Gainesville City Manager Pulls the Police Department K-9 Unit Out of Service

File photo: GPD K-9 unit

Press release from the City of Gainesville

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – While voicing continued support for the Gainesville Police Department and its officers, Gainesville City Manager Cynthia W. Curry is temporarily removing from service the department’s Canine (K-9) Unit until further review.

“As always, public safety comes first. I am not denying the usefulness of a well-coordinated K-9 Unit. However, based on recent information, this affords us the opportunity to reassess how best to serve our neighbors. We will involve the community going forward,” said Ms. Curry.

This change comes at a time when the City is scrutinizing many of its operations and programs. As staff compose the budget for Fiscal Year 2024, the K-9 Unit will be re-evaluated.

The City Manager’s decision comes after several months of internal work to reestablish the unit as a contributing element of the police force. Gainesville Police Chief Lonnie Scott put the unit on hiatus in late 2022 following an unexpected change in leadership.

Last week, Chief Scott announced the K-9 Unit’s return to regular duty status following a staff restructuring. The City Manager then requested more information and, after careful consideration of all aspects of this complex issue, made the decision announced today.

Chief Scott says, “During this time, we will reassign the officers based on the best needs of the department. The canines will remain in the care of their handlers until such time a decision is made.”

The City’s new Public Safety Committee met for the first time on Monday and set further conversation about the K-9 Unit as the subject of the March 27 meeting. As part of the discussion, Committee Chair Commissioner Desmon Duncan-Walker stressed the need for transparency and communication.

“I know that in our recent conversations regarding the K-9 unit that issue came back around. And so I am interested in having a conversation about what we might be able to do to give our neighbors and citizens of Gainesville the opportunity to engage with us about the issues that are happening in the community,” Duncan-Walker said.

  • What is the recent information? Criminals, their families, and friends complain about the use of K-9. Don’t run then you don’t have to worry about the K-9 being deployed. Too logical, huh?

  • One can only hope the manager and Ms. Duncan-Walker will be so eager to issue statements taking responsibility when some 100% innocent neighbor or citizen is harmed by a violent person that a K-9 would have easily captured.

  • If you take this at face value, I think the City Manager has too much power or is being set up to take the fall for the city commission. Carlos Holt must be cringing right about now.

  • My husband and I moved to High Springs 16 years ago after living in Gainesville almost all of our lives. We’ve been watching this unfold and were so happy to see K-9 back at GPD. Now it’s been removed again. They had an excellent unit. One incident has been questioned and that’s it. There will be more criminals running from the police and not held accountable for their actions.

    • Has there been a hearing yet to determine whether this man’s injury was caused by the K-9 … or was he hurt by a sharp stick poking out of the hedge? Given the lack of additional bite injuries in the commonly available photos, it is hard to determine if the dog was at fault.

    • Hows that eye doin? does he have his ankle monitor off yet?

    • You want justice for Terrell explain to him when a law enforcement tell you to stay put that’s what you do he chose to have a gun and drugs that were against the law be a man and take your punishment

  • Soooo ifshe’s really interested in what the “neighbors” in the community have to say, why not ask them on the front end before abolishing the unit? Because her statement is BS, that’s why. What the politicians and their subjects are really doing is slowly defunding the police, hoping that the “neighbors” won’t notice. This is another good reason to end this city government. We need a strong, INDEPENDENT police force. And by independent, I don’t mean they get to do whatever they want with no oversight. I mean independent of this socialist government and their regressive policies.

  • We were so happy when we learned the K9 unit returned to active duty, but now they are suspending it again. The city of gainesville is a joke. They can vote to increase their salaries and be fine with that, but then disabling our police department who is dealing with a rise in crime every day. There is so many crimes each day. We need our K-9 unit since ASO “will not help”

  • The Queen of evading apparent tax liens want to coddle criminals that run from the law. That is the most reckless thing you can do against Law Abiding Citizens. Write your legislator and Governor . They know her well and are watching all Gainesville Commission decisions and directives.

