City of Gainesville is focused on student safety around University of Florida campus
Press release from City of Gainesville
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The City of Gainesville has rolled out a series of recent initiatives aimed at enhancing the safety and vibrancy of downtown and areas adjacent to the University of Florida campus. The Downtown Ambassador Program offers a visible, friendly presence in key areas, while the Downtown Events Grant Program brings more community-centered activities to the heart of the city.
These efforts are part of a broader strategy to create a dynamic and welcoming environment where students can feel safe, connected, and comfortable within the Gainesville community.
What is being done right now to prioritize student safety?
Active Law Enforcement Presence: The Gainesville Police Department (GPD) maintains a consistent police presence with patrol officers assigned to areas around the University of Florida campus, downtown, and midtown. Officers work in close coordination with the University of Florida Police Department to ensure swift responses to incidents affecting student safety.
Strategic Safety Initiatives: The City of Gainesville has expanded lighting and surveillance in key areas to deter crime and improve visibility at night. The City also has introduced a Downtown Ambassador Program to enhance daytime and nighttime safety by entering into a three-year, $3.1 million contract with the nation’s leading ambassador service provider. To request a safety escort from the Downtown Ambassadors, call (352) 710-6406. The Downtown Ambassadors are available seven days/week and operate in the following areas adjacent to campus:
- The Downtown Gainesville Service Area, a “T-shaped” area split into two zones by Main Street, encompasses an area roughly bordered by 2nd Avenue to the north and Depot Avenue to the south. Western borders are 6th and SW 3rd Streets, connected by SW 4th Avenue; Eastern borders are SE 3rd and SE 7th Streets, connected by SE 4th Avenue.
- The West University Corridor Service Area is a stretch of University Avenue bordered by SW 13th Street to the west, SW 2nd Place to the South and adjacent to the westernmost border of the Downtown Gainesville Service Area along SW 6th Street.
What is being done to reach people experiencing homelessness near campus and downtown?
Addressing Homelessness and Public Behavior Concerns: Gainesville is actively working with social service organizations, shelters, and mental health professionals to provide assistance to those experiencing homelessness while maintaining a safe and orderly public environment. The City enforces the requirements of Section 125.0231, Florida Statutes (previously House Bill 1365), which prevents overnight camping and sleeping on public right-of-way, public property, and public parks.
How can students or other neighbors report safety concerns?
Community Engagement and Reporting Mechanisms: Students are encouraged to use GPD emergency resources, including direct text and app-based reporting systems. The GPD app can be downloaded from the Apple Store or Google Play by searching “Gainesville Police.” Students also are encouraged to report tips by calling 352-372-STOP; visiting the Crime Stoppers website; using the P3Tips app on an Apple or Android smartphone; or calling the Gainesville Police Department directly at (352) 393-7500. In case of emergency, always call 911. The City also has added a public encampment reporting option to the myGNV assistance app. myGNV is available online at www.mygnv.com or the app can be downloaded from the Apple Store or Google Play.
How much is the City investing in public safety?
Public Safety Investments: In Fiscal Year 2025, the City of Gainesville allocated $46.4 million to funding the Gainesville Police Department. The City’s total allocation for public safety in Fiscal Year 2025 is $77.5 million, making up 50% of the General Fund Budget. GPD is nationally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) and invests heavily in recruitment, training, and community policing and co-responder programs designed to address safety issues near the university.
City leaders are taking a comprehensive and aggressive approach to public safety. As one of the University of Florida’s community partners, Gainesville recognizes the importance of providing a secure environment where students can focus on their educational and personal growth. These efforts will continue to evolve, and the City will remain dedicated to transparency, action, and accountability in making Gainesville a safe place for everyone.
The City of Gainesville and the Gainesville Police Department encourage students, families, and neighbors to subscribe to City news and public safety updates. By reporting concerns, all can work together to keep Gainesville a secure and welcoming community.
This should not have to be said but do not download the police app. Within the Apple App Store they state “Data Not Collected”. I opened the linked privacy policy and it clearly states otherwise. Basically, they collect and use everything available, including personal identifiable information. Take a look here for more detail (OCV,LLC is the app developer):
https://ocvapps.myocv.com/privacy.html
Gainesville Downtown Ambassador: https://www.bitchute.com/video/o5wMGHKzt2IJ
Why does the Ambassador yellow pickup truck have front windows that are tinted unlawfully dark? They will probably end up hitting a pedestrian because they can’t see out, and then the victim will sue the City.
Students decide for themselves on an hourly basis whether it’s safe where they are, and whether they feel safe. This “we will all feel safer together!” propaganda will be scoffed at unless things change majorly, and there is no evidence of that.
The goal of the City should be to once again make Gainesville a place that UF graduates will actually want to consider as a place to live and work after graduation, instead of a place they want to get the heck away from, which is almost always the case now. That’s how cities die, when no young people want to live and work and start businesses there. It sure was dead downtown for St. Patrick’s Day, spring break or no spring break. It’s long past time to get rid of the incompetent buffoons in charge.
Feel good propaganda. Transparency? Really? I know otherwise.
Sitting on my front porch I have listened to no less than 5 emergency vehicles going in all directions in the last hour. This city sounds like a war zone.
It’s unsafe to drive anywhere in this town and the streets are largely void of any people but the homeless and the 3.1 million dollar ambassadors. This town is an embarrassment on every count. When will people wake up to reality? So sad.
Pheweeeee! GNV CC, Mayor, and their Boss, the City Manager, should be ashamed to release such BS!
This clown city talks about spending 150 million in the ultra dangerous East side where no one wants to go. You can’t make this up.clowns elected by clowns.
And they got us drinking out of woke lousy paper straws to save the planet.
Liberalism is a mental disorder.
Developers continue to clear land to shack up condos and apartments. Who’s living in these things? I’d like to see an official census of Gainesville for the past 20 years. Not represented in the head count are most of the college students who are not included the local census but use up our roads and resources. I table an ‘impact fee’ for students arriving in our area.
Why is this press release necessary? Shouldn’t the City be doing this anyway? Strange to have to request a pat on the back for doing what should be the day to day job of the City. I guess because it has been so long that the City has done their core job that it looks novel.
When you teach them to read the traffic signs & obey them is a start. Another is to put that damn cell phone away while walking in traffic.
Then just maybe the crash ratio will go down. No promises though….
Wouldn’t is be nice if these small town buffoons were as concerned about the lawful, permanent resident citizens of GNV as they are pampering temporary, self absorbed, UF students?
The thing is…. We need some of those students to want to stay here after they graduate, which was always the case until very recently. Otherwise, we’ll be a dystopian town completely controlled by aging leftist diesel-type women with big grimaces and bad haircuts, and you know where that goes (look around you, but imagine worse).
The Downtown Ambassador Program is ineffective and a waste of resources. Block by Block in Gainesville is also operating at a loss, making this program unsustainable and unnecessary.
Vibrant downtown???? Huh. What.
Get rid of the vagrants …I should never see one panhandling, filthy , littering bum downtown or midtown or any intersection… we have a vagrant homeless panhandling crime crisis in GNV..there should be zero tolerance…lock them up and ship them back to where they came from!