CRAWFORDVILLE, Fla. (WTXL) — After a year of planning, the Wakulla County Sheriff Office has started a new initiative.
This new program, Four-Person Crime Suppression Unit, is under WCSO’s Special Operations Division. They will select certified school resource officers and assign them to specific areas at risk. This is intended to help prevent crimes and provide flexibility to free up other officers within those patrol zones.
Lt. Jeffrey Yarbrough, Public Information Officer says, "Typically in the summertime we do see a rise of property crimes vehicle burglars in particular and having a unit that’s not tied to answering calls or a specific portion of the county or a set schedule allows them to kind of pick and choose where they do their enforcement and catch crime before it becomes an issue."
As for what areas will be targeted for extra parole and prevention Lt. Yarbrough says they have a few ideas in mind.
Yarbrough says, “It’s targeted enforcement for whatever the needs the county may see. We know that there are drugs in this county, and we do everything to stop it so being able to target high drug areas is one of the priorities of the unit.”
Teen Center owner, Jessie Ransom, works with many age groups throughout the community where he hopes he can help keep kids out of trouble and provide new opportunities for them. He believes this new program is a great idea to help keep situations under control.
Jessie Ransom says, “They see that same resource officer that’s at the school with them, they come out to that situation — it makes that situation a whole lot easier for that kid because they’re dealing with familiarity, they’re dealing with people who they know.”
Officers are optimistic that this extra surveillance will discourage crimes in the area.
The new crime suppression unit is set to begin June 1st.