  • Soooo if she really cares about what the “neighbors” in the community think, why not talk to them first before abolishing the unit? What a load of BS. What’s really happening- regressives are slowly taking away more and more of your police protection, but they’re willing to listen to the “neighbors” on the back end and act like they care but then do nothing.

  • In the future we we will
    involve the citizens input into these decisions.
    Why not in this one? The City has become a State wide joke for its lack of leadership and fiscal responsibility.

  • Get ready for an exodus of junior officers as they look for better agencies to make a career at.

  • “As always, public safety comes first. I am not denying the usefulness of a well-coordinated K-9 Unit. However, based on recent information, this affords us the opportunity to reassess how best to serve our neighbors. We will involve the community going forward,” said Ms. Curry.

    “I know that in our recent conversations regarding the K-9 unit that issue came back around. And so I am interested in having a conversation about what we might be able to do to give our neighbors and citizens of Gainesville the opportunity to engage with us about the issues that are happening in the community,” Duncan-Walker said.

    Per the release: “As staff compose the budget for Fiscal Year 2024, the K-9 Unit will be re-evaluated.”

    This is typical Politician tactic: Throw a bucket of crap on the wall so citizens think you have their best interest in mind and value their input! What is the “recent information?” How can the community “engage with the CC and Mayor” when they here comments like “You’re supposed to be dead!” Why is it a secret if it affects the entire community?

    It seems the only input that is valued is the criminal community of Gainesville!

    I would like the State to investigate Gainesville City and AC BOCC hiring practices! The last four Charter Officers (including the City Manager) were hired without competition! Was it a payoff, or is the current group of Mayor and CC that lazy that they just make decisions off the cuff? Oh crap! I answered my own question! When you review the City of GNV HR Employment Policies, you don’t see anything about Vacancy Selection Process or Merit Promotion!

    • Absolutely dead on! The fact that criminals have more rights than law-abiding citizens now is appalling, the only thing that they’re going to succeed in doing is telling criminals we won’t use canines to track you down anymore which in turn is going to cause an increase in subjects running because they know they don’t have to fear being chased or bitten by a dog now. Just another win in the name of equality for criminals, hell they can break the law and be out back on the streets the same day now, why would they want to stop?

    • Shutting down the K9 squad to evaluate it would be like shutting down the Biomess Plant until is is determined to be carbon neutral and a good investment. Can the Comrades on the City Commissions and Upper Management do that? Can they shut that Bish$$up?

  • Just a start to defund the police department the same thing in every democratic city

  • They don’t like the optics of a dog chasing a valuable potential voter.

  • Fire Cynthia Curry…she can’t even keep the panhandlers out of the street medians…she’s loading us up with vagrants & felons at Grace and they’re overflowing into the woods. Zero tolerance on crime. Give GPD what they need to do their jobs. Desantis & the state of Florida just need to come in and take over now…appoint new commissioners, etc., fund the police & get tough on crime.

    • Maybe he’ll get poked in the other eye while in that cold jail cell and it will be “justice for all”.

  • So we’ve learned the readers of the Alachua Chronicle are unable to comprehend basic thought from sentences. From this very article you are making comment on, “This change comes at a time when the City is scrutinizing many of its operations and programs. As staff compose the budget for Fiscal Year 2024, the K-9 Unit will be re-evaluated.” In other words, the city is searching for all avenues to reduce expenditures as required by the State of Florida. The city has already paused its solar plant construction, scrapped salary raises and reduced dipping their hands in GRU’s pocket, expect more cost cuts this year to balance its books for FY2024+. Considering the K-9 unit adds costs in additional training by officers and K-9 units have not cut down crime rates in any city they patrol, it makes financial sense. Not to mention Alachua County has a K-9 unit is specific crimes require a unit. When you consider crime rates are higher in the neighboring cities Ocala and Lake City, which both have K-9 patrols, there is no proof the dogs add a layer of safety.

  • Maybe he needs to change his name to Willie. ( one eyed Willie). He probably won’t run from the police or a K-9 again. Obviously ex cop daddy didnt have the talk with him. City manager is just stupid.

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