Law enforcement looks to night out, relationships to help solve crime

By St. Clair Murraine
Outlook Staff Writer

One of the tenets of the annual National Night Out is to let criminals know that neighborhoods are siding with law enforcement in the push to prioritize public safety.

Like more than 10,000 communities throughout the country, law enforcement and other public safety agencies in Tallahassee took the crime prevention awareness message to the public last Tuesday. Hundreds of people showed up at Cascades Park during the three-hour event.

Ironically, it came on a day when two shootings occurred and a dead body was discovered in an apartment during a 48-hour period. The incidents culminated one of the deadliest months in July that the city has seen in years.

“It’s disheartening, frustrating, irritating or whatever word you want to put in front of it,” said Maurice Holmes, a deputy chief with Tallahassee Police Department. “We are losing so many lives senselessly. Most of these violent acts usually have a drug nexus to it.”

Attendees who showed up at the park interacted with Holmes and other TPD personnel throughout the evening. They got to do the same with staffers from Tallahassee Fire Department, Leon County Sheriff’s Office and Florida Highway Patrol. Several other service agencies were also set up in the park.

Holmes said the National Night Out event could be impactful in solving crimes because it connects law enforcement officers with civilians.

“It’s an opportunity for them (the community) to get to see us in a human light and get to know us and talk to us one-on-one,” Homes said. “It’s an opportunity to see realness in conversation.

“One of the main things we want to do when we do events like this is build trust. Trust is key in any community because that trust will allow communication to flow freely up and down law enforcement all the way down to the community. When you have that trust, your community members are more apt to talk to you when you have an issue.”

Jimmy Goodman, a captain with the Leon County Sheriff Office, said the relationships that are established on National Night Out could make residents more corporative with law enforcement.

“Three hundred and sixty-four other days we are striving to work with our community,” Goodman said. “The community is us; we live here. We are your coaches, your pastors and we are people who work on your homes. We hold many hats. Anybody who wants to come out and support us is a great way of showing some brotherhood amongst all of our citizens.

“This is an opportunity for us to say ‘we are here to help you not hurt you.’ ”

National Night Out was established in 1984. Its growth has been steady and trackers have shown that the event is beginning to close the gap between law enforcement and communities.

Cassandra D. Jenkins, a retired law enforcement executives, showed up to support the initiative. 

“It’s very significant that the Tallahassee Police Department and the other agencies are coming together to show that law enforcement is a part of the community,” Jenkins said. “They serve and protect the community but they also want to let the community know that we are here; we understand. We are here to do what we can to help you with resources.”

Through the end of July, Tallahassee has seen more than 50 shootings that resulted in 39 injuries and 13 deaths. Those numbers don’t necessarily make Tallahassee an unsafe place, said Mayor John Dailey.

“What you’re seeing is illegal activity that’s going bad,” Dailey said. “Unfortunately Tallahassee is no exception to the rule when it comes to violent crimes that we are seeing across the United States, but I’m very proud our police department (and) first responders and how they handle these dangerous situations.

“It is unfortunate that we have these violent crimes to take place (but) we have a zero tolerance. We are not going to put up with it. We are going to keep waking up every day and working hard to maintain a safe community for the citizens of Tallahassee.”

Chief of Tallahassee Fire Department Chief Eugene Sanders and his staff fielded questions and gave a few demonstrations throughout the evening. The night out was an opportunity to make the public aware that his agency is and integral part of public safety, Sanders said.

“As a member of public safety, a lot of people don’t look at fire. Fire (and) EMS are vital components of public safety,” Sanders said. “They work hand in hand. It’s a multi-tiered system to provide service.

“My hope for tonight is for the fire department to get more engaged with the community.”