY08 levels. That reduction goes along with increases in salaries and other fixed costs (like automobile fuel, etc.) that we do not control. The impact is going to be significant on our operations.

In order to minimize the impact as much as possible, this is a brief summary of what we are doing now:

• A hard freeze for hiring new employees to fill current vacancies is already in effect. We are trying to save money this year by doing more with less.
• We currently have 10 police officer and three public safety aide vacancies, which means the budget challenges are affecting us right now. These vacancies are spread across the entire department and have not reduced our ability to respond to emergency calls for service - our patrol squads are at relatively normal staffing levels.
• With operating and maintenance costs being a very small percentage of our annual  budget, a reduction of this size is going to mean the loss of personnel, both sworn and civilian. We expect to be able to meet this through normal attrition.
• We are once again assessing our efficiency measures to ensure we are getting the biggest bang for our buck across the board.
• Programs that face possible reduction or elimination are being evaluated to determine the long-term impact of any such a decision. We do not want to make program cuts without considering what the impact will be one to three years down the road.
• Service cuts, such as the types of calls we respond to in-person rather than handle over the phone, are being prioritized, too. Response times to non-emergency calls may have to increase as well.
• Staff is brainstorming to collect input from every corner of the organization to see if there are other ideas out there as to how we can reduce our operating costs. Often times the employees with the best ideas are those closest to the problems.

We will keep the community updated on our efforts as we go through this process. As always, we remain open to your ideas or suggestions.

- Asst Chief Bill LePere

The 2008 LPD Open House Set for March 15

The annual Lakeland Police Department Open House is scheduled for next Saturday, March 15, 2008, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM at the police station. The station's address is 219 N. Massachusetts Avenue. You can get a copy of the Open House poster here.

Here is a link to a promotional video by Sgt. Mike Spade, coordinator of our annual open house, that gives more information on this big event.

This year's theme will feature special displays on Internet child safety as well as the ever popular static displays of special operations equipment and tactical gear. Events and activities are planned for children, and tours of the police station will be conducted throughout the day.

We hope you take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about the dangers our children face when they are on the Internet, as well as ways for you to protect your children from those dangers.

We invite everyone to stop by and visit your police station next Saturday!

- Asst Chief Bill LePere

Florida's "Move Over" Law

One of the least understood traffic laws in Florida is the "Move Over" law from 2002. This law requires drivers to "move over" or "slow down" when approaching an authorized emergency vehicle that is stopped on a highway in Florida. The specific statute is 316.126(1)(b).

The website of the Florida Highway Patrol outlines the important provisions of this law along with a video clip to explain the law to drivers.

Effective July 1, 2002, on interstate highways or other highways with two or more lanes traveling in the direction of the emergency vehicle, and except when otherwise directed by a law enforcement officer, drivers approaching a law enforcement or other authorized emergency vehicle parked on a roadway with their emergency lights activated, are required to vacate the lane closest to the emergency vehicle, as soon as it is safe to do so.

When approaching a law enforcement or other authorized emergency vehicle parked on a two-lane roadway with their emergency lights activated, and except when otherwise directed by a law enforcement officer, drivers are required to slow to a speed that is 20 miles per hour less than the posted speed limit when the posted speed limit is 25 miles per hour or greater; or travel at five miles per hour when the posted speed limit is 20 miles per hour or less.

We realize many drivers do not move over or slow down as required out of ignorance to the law rather than due to indifference. While ignorance is not a defense, we believe there is a need to educate the public before engaging in aggressive enforcement efforts. So for that reason our Traffic Unit conducted an educational blitz this past Friday to let drivers know about the law. We went ahead and published notice of this effort via our media blog, which was picked up by at least one local blog, Lakeland Local, and the newspaper.

LPD Traffic Officers started this initiative around 7:30 AM and wrapped up at 3:00 PM along Harden Boulevard between Beacon Road and Lakeside Village Shopping Center.

Interested in the results? Officers made numerous traffic stops for violations, which included:

• 106 Educational warnings for "Move Over" violations (no citations issued)
• 2 Moving violations
• 5 Non-moving violations
• 7 Seatbelt violations
• 2 Criminal traffic violations
• 1 Misdemeanor arrest
• 1 Felony traffic arrest

We want to encourage drivers to move over or slow down when approaching an emergency vehicle stopped along the road. Law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel are killed on our roadways for doing their jobs because drivers are not paying attention.

Please, follow the law and move over or slow down. You may just save a life.

- Asst Chief Bill LePere

50th Annual Kiwanis Pancake Festival is Saturday - Stop by the Lakeland Police Display There

The 50th annual Kiwanis Pancake Festival is this Saturday, February 16th from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM at Tigertown. You can view a map of Tigertown here. This yearly community event is a fundraiser by the Kiwanis to raise funds for financial support of the many projects promoted by the various Kiwanis groups in Lakeland. Tickets are available from local Kiwanians or at the door on Saturday.

