Gainesville Police Department Takes Aim at Gun Crimes and Traffic Accidents

Press release from City of Gainesville
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Gainesville City Commission is taking aim at two of the community’s biggest safety concerns with a pair of items approved on the consent agenda at today’s meeting. By passing both items, commissioners bring to the Gainesville Police Department a new high-tech tool for solving gun crimes while also accepting Florida Department of Transportation funding that uses officer education to improve the safety of our roads, streets, and crosswalks.
The first item is a piece of equipment called the Brasstrax Acquisition Station. Paid for with funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), Brasstrax is a $144,853 search engine that investigators can use to match spent shell casings collected at local crime scenes with finely detailed images of casings from other jurisdictions. The funding for this piece of technology is part of the city’s One Community Initiative, which also includes support for Community Oriented Policing ($240,000), Community Education Efforts ($41,350), and a Public Safety Coordinator ($68,633).
The second item touches on the safety of motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians on the city’s roads. Commissioners approved the acceptance of three grants from the Florida Department of Transportation. These will pay for officer education programs and projects designed to reduce crashes and crash-related fatalities in the City of Gainesville. The three together total $170,500, with special focus on motorcycle and scooter safety, preventing accidents by distracted drivers, and general traffic safety.
Patrol Support Captain Anthony M. Ferrara says of this training opportunity, “We look forward to sharing the benefit of this grant allocation with our neighbors through education and prevention. Vision Zero is a goal that is possible to reach if we all work together. That means drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians alike. We all have a role to play. Be cognizant of your surroundings, avoid unnecessary distractions, and increase your patience with others on the road. The life you save may be your own.”
Gainesville City Commission meetings begin at 10 a.m. on the first and third Thursdays of the month. They are broadcast on Cox Cable Channel 12, livestreamed on the city’s website, and archived online.
GPD SUCKS..I got a gun pulled on me a few weeks ago.. Could’ve smoked him like a pack of Kools but I chose to report it and the guy has a murder on his record… and they still have yet to come check up on what happened 😒.. yeah Lonnie you’re Joke
I hope you learned a lesson next time pop his ass
Real question is what were you doing to have a gun pulled on you in the first place, and also if you know who the guy is why be around him? Should have gave ole boy a tag on the toe and a free trip to the morgue.
These announcements are so full of half truths they should be considered as lies. The Basstrax equipment is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the cost of Lonnie et al wanting to be the regional go to super duper police force in the world. This equipment will create a whole new department in forensics and will have a very expensive budget when all of these “services” are already available at five FDLE sites in the state. I guess we can fund it with the 44 empty patrol billets. There sure is a lot of money being thrown away by the “new” city commission. Yep, same as it ever was…
James, not to mention the money spent by the commissioners on their raises. They are a disgrace. They’re laughing all the way to the bank.
Ha ha ha ha ha!
GPD can’t even get drivers to slow down in school zones. They’re more of a police “farce” than a police force.
At least they’re managing to “spend” ARPA funds before they’re taken away. GPD turns a blind eye to drivers who are texting and those who run red lights.
GPD used to have lots of motorcycles working traffic enforcement. Lots of tickets written under Chief Botsford… Those motorcycle guys must be busy working all of the traffic deaths now, no time for enforcement…. smh…
Just lock up the repeat felons who keep carrying concealed guns for 10,20, life….3 strikes you’re out. Put that on the city buses instead of those lawyer ads….
Those darn guns and cars keep causing ‘violence’ with NO help from anyone. More loony liberal logic.
Compare shell casings to other shootings huh? Well, that’ll sure put a stop to all the killings in town.
As for the traffic enlightenment foolishness, best proven way to change bad driving habits it hit their wallet BIG time.
All this stuff is nothing more than ‘feel good’ doing something for the commission and GPD. Start holding the commissioners feet to the fire, see what happens.
Matching shell casings to other jurisdictions is the equivalent of a dog chasing its tail. As for the rest, the problem is people. I lived in upstate ny most of my life. People go 45mph or more thru school zones because the dont care and police dont care either. Instead of teaching crt, lghdtv rights and sex ed in schools, how about teaching caring and compassion and respect for fellow people. If parents wont do it, somebody has to. When we moved here 25 yrs ago, it was a breath of fresh air. It was like moving to a place where it seemed like common sense was the norm. I loved how nobody sped thru school zones. You should drive slow because you care, not because you are afraid if a fine. Well, as someone who lived in a dirty Dem city, (rochester ny) , I can tell you, gainesville is just like rochester was 20 years ago. I guess its time to move again… so sad how “leaders” and certain communities can ruin things.