City Manager memo: GPD employees “feel as if the department is crumbling around them”
BY JENNIFER CABRERA
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – An October 3 memorandum from Gainesville City Manager Cynthia Curry to Gainesville Police Chief Lonnie Scott, Sr., highlights a number of concerns with low staffing numbers and the morale in the department.
GPD is down to 74 patrol officers
As of September 18, 2023, Gainesville Police Department (GPD) had 74 officers assigned to patrol shifts, down from 115 in September 2017. Seven new officers were sworn in after that date, but GPD told us they were already included in the 74 patrol officers. The department currently has 54 vacancies out of 279 authorized sworn officer positions: 46 officers, 6 corporals, one sergeant, and one captain (“acting” officers are currently serving in the sergeant and captain positions).
Alachua Chronicle has received anecdotal reports that as few as 8-10 patrol officers are available at any given time to respond to calls across the city, but the department would not provide actual numbers “due to officer safety reasons.”
Positives include new Assistant Chief
Curry’s memo was a result of “listening sessions” she has conducted with GPD staff. She began with positive feedback, which consisted of the outside hire of Assistant Chief Nelson Moya, appreciation of the “amazing” level of training provided to officers, and pride in being employed by GPD.
Employees say they feel “demotivated”
Concerns included attrition rates: employees told Curry that officers are taking jobs at other law enforcement agencies and that they “feel as if the department is crumbling around them.” The reduction in the number of officers on the street led to a concern for the safety of both officers and the public. Employees told Curry they felt “demotivated.”
Employees also expressed fears that hiring standards are lower, which could also have a negative impact on safety. One bullet point in the memo stated that there are concerns about the “readiness of incoming candidates from the academy.”
Employees said the department has “swung too far to community policing” and that “officers just ride around.” Low morale was also cited as a concern.
Concerns about transparency, intimidation, and leadership accountability
Curry noted that employees have concerns about transparency within the department, including the Internal Affairs process. Employees told her they are concerned with “intimidation within the ranks, especially sworn vs. civilians.”
GPD leadership was called out for poor communication and for dodging accountability by attributing directives to the City Manager or the City Commission; employees said they felt “lost.” Employees also cited a perceived lack of support from the City Commission.
Employees said leadership in the department is lacking and that competent people are overlooked due to personal grudges. One bullet point stated, “Decision making in department is emotional.”
Concerns about nepotism
Nepotism concerns included comments about favoritism due to family relationships, frustration around captains who have never been a shift commander, and a bullet point that stated, “Department speaks of family – they don’t know the ‘family.'”
Employees felt unappreciated and unrecognized for their service; one example described a 25-year service recognition pin that was mailed to the employee’s home instead of being presented in person. The certificate and envelope were crumpled, and the pin was for 20 years, not 25.
Mixed messages regarding the K-9 Unit
In Operations, concerns included employees who are selected for units but never transferred, the sidelining of the Leadership Academy, mixed messages regarding the K-9 Unit, and complaints about a specific employee “who is tagged as a confusion starter and stirs up issues.”
Employees told Curry that the open container ordinance should be repealed (it was repealed on first reading on September 14, with a second reading scheduled for October 26) and said that GPD “has become soft on juveniles, impeding department ability to impact youth.”
Workload and pay
In a section about workload, the memo says, “Information communicated that Reichert House employees that were brought over caused the reduction of officer positions.”
Employees had a number of concerns about pay, providing specific examples of pay rates for the same jobs at other agencies and a concern that trainees sometimes make more than trainers. Employees also expressed a desire to be part of the State retirement system instead of the City’s retirement plan.
At the end of the memo, Curry directed Chief Scott to develop plans to address the concerns by October 13.
Chief Scott: All department personnel are now required to assist with patrol services
In response to our question about patrol staffing concerns, Chief Scott responded, “Like most of the law enforcement agencies in the country, GPD is suffering from a shortage of community members willing to assume the responsibilities of a police officer. Today, the position of law enforcement officer carries a tremendous burden and requires continuous sacrifice. GPD is endeavoring to recruit and retain quality service-oriented people into the Public Safety profession that will assist the Department in maintaining the public’s trust. The Gainesville Police Department has implemented a patrol deployment program that requires all department personnel to assist with providing patrol services regardless of assignment and/or rank. Chief Scott will be working with the shift tomorrow night (Oct. 6).”
