GPD: Crime is up 20% from this quarter last year
BY JENNIFER CABRERA
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – During the morning session of the August 17 Gainesville City Commission meeting, Gainesville Police Department (GPD) presented its quarterly report for April-June 2023.
Chief Lonnie Scott pointed out that crime has increased overall by 20.53% since the same quarter last year; violent crime increased by 2.03%, and property crimes have increased by 24.9%. Compared to the third fiscal quarter of 2022, aggravated assaults (threatening someone with a weapon) increased and homicides, rapes, and robberies decreased.
Compared to the previous quarter this year, stolen firearms are up 38%, weapons seized are up 26%, the number of shots fired is down 3%, the number of persons shot is up 18%, and the number of homicides is down 75%. Scott said the vast majority of stolen firearms were from unlocked cars.
Comparing the first half of 2023 to the first half of 2022, there have been almost 5% fewer stolen firearms, an almost 40% increase in weapons seized, a 13.5% decrease in reports of shots fired, twice as many persons shot (100% increase), and a 67% increase in homicides (five vs. three).
There were 11 traffic homicide investigations in the first half of 2023, on track to match last year’s 24 investigations. Through three fiscal quarters, traffic deaths are down from 22 to 17, and serious bodily injuries are up from 19 to 22.
In the most recent quarter, GPD’s co-responder program had 22 jail diversions, 63 Baker Act diversions, and 22 emergency department diversions for people with mental health or substance use diagnoses.
Scott said the department has a vacancy rate of 17% and is focusing on recruiting; five sworn officers were hired in the third quarter out of 68 applications. Thirty-nine did not show up, 10 were disqualified, and six withdrew. Eight more new hires are still in the process.
Reichert House
Commissioner Casey Willits asked Chief Scott about Reichert House, and Scott said most people believe it will come back under a private entity. He said three people who are currently employed by the City as Reichert House staff have been brought into the police department, and two of them will work in youth and young adult outreach, “to try to help fill some of that void that’s there and provide some services to those youth and young adults… We can’t get out of the business of dealing with the youth.” He said the third person will be coordinating neighborhood crime watches.
New gun violence prevention initiative
Scott told the commission that GPD will soon be implementing a new gun violence prevention initiative, led by new Assistant Police Chief Nelson Moya.
Moya said GPD is still in the process of creating a plan, but he has hand-picked a group of people who have “a specific skill-set, that are well-balanced in their approach to policing.” He said the group will identify potential offenders and potential victims, with the goal of having “boring days and boring nights, where we don’t get those call-outs of a notification of yet another shooting.”
Moya said the group will be “connected closely to our patrol folks but equally as closely connected to entities such as our schools, our SROs, other partners that are dealing with us, the community.” He said many shootings are not from “your traditional root cause that we have seen in the past–sure, there may still be drug dealing. But you’re seeing things that nowadays spark gun violence which, back in the day, it didn’t. Social media plays into this.” He said the goal is not to blanket the community and stop everybody and treat them as if they’re involved in wrongdoing but to gather information and “hope that interaction leads to a positive outcome… So case management is in play. Threat assessment is in play, enforcement is in play.”
The agenda item concluded with a discussion of several of the ordinance changes that Commissioner Ed Book brought up in his Sunshine Meeting with Commissioner Desmon Duncan-Walker. City Manager Cynthia Curry said her office is working on them and will bring them to the commission for discussion in the next few months.
Gainesville’s decay continues.
Exactly! Those liberal dems (DEC), and their soft on crime policies, coupled with more handouts and “safety-net” services like food banks to get all you need: FREE, have succeeded in their goals. Now to further “tax the rich” so even more can be done for non-workers and illegal border-crossers. Thanks Poe & lackeys, Ward, Botcher and hanrahan! Hope that almost doubling in rapes doesn’t hit your enclaves.
