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GOP Hits Gillum Over Hurricane Response As Michael Gains Strength

October 8th, 2018 by Jake Stofan
Gubernatorial Candidate Andrew Gillum cancelled his campaign events in South Florida, Monday and is back home preparing for Hurricane Michael.
He has been criticized by the GOP for not getting power on quickly enough after Hurricane Hermine, so now Gillum has the chance to prove the criticism wrong or right.
Democratic Nominee Andrew was highly visible, checking in at the local Emergency Operations Center and touring a new electrical substation being fired up for the first time.  t
“And should there be any disruption in the system, it will be in place to activate immediately so that we don’t have disruption, particularly amongst our highest critical need area, the hospital,” said Gillum.
Following Hermine In 2016, Gillum sparred with Govenor Rick Scott  as power restoration lagged
“So, whatever we’re doing, we’ve got to do something different,” said the Governor in 2016.
“We’ll cooperate in am manner in which we are respectful to the roles each of us has to play,” said Gillum Monday.
The Republican Party of Florida has been running two spots critical of how Gillum handed that power outage.
The timing of the two ads couldn’t be better.
Now Andrew Gillum has the chance to prove them wrong or right.
And the Mayor is asking for help more more publicly than he did two years ago.
We’ve requested some 600 assets. That is a tripling of the assets we had available in the aftermath of Hermine,” said Gillum.
This time around, Gillum says he and Governor Scott have talked about the city’s needs more than once.
The Mayor is telling people dependent on electricity to consider riding out the storm somewhere else.

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Tallahassee Prepares for Hurricane Michael

October 8th, 2018 by Jake Stofan
The number of counties under a state of emergency has grown to 35.
Emergency preparations are underway across the Florida Panhandle as now hurricane Michael barrels towards North Florida.
Less than 24 hours after Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in 26 Florida counties, residents of the state’s capital were already filling sand bags.
“In July when I was out of state my garage flooded for the first time, the house is 26 years old,” said Tallahassee resident Gwen Spivey.
Mayor Andrew Gillum urged residents to flee if they’re not prepared to deal with expected power outages.
In 201 Hurricane Hermine, a category one storm knocked out power for a week or more in the city.
“If you are electricity dependent, we would encourage you to make some decisions around, where you want to ride out this storm,” said Gillum.
Lines at gas stations remained long throughout the day as many residents seemed to agree that getting out of town might be the best move.
“Probably the safest place for me is Jacksonville. Not Mobile because it might even go that way,” said Tallahassee resident Searcey Bush.
Schools are closed through at least Thursday.
FSU and FAMU announced they will be canceling classes for the rest of the week, meaning many students will likely be taking to the roads to escape the storms path.
“I think all of my friends are either trying to go home or go north,” said FSU student Mackenzie Brennan.
“I’m thinking about either going to Atlanta or Jacksonville. I’m not sure which one yet,” said another student, Justin Lindholm.
For residents in nursing homes, the Florida Healthcare Association says the tragic deaths following Irma won’t be repeated.
“Every single nursing home in the state of Florida has a plan in place,” said FHA Executive Director, J. Emmett Reed.
Reed says nursing home residents or families of residents can keep updated on storm plans by going to their facility’s website.
Michael would be the third storm to hit the Capital in three years… following a 30 year hurricane free run.

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Victims Coming Forward in Florida’s Catholic Church Investigation

October 5th, 2018 by Jake Stofan
Victims are already coming forward just 24 hours after Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the state’s investigation into sexual abuse of children by the catholic church.
A Pennsylvania grand jury report released in August identified 301 Catholic priests, including at least 14 with ties to Florida, who sexually abused what is believed to be more than 1,000 children spanning decades.
“I couldn’t sleep that night,” said Bondi in a press conference, Thursday.
Now, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi says the state is investigating Florida’s seven diocese.
“We have reason to believe there are similar stories in Florida,” said Bondi.
More than 15 victims had come forward before the investigation was announced.
The state says more have come forward since, but aren’t releasing specific numbers.
“We cannot comment on the specifics of our ongoing criminal investigation, but I am pleased with the response from the public so far, and the growing number of reports from victims,” Bondi said in a statement. “Based on these confidential reports, I believe the tip site is providing us the information we need to conduct a successful investigation and protect children.”
“I’m not surprised,” said Jennifer Dritt, Executive Director of the Florida Council Against Sexual Violence. “There are a lot of people who have had to be quiet for a really long time or who’ve told people and have been dismissed. So I wouldn’t be surprised is they’re flooded with reports.”
Michael Sheedy with the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops says all seven diocese in the state are cooperating with the investigation.
He also noted that the church had adopted policies and procedures to deal with reported sexual abuse back in 2002.
“It includes background screenings for all clergy, all employees and all volunteers,” said Sheedy.
In August, one priest who used to serve at Blessed Sacrament Parish which is just over a mile from the state capitol, was removed after allegations of inappropriate contact with an underage girl dating back to 2004.
The Attorney General’s current investigation isn’t limited to just the Catholic Church.
Any victims of past child abuse are encouraged to come forward.
To report a tip go to MyFloridaLegal.com.
The Attorney General says the current investigation is limited to past cases of abuse.
Any recent or ongoing abuse should be reported to the police and the Department of Children and Families.