Maybe its time to asked the failed Mayor ?
Bring back the police helicopter. End the open-container nonsense now. Make GRACE hire its own security force or shut it down (the better alternative).
🛑👀 You All haven’t Seen Anything Yet! 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 Bill Cervone, Tony Jones, Brian Kramer, Lonnie Scott and a Host of Lying Dirty Funky cop’s that the Entire Nation will See 🎥🛑.
It’s called the “Good Ole Boys” system at GPD.
Former mayor Lauren Poe is a root cause of GPD’s staffing shortage. In September 2017 he screwed GPD over in a final contract hearing. It was held at City Hall and GPD personnel packed City Hall because of the importance of that decision. GPD was over seven years without raises, while the cost of living, taxes, insurance, etc still went up every year.
After Poe hosed GPD on the final contract hearing, that was “the last straw” which created a huge outgoing of experienced officers. That started all this & GPD still has yet to recover.
Then there’s the systematic defunding issues: Helicopters, horses, paying for SRO’s, the list goes on.
Common denominator: City Commission.
Poe was a disgusting political pig.
He’s a woke, pandering POS
1 it’s time to hire someone from the outside as chief 2 get politics out of law enforcement let the officers do their job and the city commission needs to back them 100% Gainesville is getting just like every other democrat ran city it’s going to hell with the BS of being soft on crime
Everyone in city government seems to conveniently forgot that then Mayor Lauren Poe and then Commissioner Harvey Ward played defund the police when it was a popular Democrat refrain. They deleted 50 authorized positions that were not filled at the time. So besides being short those 50, Mayor Harvey Ward is now short an additional 54 sworn officers. Harvey Ward is still not supporting the GPD. The prior chief is finally gone forever, and all we need now is a new chief from the outside (if a qualified one dumb enough to accept the position can be found) to replace confused Lonnie Scott.
Former Chief Jones is not gone forever. He never left the GPD headquarters and is still making a six-figure salary to do what? Who knows?
He retired last week according to the media.
What did they expect would happen? The Mayor and City Commission were but the instruments, the woke mob the instigators.
Want to put the blame on someone, those individuals need to look in the mirror.
The mayor and his cronies on the commission are directly responsible. They dictate, with the mayor as the ring leader, to the city manager how to operate all staff in addition to appointing the police chief.
They are the ones who squander the funds and cannot even allocate a responsible budget for the police to properly operate. They are the ones who poison the atmosphere with their far left policies, causing officers to leave or never apply.
It is sad that the city manager and police chief are spineless and refuse to stand up for what they most know is right…but they aren’t at the top of the pyramid is this case.
That’s the root of this problem.
15 years ago, 315 cops, smaller city, less crime.
Today, 270 cops, bigger city, more crime.
They’re drowning.
Yep…the commission actually “defunded” GPD quietly in 2020 from 315 to 270. What’s worse, they’re not even close to 270. 74 patrol officers left.
Most don’t realize that there are 18 zones in the city…there should be a minimum of 18 patrol officers a shift. Sometimes, they start a shift with 7. SEVEN! SEVEN COPS TO PATROL AN ENTIRE CITY.
This is why residents sometimes wait HOURS for police response. It’s only getting worse. The chronicle didn’t specify that there will be several retirements and resignations before those new officers are eligible to patrol alone.
For the patrol deployment, they are sending officers on the road to cover shifts but some of those officers have been specialty units and are now expected to go on patrol without refresher training. This is a huge officer safety issue in my opinion.
I’d bet the administrative staff at GPD doesn’t have to work a patrol deployment while making six figure salaries
Nice CYA madam manager … officers have long said there were problems and decisions were made to move incompetent people into position anyway. POW is gone but the disrespect to GPD continues… and you wonder why crime is up.