It’s funny that they have a chart for everything except area of where the crime is occurring you would think they would want to know that
The G’ville Sun used to post a map showing where crime hot spots were. . . .HA…..they got rid of that a long time ago. Didn’t like what they were seeing. . .
You can bet it’s not around those local Dem Executive Committee (DEC) members homes!
That’s so racist!
No if it’s the truth and we all know what the problem is
Stupid response Jeffk. It IS what it is and if that’s “racist” to you so be it.
Or a chart that shows the ethnicity of all of these crimes. Anybody with half a brain that can read and stays in touch with what’s happening in their County can tell you that crime is up.
Most of the time it’s the first name
We ALL know exactly where it is.
Another Democratic city with Progressive values at work. Expect more of it.
Laughable drivel from someone who doesn’t know much about the subject:
Moya said GPD is still in the process of creating a plan, but he has hand-picked a group of people who have “a specific skill-set, that are well-balanced in their approach to policing.” He said the group will identify potential offenders and potential victims, with the goal of having “boring days and boring nights, where we don’t get those call-outs of a notification of yet another shooting.”
Moya said the group will be “connected closely to our patrol folks but equally as closely connected to entities such as our schools, our SROs, other partners that are dealing with us, the community.” He said many shootings are not from “your traditional root cause that we have seen in the past–sure, there may still be drug dealing. But you’re seeing things that nowadays spark gun violence which, back in the day, it didn’t. Social media plays into this.” He said the goal is not to blanket the community and stop everybody and treat them as if they’re involved in wrongdoing but to gather information and “hope that interaction leads to a positive outcome… So case management is in play. Threat assessment is in play, enforcement is in play.”
Not sure why someone would need to repeat what was said as a comment but I think Moya nailed it. This is exactly a proven approach to these complex issues. Problem is, we’ve been here before without much success. Why? Because the plan never gets implemented. The data never gets tracked or truely scrutinized to see what it really says. We just get talking points of endless proposals. Bravo, Mr. Moya.
That should be *in addition* to increasing patrols and already having basic things police departments have like police dogs and helicopters.
Well said!
Sounds like PROFILING
Exactly what needs to be done.
Yep, and we all already know who fits the profile.
Either you want the problem fixed or you don’t
“Violence interrupters” real job: telling folks NOT to bother calling 911.
Are we really going to rely on the failed Hope and Change agenda? Good luck with that Wokesville.
As others have noted, those progressive policies at work again. On second thought, maybe they’re like Wacko Saco – only working part-time.
Irregardless, they’re clearly not working and are getting us closer to the likes of Portland and other crime ridden cities than most of us would like…with the exception of commissioners and other far-left wingnuts.
I’m sure some will choose to blame it on the state legislatures and governors though.
Until their “plans” take effect, better be effective at protecting yourself, (if legally able). The Keystone Cops are still trying to figure it out with the rest of the locally elected.
So the plan is “gather information and hope that interaction leads to a positive outcome…”
How is the hiring of convicted felons to prevent crime working out? You might notice there has not been a word about that program since Poe and Ward started it.
Despite the headline, these stats are underwhelming in showing any trend. The most serious violent crimes are all down. and like anecdotes, those numbers – like the other categories – don’t show much about any trends, or solutions. Basically, “it is what it is”, same problems, including too many disaffected young males and too many easy to get guns.
Gee, what could go wrong?
So your solution sounds like get rid of the young men?
Hell jazz make be on to something for a first young men certain style haircuts think about this
I believe you meant to say “it’s too many undisciplined and disrespectful males.” Even displaced families could play a significant role but those are reasons only talked about in back rooms or behind closed doors.
Just wanted to make sure the point got out.
We are part of a state where the conditions are the same as the rest of the state as far as access to guns. Yet, crime has been going down in the rest of the state where they generally have more effective law enforcement and aren’t led by packs of clowns. Focusing on access to guns is just more clown-logic. I guess that’s your specialty.
What are you talking about? Did you not see all the car deaths? Cars kill people Jazz! We need to get rid of them now. Think of the children. And the puppies. Cars are killing machines!
