Clearwater Police Department
Top 23 Accomplishments
Fiscal Year 2000 - 2001

Released July 27, 2001

1. Created a Hispanic Outreach program, including partnerships with the YWCA, Department of Justice, Pinellas County Schools, the Regional Community Policing Institute (RCPI) and Hispanic community organizations. The program incorporates a Hispanic Outreach Officer, a civilian translator program, bi-lingual victim advocacy services, and the creation of a video documentary to be distributed nationally by the RCPI as a "best practices" exemplary program.
2. Restructured the department's off-duty employment program resulting in a financially self-supporting program and a more efficient assignment, billing and payment process. This project involved the coordination of multiple city departments, the IRS, employee unions, and private businesses and required approval of the City Commission.
3. Partnered with St. Leo University to hold undergraduate college classes at police headquarters.
4. Awarded re-accreditation by the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation.
5. Acquired funding and implemented a weapons upgrade and conversion program.
6. Implemented, in partnership with St. Petersburg Junior College and Microsoft, a grant funded information technology training program for community residents at the North Greenwood substation.
7. Opened the Wood Valley substation, representing our eighth community policing neighborhood substation.
8. Conducted two (2) Citizen Police Academy programs attended by 80 citizens who learned about their police department and the criminal justice system.
9. Implemented a grant funded program through the State Tobacco Enforcement program to add an additional part-time School Resource Officer to each of the city's two high schools.
10. Distributed, in partnership with The Salvation Army, $25,000 worth of toys donated by the Herb Brown family to needy children in the Clearwater area.
11. Instituted a pro-active enforcement effort in the area of reducing accidents and accident-related injuries. Our program resulted in our department being awarded Second Place from the Florida Department of Transportation for Florida police departments with a sworn strength of 150-400 officers.
12. Increased the size of the Sand Key Volunteer Program by 40% (from 10 to 14 volunteers).
13. Increased the size of the Police Department-wide Volunteer Program by 10 volunteers.
14. Instituted a program of increased safety and security patrols of city parks by creating the Volunteer Park Patrol Program.
15. Increased overall seatbelt usage compliance from 66% to 68.9%.
16. Instituted a weekend aggressive patrol of the beach area on the Courtney Campbell Causeway to address disorderly incidents occurring on the beach, issuing 401 alcohol ordinance violations since March 3, 2001.
17. Increased the Jasmine Courts community policing team from 2 officers to 5 officers through a grant to the Clearwater Housing Authority.
18. Increased the Crime Scene Photographer Program by 140% (from 5 officers to 12 officers) to provide greater crime scene photography coverage.
19. Indicted ten (10) individuals, through the federal Weed and Seed task force, from the Clearwater area on federal drug trafficking charges. Four individuals under prior federal indictments pled guilty resulting in an average sentence of 123 months.
20. Participated in an investigation that resulted in the breakup of an international smuggling ring and recovery of 700,000 ecstasy tablets.
21. Implemented a new Automated Vehicle Locator (AVL) System that gives emergency dispatchers the ability to know the exact geographical location of all on-duty patrol officers.
22. Instituted silent dispatch to the field units.
23. Installed GIS to the field units, enabling them to receive crime analysis information on-line.