Curry was hired by Feldman, her friend, as an outside “consultant” to GPD in 2020 long before Feldman cherry picked her as his replacement for CM. She has led orchestrating the debacle of GPD along with really most of the debacle of the overall city. Now she is listening to employees?? Seriously?? What did she know about running a police department then or now? Admittedly, she seems to know about scamming and dubious billing from her own narrow escape from federal prosecution. How many more shootings in downtown or dead bodies found at Bo Diddley Plaza, pedestrians being hit by cars and settlements for uneven sidewalks causing serious accidents before someone gets rid of this clown?? She was selected by Feldman and supported by Poe and his other worthless commissioners. Enough said. That tells you what she is all about. Find a competent CM!!
What ‘competent’ manager would want to work in this town with our commission??
Has anyone heard about the Internal Affairs investigations going on about the Chief and the way he has handled the K-9 Unit? Or does anyone know about his son being moved to the Lt. In charge of Investigations after the previous Lt. was removed because of a personal dislike (or) his daughter in law being promoted throughout the ranks and never being transferred back to patrol? You all have no idea of the nefarious things going on.
You are referring to Lt. Lisa Scott who was a diversity hire, mediocre cop, got pregnant and got promoted twice while sitting at a desk doing secretarial work. GPD’s policy is to put an officer back on patrol once hired. She didn’t have to do that twice due to her father-in-law (current chief) being the best friend of former Chief Jones. I know this from a close acquaintance who works for GPD.
Who gives a damn? Not I!
You will only care when it affects you. When someone you love needs help and GPD doesn’t show up because they CANT. Only then will you care. It’s a pretty selfish way to look at it because unfortunately, so many others have already been affected.
This is a CYA moment from a City Manager who is a horrible leader who lacks courage, empathy, ethics, integrity, and morals. She worked for the former Police Chief (Jones), to whom she gave a cushy $215,000 salary, and this current chief also has a cushy salary of over $200k. So, together, the Twin Towers were making over $400,000 a year and did nothing to improve their department.
The nepotism and cronyism within GPD is apparent, especially when the current Police Chief’s son is a high-ranking lieutenant.
This city manager lacks the leadership to take accountability for any of the mess that has occurred under her watch. Both she and Lonnie Scott need to go, as the toxicity within the organization is tempestuous and a complete miasma because of both of them.
It may be time for the city to consider consolidating GFR into a Fire District with Alachua County and, more importantly, disbanding GPD and contracting out our police services with new Alachua County Sheriff Emory Gainey.
I agreed until the last sentence. Sheriff is an elected position. Currently, there is even a convicted felon running for the office. The Sheriff is difficult to remove. At least a police chief can be fired.
I use all the bums and panhandlers around as my crime barometer…I should never see a panhandler in the street median. We need a new city manager.
These new city “leaders” are too busy delegating. I totally agree with Varvel’s post about consolidation.
This situation is out of control.
Well duh! When overpaid lawyers and judges keep releasing degenerates on the streets, and you get understaffed underpaid cops left to be cogs in their woke wheels….👹🤡🍦🍦🍦🍦D
“City Manager memo: GPD employees “feel as if the department is crumbling around them”.
Feelings…..nothing more than feelings….toughen up Buttercup…you ain’t seen nothing yet. The liberals are still in charge of the asylum.
When does the University of Fla and the State get involved with this corrupt and incompetent Chief and Commission politicians?
The cultured described is rampant all over the city (including GRU). It is a shame because working for the city used to feel like you were doing good things for your community (and you were given the space to do them!), now it just feels like you’re trying to keep your head down and hide from the politics and micromanagement that comes from city hall/department heads.
Many of the best leaders retired or left for better pay at other cities, its funny because their retirement plaques and X years of service certificates typically have the wrong names or wrong years worked.
It is going to be a long term problem for GVille.
They are surrounded by red counties. Many officers will move or take jobs in the surrounding counties to work for agencies that support them.
The rest of Florida PDs and Sheriff Offices are well staffed (except for Tallahassee and Leon Co.). Why are these two areas different…? Leftist saboteurs is why.
They sabotage via DNC edicts, for their political career ladder climbing futures. Ideally so they’d move to DC and work for leftist PACs or NGO foundations. Their goal is more 👹🤡🍦🍦🍦🍦D
just so sad to see how much this department has had to endure over the past years and years! It saddens me that my father’s legacy (K9s) has been destroyed by one criminal!! Instead of more pressure for the staff to have to assist with providing patrol services outside of their assignment/rank there needs to be a serious look into why community members don’t want to become officers (in this city), i.e. hands are tied-limiting what they can/can’t do, salaries, lack of backing from the community, respect of authority,
the list goes on and on!
