Clearwater Police Department
Top 19 Accomplishments
Fiscal Year 1999 - 2000

Released June 16, 2000

1. The department received the 1999 Community Policing Award from the International Association of Chiefs of Police for cities internationally of a population of 50,000 to 100,000.
2. In partnership with the Community Service Foundation, the department acquired grant funding resulting in the construction of the South Greenwood Neighborhood Police Substation and Foundation Village Neighborhood Family Center located at Woodlawn Street and South Greenwood Avenue.
3. Utilizing grant funding, the department's North Greenwood substation was expanded to accommodate a permanent location for the Weed and Seed Computer Learning Lab and Job Skills Center.
4. The Countryside substation's remodeling and expansion project was completed.
5. The department transitioned to a collegiate type in-service training schedule for police officers establishing better utilization of staff and resources.
6. The department secured a total of $3,514,238 in grant funds by leveraging a total of $883,461 in matching funds.
7. The department implemented its "Hispanic Initiative" involving the development of community partnerships with various agencies to address the needs of the Hispanic community.
8. The department implemented a "Traffic Initiative" resulting in intensified traffic enforcement to respond to the request of neighborhoods and in areas with high accident rates.
9. The department's Crime Analysis and Geographic Information System programs became fully operational providing detailed and current information on crime patterns and trends in the city within the police department and to the public.
10. The department implemented its "Burglary Initiative", providing training to Patrol supervisors and officers and coordinating efforts department-wide to focus on the burglary problem within the city, which has consistently been in the top three concerns on our citizen surveys.
11. The Victim of Crimes Act (VOCA) grant was implemented adding a second Victim Advocate to assist victims of crime in the city and using volunteers to provide additional support.
12. Undercover officers have participated in an ongoing federal Weed and Seed task force, resulting in approximately two dozen federal indictments of significant dealers and identifying approximately two dozen more for continued investigation.
13. Undercover officers provided training and assistance to Patrol in drug and prostitution investigations in the Gateway area, including pressure on problem motels, and Crime Analysis tracked the resulting data.
14. Utilizing federal grant funding, the department implemented an additional team of five (5) new community policing officers for assignment to Clearwater Beach and to assist in additional enforcement efforts in the downtown Gateway area.
15. The department funded the continuation of the Summer Youth Employment program and the 2000 Weed and Seed Challenge program providing employment readiness, job training, and placement services to community use.
16. In conjunction with Pinellas County School's Clearwater Adult Education Center, a computer learning lab program was implemented at the South Greenwood Neighborhood Patrol substation.
17. The department created and expanded the Sand Key Volunteer Patrol and developed the concept for a multi-functional comprehensive volunteer program.
18. The department signed a Courtney Campbell lease agreement with the Department of Transportation that resulted in a beach area controlled by the city, the installation of swim buoys creating a safer swimming area, installation of gates allowing for beach closure between 2300 hours and dusk, a city ordinance prohibiting alcohol on the beach, and aggressive police patrols resulting in a safer and more family-oriented area.
19. The department, partnering with the Clearwater Housing Authority, received the Jasmine Courts Partnership Grant which provided one additional officer for Homer Villas/Jasmine Courts.