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A message from Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward and Gainesville City Manager Cynthia W. Curry

Press release from City of Gainesville

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Several months ago, a vandal struck three times at the City Hall Complex. Windows were broken at the Old Library Building and the mayor’s office. Two racist and threatening notes were left behind.

These events were troubling. They raised safety concerns for all City employees and their families. The security and well-being of our organization and the community we serve is of paramount importance. Every neighbor and visitor deserves to feel safe and protected in City buildings and on City grounds.

The suspect the Gainesville Police Department charged in the case has now been booked at the Alachua County Jail. We are relieved and grateful to GPD for their excellent work in closing this investigation.

We can report that additional security measures at City Hall and the Old Library Building, long in the planning stages and unrelated to the vandalism, are largely complete. These add another layer of safety to our downtown workplace.

We are moving forward, continuing to remain vigilant with monitoring at City Hall, the Old Library Building and all City of Gainesville properties.

If you see anything that does not seem right, please reach out to your supervisor, our security officer at City Hall, or call the GPD non-emergency line at 352-955-1818. If the situation is an emergency, call 911.

We give you our full commitment, on behalf of the City of Gainesville, that we will continue to protect and support every member of our community.

Sincerely,

Harvey Ward
Gainesville Mayor

Cynthia W. Curry,
Gainesville City Manager

Alachua Chronicle’s article on the arrest of the suspect can be found here.

  • As much as I oppose much of what the city government does, and as much as I have a strong dislike for those within the city government who continue to lie. I also will not stand for anyone being violent and causing damage and fear to these officials. At that point, I will be behind the officials. I am happy they found and arrested the person.

  • “We are moving forward, continuing to remain vigilant with monitoring at City Hall, the Old Library Building and all City of Gainesville properties.”

    He’s got that right, they’re continuing to push the homeless across the streets to non-city properties.

    What’s been suspicious for years is why the city is supposedly broke. They’ve been using GRU to fund their projects and they still cry poor mouth. Can we call their security officer or GPD for that?
    Nope! They’re on his payroll.

  • Why even comment at all? Crime is so out of control. I don’t see other crime victims making comments . Please step up to make our community safer. Many of us choose to live here & do not settle to live here. We obey laws, work, pay taxes & support our community & neighborhoods. We also vote.

  • Under my leadership it only took several months to catch the guy on multiple cameras who threw a rock and cracked my window. This event was an assault on me, just because I was not in my office at 3am doesn’t mean I was not in imminent danger. When I actually got to my office the next day at 11:45am (just in time for lunch) I realized what had happened and immediately activated the all-emergency donut buffet. This event allowed me to fully understand how Trump must have felt, even though none of his windows were broken. I know Trump attack does not compare to mine, because I had to see those broken windows for two days straight. I am hopeful my PTSD will one day go away but as of now anytime I see a window I start to crave donuts.

    • Thank you Mayor back-Ward, we need a comment from you and a cartoon from Jake to go with our coffee.

  • There are people being raped, assaulted, and murdered in Gainesville and they make a statement about vandalism. Pathetic.

  • The real reason crime is out of control is because you lock people up. There should be no arrests and no bail if there is an arrest. Under my administration there will be no bail. Minneapolis burned and it was good to smell the tires burning. My running mates wife smelled the burning rubber and loved it. Tomorrow is another day because today is today.

    • Maybe you can raise money and send this guy to hang out with fellow “heroes”.

      “Trump golf course set to host Jan. 6 ‘Awards Gala’ fundraiser for Capitol riot defendants

      Trump is listed as an invited speaker, alongside confirmed speakers Rudy Giuliani and Anthony Raimondi. The Trump campaign told USA TODAY he will not be attending.”

  • Funny how when it’s their OWN HIDES Dems suddenly care about crime, isn’t it?

    💩🤡👹👺👿ACLUSPLCDNC

  • “We give you our full commitment, on behalf of the City of Gainesville, that we will continue to protect and support every member of our community.”… Big BS statement.
    I had the most horrific event of my lifetime occure in 2020 at 66 years old. I took the issue to the City of Gainesville on multiple levels for truth and justice and was completely denied any due process by the city. They simply denied and lied about the events for three years! I then sued the city. The criminal justice system in the 8th Judicial Circuit came to the city’s rescue and dismissed my case on technicality and nonsense. I appealed to the 1st DCA. The appellate court has not issued a finding yet, so I’ll update when they do. Regardless of that outcome, I intend to let the citizens of Gainesville SEE FOR THEMSELVES all the bs in this town. I know many simply don’t care but I will do the right thing and do everything I can to reveal the truth for those that do. Its been a miserable 4 years. More to follow.

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