Us
Print
E-mail
Rate
Keeping us safe
 |
| Lake City Police Officer Brian Bruenger uses a radar gun Friday to scope out speeders on North Marion Avenue. JASON MATTHEW WALKER/Lake City Reporter |
2008 shows law enforcement action in area.
By JEFF M. HARDISON
jhardison@lakecityreporter.com
Law enforcement activity in Lake City and Columbia County during 2008 reflected protection and service to the general public by city, county and state police agencies.
Lake City Police Department
In 2008, the LCPD re-entered an interagency drug interdiction program on Interstate 75 with the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, City Manager Scott Reynolds said.
This program lets local law enforcement agencies work with the state to stop drug trafficking and seize cash and other assets of criminals stopped on the Interstate.
“We expect to continue this with the new sheriff,” Reynolds said.
Sheriff Mark Hunter takes office on Tuesday. Reynolds is in the process of hiring a new police chief for the LCPD. As of Dec. 31, there were 86 applicants, he said.
“It’s important for our new chief to have a good working relationship with the sheriff,” Reynolds said.
The LCPD is evaluating its policies and procedures, Reynolds said. In addition to drug interdiction, the LCPD will be increasing its efforts in relation to drug prevention programs in schools, Reynolds said, as well as its regular work to prevent and solve crimes, and take care of traffic safety in the city.
The city manager said the change in police chiefs this year, including the resignation of former Chief Steven Burch, was a bit rough. The city was helped through another tough part of the year.
“I want to say ‘Thanks’ to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Highway Patrol, the wildlife officers and the state of Florida for helping our city with recovering from the tornado,” Reynolds said. “Everybody came to the table. Everybody was very professional. It shows how good of a working relationship we have with all of the agencies.”
Columbia County
Sheriff’s Office
In one of her last acts as public information officer for the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, Laurie Windham provided information about the CCSO in 2008.
Crime Stoppers was introduced to the county as a program this past year, Windham said.
Crime Stoppers is a non-profit organization of citizens against crime. Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards of up to $1,000 to anyone furnishing anonymous information that leads to the arrest of criminals, including those committing serious felonies.
A continuation of
programs started under Sheriff Bill Gootee provided the public with service in 2008, Windham said. A program where decals for residences and businesses lists contact information, she said, continued to be active and successful.
There was an expansion of the Citizens Service Unit. This group of uniformed volunteers provides courtesy patrols, wellness checks and funeral escorts, she said.
Florida Highway Patrol
With its headquarters in Lake City, Florida Highway Patrol Troop B serves Columbia County and eight other of Florida’s 67 counties.
In 2008, there were more traffic fatalities than in 2007, FHP Lt. Patrick Riordan said. There were 28 in 2007 and 37 in 2008, he said.
The FHP, which is part of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, continued numerous enforcement and education campaigns, Riordan said. “Click It or Ticket” reminds people to use seat belts. The “Over the Limit, Under Arrest,” tells drivers they will go to jail if they are arrested for driving while under the influence of alcohol.
A “Mover Over” campaign showed FHP partnering with other law enforcement agencies, Riordan said, as troopers followed the DHSMV instructions to bring people into awareness about the new law in 2008.
When a driver sees an emergency vehicle stopped with flashers on the side of the road, drivers must safely change lanes away from the lane closest to the stopped vehicle, Riordan said.
There were at least two DUI checkpoints in Columbia County in 2008, Riordan said. Troopers removed impaired drivers as well as non-qualified drivers from the roadways. Non-qualified drivers are those who have no license, or a suspended or revoked license. People operating unsafe vehicle see those machines removed from the road in this operation as well.
A Selective Traffic Enforcement Program, which is also known as a Wolf Pack operation, put nine troopers and a couple of supervisors in Columbia, Suwannee and Hamilton counties Dec. 7-10, he said.
There were 570 citations issued, which included 36 for driving with a suspended license. There was one felony drug arrest and $35,000 in cash seized, Riordan said. There were 26 misdemeanor charges filed, 105 written warnings and 72 faulty equipment notices.
Throughout 2008, the enforcement efforts as well as the campaigns for safe driving showed the FHP involved in Columbia County as it is throughout the state, Riordan said. The FHP reaches out, too, and partners with other agencies to protect and serve the people of Florida, he said.
Wildlife Commission
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Public Information Supervisor Karen Parker said this region of Florida did relatively well this year.
“It was a really good year sturgeon-wise,” she said.
The prehistoric fish only injured three people this year by jumping out of the Suwannee River and landing on people in boats. One boy suffered a broken arm.
In each of the past two years, there were nine reported injuries from sturgeons, she said. A public information campaign to slow boats on the Suwannee appears to have helped, she said.
Boating safety in this region this past year has paid off. While there were many statewide boating fatalities, there were none in Columbia County this year, she said.
“There were no natural disaster, thank God,” she said. “Although we would have been out there if there were.”
One problem is bothersome. People are killing Florida black bears, in violation of the law.
“It’s against the law to kill black bears in Florida,” Parker said.
