TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Tallahassee mayor Andrew Gillum says he is "disappointed" after Leon County Chairman Dailey refused his support for activating the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to address violent crime in the area.
The latest shooting in Leon County adds to what local leaders say is a recent string of violence and Monday morning, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum and County Commissioner Chair John Dailey hosted a special discussion about it.
By the advice of commissioner Daily's attorney, the EOC won't be activated. That attorney stated that legally, the EOC just doesn't cover law enforcement.
Mayor Gillum, Chief Commissioner Daily, city and county officials, law enforcement, and even concerned citizens met to discuss the problem Leon County is facing regarding violent crimes.
While they decided against activating the EOC, they did agree that the many involved agencies must come up with a unified strategy for cleaning the streets and building a closer relationship with those communities. One of the concerned citizens in the meeting said that community involvement is crucial.
Officials in the meeting promised to have more meetings in the near future to narrow in on their plan of action.
After a meeting with Leon County Chairman John Dailey Monday morning, Mayor Andrew Gillum released the following statement:
“After this morning's meeting, I think it was made clear that the structures and partnerships that exist between local law enforcement are insufficient for addressing the severity of violent crime in our community. Though I am disappointed that Leon County Chairman Dailey refused his support for activating our Emergency Operations Center (EOC) as a convening structure for all community law enforcement under Sheriff McNeil, I hope the County Commission will take up this issue as a whole and voice whether they support this effort or not. These unprecedented times in our community call for a more aggressive and intentional action. I will be bringing this issue to the City Commission at our Wednesday meeting, and will continue to do everything I can to bring serious ideas to the greatest challenges we face.”
In response to the meeting, Tallahassee Police Chief Michael J. DeLeo, who is currently serving as a speaker at the International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference, released the following statement:
“Although I was not available to participate in today's meeting, I remain committed to working with our community and law enforcement partners to make Tallahassee even safer. I am extremely proud of the service of everyone at TPD and the results of their efforts,” said Chief DeLeo.
“In 2016, our agency made targeting violent crime a priority and our officers work led to a 14% decrease in violent crime. In 2017, we wanted to hold the line on violent crime and focus on property crime. Although we've seen a slight increase in violent crime in 2017, the combined efforts of the community and law enforcement have resulted in a 13% decrease in overall crime; through September, there have been more than 1,000 fewer crimes in 2017. These significant accomplishments have made our City safer than it was just two years ago and we remain committed to working with our community to build on this progress,” said DeLeo.
“With the continued support of our city leaders, who have strengthened TPD with additional resources and technology, TPD will strive every day to make our city a place we are all proud to work and live,” said DeLeo.