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Red Tide Threatens Apalachicola Bay Oyster Industry

October 4th, 2018 by Mike Vasilinda
Red Tide has been moving east in the Florida Panhandle, It is now in Mexico Beach, just east of Panama City.
It is beginning to threaten the Gulf Coast oyster industry and fisheries.
At My Way Seafood in Panacea, the fish is always fresh, the selection large but now customers are asking if red tide is a problem.
“And as long as the fish are caught alive, they are not harmed. Shrimp and Crabs red tide does not bother,’ said Debbie Long with My Way Seafood.
Concern is about the heath of seafood is spreading, just as red tide is moving closer to what used to be the oyster capital of Florida, Apalachicola Bay.
Right now the wind is blowing east to west, and that’s what’s keeping the red tide out of this bay.
The few remaining oystermen here are limited to two bags a day.
That’s $120 before gas and supplies.
Red Tide is on their mind.
“Once red tide moves into our bay, they’ll shut our bay down for harvesting, but it won’t kill the oysters,” said Shannon Hartsfield with the Franklin County Seafood Workers Association. “But the oysters won’t be fit for consumers.”
There were just nine oyster boats on the water, down from more than 200 when this area produced 10% of the nations oysters.
Now Red tide threatens to take away what little livelihood these oystermen have left.
“Gonna be out of work, nothing to fall back on,” said Oysterman Steven Tucker.
Red tide isn’t new to the bay.
A dozen or so years ago, oystering was shut down for five months.
It’s never really recovered since.
In addition to facing a threat from Red Tide, the bay continues to see salinity levels rising as a result of low water flow from the north.
As the salt content rises, predators feed on the oyster beds, diminishing the harvest.

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Business Honored for Commitment to Hire Those With Disabilities

October 4th, 2018 by Jake Stofan
October is National Disability Employment Awareness month and Florida businesses that have shown strong commitments to hiring people with disabilities were honored Thursday morning in the state’s capital.
Florida’s economy is booming.
“Private sector businesses including many of those that are here today have created over 1.6 million new jobs,” said Executive Director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, Cissy Proctor.
A stronger economy means more opportunities for all Floridians, including those with disabilities.
“I know it’s important for grownups to work and earn money. I am grateful to have this job,” said Connor Yeatts, who works at Cayer Behavioral Group, despite suffering from Williams Syndrome.
This year, 12 Florida businesses were awarded Exceptional Employer Awards by the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, Blind Services and Vocational Rehabilitation  for their outstanding efforts and commitment to providing employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
“Getting people employed and getting them self sufficient is one of the best things we can do,” said Barbara Palmer, Director of the Florida Agency for Persons With Disabilities.
A common theme shared among the award winners: Employers of those with special needs benefit just as much as the employees.
Award winner Kiersten Lee runs Paisley Cafe in Tallahassee.
She says after hiring Kevin Graham who has autism, it changed her life forever, inspiring her, with the help of Kevin, to create the Autism Cooks Foundation.
“It’s been amazing. It helps people to cook. It helps them to find jobs like me,” said Graham.
It’s an example of how creating an opportunity for one, can lead to many more.
“Kevin is able to be an example and a leader in the community for disabilities in the workplace,” said Lee.
Those honored at the ceremony say more than anything, they hope the example they set will inspire other businesses to hire persons with disabilities as well.
If you own a business and want to find out more about hiring people with disabilities click this link.

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A Deadly Mix of Amendments?