One bear was killed in Osceola National Forest a number of weeks ago, and a dead bear was found in Taylor County on Dec. 27, she said.
Overall the Game Commission has had a good year in this region, Parker said.
Lake City Police Department
In 2008, the LCPD re-entered an interagency drug interdiction program on Interstate 75 with the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, City Manager Scott Reynolds said.
This program lets local law enforcement agencies work with the state to stop drug trafficking and seize cash and other assets of criminals stopped on the Interstate.
“We expect to continue this with the new sheriff,” Reynolds said.
Sheriff Mark Hunter takes office on Tuesday. Reynolds is in the process of hiring a new police chief for the LCPD. As of Dec. 31, there were 86 applicants, he said.
“It’s important for our new chief to have a good working relationship with the sheriff,” Reynolds said.
The LCPD is evaluating its policies and procedures, Reynolds said. In addition to drug interdiction, the LCPD will be increasing its efforts in relation to drug prevention programs in schools, Reynolds said, as well as its regular work to prevent and solve crimes, and take care of traffic safety in the city.
The city manager said the change in police chiefs this year, including the resignation of former Chief Steven Burch, was a bit rough. The city was helped through another tough part of the year.
“I want to say ‘Thanks’ to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Highway Patrol, the wildlife officers and the state of Florida for helping our city with recovering from the tornado,” Reynolds said. “Everybody came to the table. Everybody was very professional. It shows how good of a working relationship we have with all of the agencies.”
Columbia County
Sheriff’s Office
In one of her last acts as public information officer for the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, Laurie Windham provided information about the CCSO in 2008.
Crime Stoppers was introduced to the county as a program this past year, Windham said.
Crime Stoppers is a non-profit organization of citizens against crime. Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards of up to $1,000 to anyone furnishing anonymous information that leads to the arrest of criminals, including those committing serious felonies.
A continuation of
programs started under Sheriff Bill Gootee provided the public with service in 2008, Windham said. A program where decals for residences and businesses lists contact information, she said, continued to be active and successful.
There was an expansion of the Citizens Service Unit. This group of uniformed volunteers provides courtesy patrols, wellness checks and funeral escorts, she said.
Florida Highway Patrol
With its headquarters in Lake City, Florida Highway Patrol Troop B serves Columbia County and eight other of Florida’s 67 counties.
In 2008, there were more traffic fatalities than in 2007, FHP Lt. Patrick Riordan said. There were 28 in 2007 and 37 in 2008, he said.
The FHP, which is part of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, continued numerous enforcement and education campaigns, Riordan said. “Click It or Ticket” reminds people to use seat belts. The “Over the Limit, Under Arrest,” tells drivers they will go to jail if they are arrested for driving while under the influence of alcohol.
A “Mover Over” campaign showed FHP partnering with other law enforcement agencies, Riordan said, as troopers followed the DHSMV instructions to bring people into awareness about the new law in 2008.
When a driver sees an emergency vehicle stopped with flashers on the side of the road, drivers must safely change lanes away from the lane closest to the stopped vehicle, Riordan said.
There were at least two DUI checkpoints in Columbia County in 2008, Riordan said. Troopers removed impaired drivers as well as non-qualified drivers from the roadways. Non-qualified drivers are those who have no license, or a suspended or revoked license. People operating unsafe vehicle see those machines removed from the road in this operation as well.
A Selective Traffic Enforcement Program, which is also known as a Wolf Pack operation, put nine troopers and a couple of supervisors in Columbia, Suwannee and Hamilton counties Dec. 7-10, he said.
There were 570 citations issued, which included 36 for driving with a suspended license. There was one felony drug arrest and $35,000 in cash seized, Riordan said. There were 26 misdemeanor charges filed, 105 written warnings and 72 faulty equipment notices.
Throughout 2008, the enforcement efforts as well as the campaigns for safe driving showed the FHP involved in Columbia County as it is throughout the state, Riordan said. The FHP reaches out, too, and partners with other agencies to protect and serve the people of Florida, he said.
Wildlife Commission
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Public Information Supervisor Karen Parker said this region of Florida did relatively well this year.
“It was a really good year sturgeon-wise,” she said.
The prehistoric fish only injured three people this year by jumping out of the Suwannee River and landing on people in boats. One boy suffered a broken arm.
In each of the past two years, there were nine reported injuries from sturgeons, she said. A public information campaign to slow boats on the Suwannee appears to have helped, she said.
Boating safety in this region this past year has paid off. While there were many statewide boating fatalities, there were none in Columbia County this year, she said.
“There were no natural disaster, thank God,” she said. “Although we would have been out there if there were.”
One problem is bothersome. People are killing Florida black bears, in violation of the law.
“It’s against the law to kill black bears in Florida,” Parker said.
One bear was killed in Osceola National Forest a number of weeks ago, and a dead bear was found in Taylor County on Dec. 27, she said.
Overall the Game Commission has had a good year in this region, Parker said.
 |
 |
|
| Car dealers respond to financial jump-start | Homicides down in some large U.S. cities |
Optimistic wrote on Jan 4, 2009 7:40 AM: