GPD and UFPD partner on Midtown public safety detail

Press release from the City of Gainesville

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Gainesville Police Department (GPD) and University of Florida Police Department (UFPD) are continuing to work in partnership in the Midtown area with a joint detail that provides increased law enforcement presence during high-traffic periods in the area adjacent to the university campus.

The Midtown detail is deployed on dates and times when the agencies anticipate elevated levels of activity. During those periods, sworn officers from GPD and UFPD work together in responding to calls and patrolling the area. 

The detail is an ongoing collaboration between GPD and UFPD, with Gainesville Police Chief Nelson Moya and UFPD Chief Bart Knowles meeting regularly to discuss safety needs. The goal is to develop strategies that enhance the security and welfare of University of Florida (UF) students and the broader Gainesville community.

“This is about putting officers where they can have the greatest impact at the time they’re most needed,” Moya said. “We’re in constant communication with our partners at the university. Our job is to maintain a high level of public safety together.”

The Midtown detail builds on GPD’s existing Downtown Unit. Initiated in 2025, the unit works directly with business owners and involved stakeholders to identify concerns, share information, and build relationships. Composed of four officers and a sergeant, the unit responds to calls in the downtown area while also monitoring foot traffic, parking areas, and gathering places.

The Midtown detail applies a similar approach while expanding the opportunity for interagency collaboration. By bringing GPD and UFPD officers together in a shared assignment, the detail combines personnel, information, and experience from both agencies in one of Gainesville’s most active student-centered areas.

“Gainesville and the University of Florida are one community, and public safety is one of the places where that partnership matters most,” Mayor Harvey L. Ward said. “When our police departments share information, resources, and responsibility, we are better able to respond to the needs of our neighbors and students. This detail is another example of that collaboration at work.”

The Midtown detail reflects a shared recognition that student safety does not stop at the boundaries of campus. Students live, work, travel, and gather throughout Gainesville, making cooperation between GPD and UFPD an important part of serving the university community. The two departments have a long history of working alongside one another and other local agencies, and this detail strengthens that coordination.