October 3rd, 2018 by Mike Vasilinda
Florida voters are faced with choices to give themselves bigger property tax breaks while at the same time making it harder for the state to raise taxes, but the League of Women Voters and others say the combination could be deadly for the state’s finances.
Amendment 5 would require a 2/3 vote from future state lawmakers to raise any tax or fee.
Governor Rick Scott, who counts 80+ tax cuts under his tenure, asked for the tax limitation during his last State of the State address.
“It will force leaders to contemplate living within their means, rather than taking the easy way out and just sticking it to the public,” said Scott.
The League of Women Voters argues that there is no reason to tie the hands of future leaders.
“Today, Flordia spends less than 48 other states on our educational system. This would just make that worse,” said Teri Cleeland with the League.
Supporting the amendment, the Florida Chamber says cutting taxes has created jobs.
“And, it’s had great outcomes, right? We’ve had a state that’s created one point five million private sector jobs because we’ve produced one of the best tax climates in the country,” said David Hart with the Chamber of Commerce.
While Amendment 5 makes it harder to raise taxes in the future, Amendment 1 gives homeowners a bigger tax break.
Karen Woodall with the Florida Center for Fiscal and Economic Policy says passing both would be a ‘double whammy’.
“You restrict local governments from their ability to fund  things that are libraries, parks, local issues, and then you are going to make it harder to get the legislature to fill in those gaps,” said Woodall.
Florida’s constitution already prohibits a state income tax, and raising the Corporate Income Tax requires a 3/5 vote, so tax limitations aren’t new to the Constitution.
Governor Rick Scott says his tax cuts amount to more than $7.5 billion.
Advocates say most of those cuts went to the wealthy, not everyday Floridians.

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Democrats Requesting More Mail-In-Ballots than Republicans

October 3rd, 2018 by Jake Stofan
For the first time since Florida became a two party state, more Democrats than Republicans are asking to cast their ballot through the postal service.
The general election is officially underway, with 2.5 million mail-in-ballots shipping out to voters through the state.
“It’s a very long ballot. We don’t want to see lines like have been seen in the past,” said Leon County Elections Supervisor Mark Earley. “So that’s why we’re encouraging people to vote ahead of time.”
Historically, Republicans have requested more mail in ballots than Democrats, outnumbering them by 128,000 in 2014 and 60,000 in 2016, but this year there’s been a shift.
“My party has done a pretty good job of telling folks it’s safe to vote. People have gotten comfortable with the idea,” said Democratic strategist, Steve Schale.
24,000 more Democrats have asked for a vote by mail ballot than Republicans.
“It’s great to see my party with a lead in the absentee requests, but it doesn’t really mean much unless people return their ballots,” said Schale.
The increase could be an indication of a high Democratic voter turnout in November, but Republicans say it may just be a voter shift.
“It’s an exchange of when they vote. They’re voting early and when you talk about vote by mail requests, you’re not also talking about turnout either,” said Evan Power, Assistant Treasurer for the Republican Party of Florida.
While Democrats may have requested more ballots, Republicans are traditionally  better at casting and returning them.
“So in 2014 and in 2016, Democrats left 70,000 more ballots on their kitchen table than Republicans,” said Schale. “That in a race like this could be the margin of winning or losing.”
Republicans say their vote-by-Mail numbers haven’t been growing as much as Democrat’s in recent years, simply because many of their voters prefer to show up at polls on Election Day.
Military and overseas ballots went out ten days ago.
As of 10 Am Wednesday morning, the Secretary of State reported 2,030 ballots had been cast by Republicans and only 1,324 for Democrats.

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Judicial Resignations Scrutinized

October 2nd, 2018 by Mike Vasilinda
Can circuit judges ensure that their successors are appointed instead of elected?
That’s was the question before the Florida Supreme Court Tuesday.
At least some members of the court aren’t happy over how some judges are gaming the system.
In May, Attorney David Trotti filed the paperwork and paid a $5,200 fee to run for what he thought was a vacant circuit judgeship in the Jacksonville area.
“Went, filed my paperwork. They accepted it. They Qualified me. Listed me as qualified candidate, then they removed me subsequently,” said Trotti.
Unknown to Trotti and the Secretary of State, who accepted the paperwork, the current judge, Robert Foster, had resigned, saying he would leave office three days early.
Now the Supreme Court must decide if the Governor or voters fill the vacancy.
“The trial judge says this was an artificial vacancy. I think that’s a good way to put it,” said Trotti’s attorney, Phil Padovano.
Previous rulings have held when a judgeship becomes vacant before the end of the term, the Governor appoints, but Justices recognized this case was different.
“My problem is with the charade that’s being played,” said Justice Fred Lewis. “He’s not really resigning. To me it’s an affront to the people of Florida.”
One option for the court is to decide a three-day resignation is playing politics, violating judicial ethics.
Afterward, Trotti’s lawyer called the judges actions a travesty.
“To have judges acting like little kings and queens, deciding how, you know, the successors are going to be picked. I don’t think that’s appropriate,” said Padovano.
If the court were to rule in David Trotti’s favor, voters still wouldn’t get a say.
Trotti was the only one Who qualified, making him the winner if there is an election.
The Lawyer for Governor Rick Scott urged the jurists to allow the Governor to make the appointment, arguing previous rulings from the court sided with the Governor.