Stay tuned for more…the reality from within…
The issue is much worse than people realize. Previous city managers and commissioners have decimated the police department over the past decade. GPD has some amazing officers- caring, intelligent, hard working people. But they’re grossly underpaid and not supported when they go to make arrests. Things like the canine department was disbanded- and that protects officers. It’s a very dangerous job to be an officer- they literally put their life on the line everyday- and the city’s response is to barely pay them and then micromanage the officers and tell them they can’t arrest people. For years they’ve been told to not arrest people and try diversionary tactics- which frustrated them because the same people keep committing crimes. Why would they go and fight dangerous crime when they have traffic accidents and shop lifting at Butler Plaza to deal with? When’s the last time you saw someone get a speeding ticket in the city? Where is the law enforcement presence downtown? It’s pretty much non-existent. I’m a democrat, and I’m embarrassed by how our leadership has treated law enforcement. They often sided with reactionary, major decisions inline with disbanding or defunded police out of an irrational distrust of our local police. Look at what happened to Minneapolis… they defunded the police and the major parts of the city entered into an economic depression. The same thing is happening in Gainesville, especially downtown.
Well said!
Start with getting rid of the ass clown 🤡 Lonnie Scott and make Asst. Chief Moya the new Chief. That’s a start! Thank.
He has a slightly higher IQ than the former Chief Jones but still below 100.
Its time to Consolidate GPD AND
SHERIFFS OFFICE!🤔
All of the concerns above were brought about after the biomass debacle. After responsible commissioners like Domeneche and McEachern who supported funding the GPD were gone. After the housing crash of 2008. Then came Hanrahan, then Poe and co. Then McAdams embezzled the FOP which didn’t help morale any. Then Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and a whole lot of other brutality cases that cast a negative light on law enforcement nationally. Most of this led to
no raises for the GPD employees for a very long time. And, welcome to the present where very few want to become involved in such career. Complain about the Scotts, Tony Joneses, and whoever the leadership is at the GPD but the majority of this shortage is not their fault. The agency has been through multiple “reorganizations” over the past 10 years which fixed nothing. It’s time the city leaders wake up and do what they can to retain and attract new officers. But how is the question.
I agree with MOST of your assessment however, GPD has seen its lowest amount of patrol numbers since Scott took over. Read the memo drafted from Curry. You have to listen to the people working there. Leadership is cited as a factor. Nepotism, friendships, emotional decisions by Scott, and the Good ole boy system…initiated by Jones then carried on by Scott…are among the reasons why patrol numbers are the LOWEST in GPD history.
It goes back to the basics of what a city should provide for it’s citizens. At the core are police services. It’s time to focus on what needs rather than wants.
We need more good officers.
None of the wishes for a better (not even great) PD will happen until the hard core left Democrat politicians and the local DEC are thrown out of office. They do not respect or serve the citizens of Gainesville.
A lot of leadership at GPD has been there a very long time. It’s time to hire outside and breath some life into the place.
There are a lot of very good people at GPD. Sometimes an older agency needs some new people to make things happen.
Outside leadership can be detrimental. See Clovis and Terry Pierce for details… but I can slightly accept having to take the risk every once in a while.
Neither of them was outside. They were all local.
Terry Pierce came from Maryland. I wouldn’t call that local. He was a disaster from the beginning.
Check out UPD.. same thing going on there too
The chief at UPD is a spouse of a high ranking officer at GPD. Not coincidental.
DOS ANYONE KNOW what the County Jail capacity is and whether it’s been kept at 100%, or less? I’d love to see a daily headcount tally included in the Jail Booking reports.
Need to get some of those high paid cops out directing traffic. Traffic is a cluster trying to turn west on Archer Rd from 34th. 2 cars per turn signal. Idiocy is the ruling class in Gainesville.
I agree that there is little or no traffic law enforcement in Gainesville. However, the real problem is too many people and too little infrastructure. That, and a city commission whose intent is forcing public transportation upon everyone but themselves.