At while you are there, be sure to stop by the Crime Prevention Expo hosted by the Lakeland Police Department. Our display will feature the many crime prevention programs we offer as well as booths from some of our partner groups. Weather permitting, the helicopter will be on display along with some of our SWAT tactical gear. McGruff the Crime Dog has been known to stop by for pancakes from time to time as well.

We hope to see you on Saturday!

- Asst Chief Bill LePere

The Value of Eyewitnesses

Successful crime fighting involves more than the police - it also must incorporate the community who is willing to get involved. Such an incident occurred over the weekend that is worth mentioning.

A witness observed a subject breaking into the Looking Good store at 702 E Memorial Blvd just a little before midnight on Friday night. The witness called the police to report the in-progress crime. We had officers in the area on patrol, so we were on scene in moments.

From that point the officers watched the suspect, Darrell Jones DOB 01/28/1980, exit the store carrying stolen clothing. We made the arrest for burglary, grand theft, and other charges following a taser deployment after the subject tried to flee. This is usually the end of the story, but it should not be in this case. Something else is worth mentioning right now.

We rely heavily on the public getting involved and calling us when they see a crime occurring. Our ability to make an arrest is much greater when we can arrive on scene while the suspect is still there. That happens when eyewitnesses refuse to look the other way, and instead decide to get involved.

We appreciate the support and involvement of our community members - thank you.

- Asst Chief Bill LePere

Attorney General & School Resource Officers Warn Florida Schools of Flavored Drugs

Florida's Attorney General Bill McCollum and the Florida Association of School Resource Officers released the following information that should be of interest to parents, teachers, school administrators, and the community at large. We want to help spread the word, so here is the entire text from the press release.

February 7, 2008

Media Contact: Sandi Copes
Phone: (850) 245-0150

Attorney General, School Resource Officers Warn Florida Schools of Flavored Drugs

~ Candy-flavored meth, marijuana gumballs and other threats could endanger elementary, middle schools ~

TALLAHASSEE, FL – Attorney General Bill McCollum and the Florida Association of School Resource Officers today issued a consumer advisory warning parents, teachers and school administrators of an alarming trend with dangerous implications for Florida school children. Federal and state law enforcement agencies are reporting that flavored drugs, particularly methamphetamines, heroin and marijuana, are circulating throughout the United States, often enticing younger children. These drugs could be ingested by unsuspecting children and are extremely harmful, say authorities.

“These dangerous drugs are being cleverly disguised and distributed among our children and we must work together to educate them about these very grave risks,” said Attorney General McCollum.

According to recent reports, methamphetamine with added flavors was first noticed on the West Coast, but is rapidly making its way across the country. Flavors can include strawberry, chocolate, cola and others. The flavoring reduces the bitter taste of the drug and does not affect the potency of the drug. Children may mistake the drug for candy pop rocks.

Another disturbing report is that of “cheese,” a form of heroin combined with Tylenol-PM caplets. Known as “starter heroin,” cheese caused the deaths of at least 21 Texas teenagers in 2005 and the number of reported cheese-related arrests has steadily increased. Cheese is particularly dangerous because it combines the double depressants provided by the heroin and the sleep-inducing medication. Cheese is cheap and highly addictive and law enforcement believes its use and abuse will quickly spread throughout the country.

“This a grave problem and shows to what lengths drug dealers will go,” said Robert Tricquet, president of the Florida Association of School Resource Officers. “This is a direct attempt to reach out and attract a younger age group luring them into the drug culture. We must be ever vigilant with our children to protect them from these predators.”

Additional reports of gumballs filled with marijuana and narcotics packaged or disguised as candy or other more enticing objects have raised concern from Florida law enforcement and should be considered serious threats by parents, teachers and school administrators. Children should be advised not to accept any candy which may resemble one of these new drug forms and should turn over any in their possession to their teacher, principal, or school resource officer. Parents should encourage their children to avoid any participation in distributing or using the drugs, no matter how harmless they may seem, and report any suspicious activity to the appropriate authorities or a trusted adult.

Two Lakeland PD Lieutenants Graduate from Senior Leadership Program

Two Lakeland Police Department Lieutenants recently graduated from the Senior Leadership Program of the Florida Criminal Justice Executive Institute in Tallahassee. Lt. Mike Link and Lt. Anne-Marie Wendel were part of a graduating class of 33 senior law enforcement managers from around the state who were awarded their certificates last Friday.

The goal of the Senior Leadership Program is to prepare Florida's criminal justice leadership for the challenging and changing demands of the future. Class participants studied the changing trends within the criminal justice field and examined the leadership necessary to lead agencies through these changes.

Our Lieutenants began the program a year ago and were required to attend a one-week class in Tallahassee each month. Classroom work was in addition to take-home assignments and a comprehensive research project. To say the least, the entire training program is long, grueling, and very demanding.

Lts. Link and Wendel are the first from Lakeland PD to complete the SLP. Our congratulations to each of them for this accomplishment.

- Asst Chief Bill LePere

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