Maybe open borders isn’t helping unskilled young citizens? What are public schools doing bout dat? A: looking the other way when behavior disrupts good kids.
Awwwh…..now I know why Chief Tony resigned. Perfect timing!
Let’s give him some career felons as a retirement gift.
The picture says it all! Chief Lonnie(funny) eyes closed, sleeping, while DC Moya is sacrificed on the alter of liberalism.
Meanwhile, local bangers shoot up and kill others and themselves whilst the city & GPD wring their hands in desperation on what to do.
Democrats, you voted for this pathetic government now deal with it.
At this rate it is going to take many many catered “talkabouts” in the air conditioned Hilton to talk up a solution.
It’s because Bidenomics hasn’t trickled down yet. We know lower CO2 will bring lower crime rates, too. 🤡👹🍦🍦🍦D
I’ve tried to type all this out before & perhaps the COG is finally catching on. Allow me to start my rant by giving an example;
Boeing knew the 737 Max had problems, and the aircraft was potentially going to crash and kill people, but no action was taken until thier beloved airplane fell out of the sky and 3 to 4 hundred people got killed.
So please, look at it from the point of view of the residents that work hard every day, pay taxes, don’t collect snap, don’t depend on the government food/healthcare/ low income housings programs/don’t stand in the medians begging for change expecting the government to take care of them, etc, and let’s look at the viewpoint of the local residents who actually work their butts off and handle business.
First, REPEAL THE DOWNTOWN OPEN CONTAINER until whenever in the am CRAP. Party goers (The UF crowd) goes home when the bars close and so on. They responsible people. Awareness of their surroundings is usually slack a##, but for the most part, the UF crowd goes home. 👍
A certain how shall we say “minority group” stays downtown, and parties it up, until some retard pulls a gun, and guns down someone else. Then the “party” is over as all the minorities flee scene.
So, I furthermore offer a solution for that.
Spend our tax money on more uniformed officers to keep us safe. QUIT WITH ALL THE CORPORATE Horse sh#@, and make some real decisions.
(Go to Urban Dictionary and type in 3 words, “Corporate Horse SH$&… ya’ll can thank me later)
Third. Remove the soft a#@ State Attorneys and fake a## first appearance judges, and start enforcing the penal laws as they are written in Florida’s Penal Statutes. Make a few examples for a change, and put that on the WCJB evening news.
Give our GPD officers and ACSO Deputies,
what they need to combat all the shootings.
I guarantee that the shootings and the violence will somewhat slow down.
But as long as y’all continue debate the “Corporate Horse Sh$#”, The folks at Gainesville City Hall is going to continue this “up hill battle”.
To the point!
Johnny Cash,
YES, YES, YES!!!!
Now, you know that your common-sense suggestion doesn’t align with the “feel-good” agenda the commissioners push.
This town is a hot mess in every department. It’s like trying to clean a hoarder house. Where do you start?
All that being typed out, I must ask the general public, would you board a 737 Max airplane, if the aircraft was maintained by the folks in Gainesville City Hall?
I believe that if a family collects SNAP, if the lessees resides in predominantly low income housing neighborhoods, and the crime rate is high, then that should be a determining factor in “legal gun ownership”.
See my opinion is allowing these young kids to “go out and play in the skreets,” because thier parents are too sorry, too entitled, and too dependant on the government, to teach their chirrens any different, and then they go down to “Tony’s House” and play GTA for hours on end, then they gonna grow up to believe that shooting and stealing and killing people with a gun is ok.
That’s my take on the whole situation of the whole situation.
Whenever a new police chief is appointed, she/he/they must be given first before all else a book (or cliff’s notes equivalent) on how to hire people who lie with statistics that are very basic but you still don’t understand. E.g. “Year to date statistics April 1 2023- June 30 2023.” Anybody else see the elementary problem there? There are many more stoopid beyond belief statistical summaries in the article, that’s just one.