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Women’s Advocates Ask Rubio to Vote Against Kavanaugh Confirmation

October 2nd, 2018 by Jake Stofan
Women’s advocacy groups were in the State’s Capitol Tuesday morning, asking Senator Marco Rubio to vote against Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The National Organization for Women and the Progressive Council of North Florida delivered a letter to Senator Marco Rubio’s office, urging the Senator to consider the findings of a pending FBI investigation into the sexual assault allegations facing Judge Brett Kavanaugh.
“We want Senator Rubio to open his mind… and to trust women,” said Barbara DeVane with the National Organization for Women.
“He [Rubio] says that without any corroborating evidence that it’s hard for the Senator to vote against him [Kavanaugh],” said Senator Rubio’s Capital Area Regional Director Lance Watson.
Rubio’s vote is important because Republicans outnumber Democrats 51 to 49 in the US senate.
“It’s time to put party affiliation aside and stand for the people of this country,” said Dot Inman-Johnson with the Progressive Leadership Council of North Florida.
The groups say Kavanaugh’s demeanor during the Senate hearings make him unfit for the Supreme Court.
“He is not temperamentally qualified,” said Johnson.
Whether the sexual assault claims brought by Kavanaugh’s accusers ultimately stop his confirmation, groups that help victims of sexual assault say the public discussion has given a voice to the voiceless.
Meg Baldwin is the Executive Director of the Refuge House.
She says the crisis center’s sexual assault hotline has received more calls this September than in previous years, a trend that’s been seen nationally as well.
“Although this can be a very painful moment for survivors, we know too that any time a survivor reaches out for help, that help can really change the course of the next years and decades of her life,” said Baldwin.
Democratic U.S. Senator Bill Nelson says he’ll be voting against Kavanaugh’s confirmation.
If you are a victim of sexual assault and are seeking help, you can call the Florida Council against Sexual Violence at 850-297-2000 to be connected with your local crisis center.

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Advertising Constitutional Amendments Cost Taxpayers $1 Million

October 1st, 2018 by Mike Vasilinda
As voters prepare to weigh in on a dozen constitutional amendments, taxpayers here in Florida spent $1 million advertising the ballot language.
The state had little choice in spending the money.
From one end of Florida to the other, virtually every newspaper of record got a piece of a $1 million ad buy from the state.
The ads detail all 12 constitutional amendments on the November ballot.
“Well there’s a real issue whether people have ever read those right,” said FSU Political Scientist, Dr. Carol Weissert.
The 12 amendments were so long that it took two pages to print everything in English, and another two full pages in Spanish.
“It made a lot more sense when news papers were read more frequently, but it makes sense these days to save that money and do something online to make it available,” said Weissert.
Newspapers nearly lost the legal ad business in 2011.
Lawmakers wanted it all on a government web site, but newspapers fought back.
“It’s the most central repository of information really that we have in a community. Having that third party make sure that the information is published correctly I think provides a level of assurance that the public finds important,” said Dean Ridings, President of the Florida Press Association.
Unlike regular legal ads for local governments, the constitution itself requires the amendment’s wording be printed in the papers.
Changing the printing requirement would require lawmakers to put an amendment on the ballot, but few lawmakers want to anger their hometown paper.
The million dollars spent by the state is small potatoes in an 89 billion dollar budget, but as lawmakers like to say, pretty soon it starts to add up to real money.
In 2012, lawmakers did require newspapers publishing legal notices to also post the notices on their website at no additional charge.

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Florida Pig Rescue Out of Hand, In Need of Help

October 1st, 2018 by Jake Stofan
Animal advocacy groups are responding to an out of control herd of pot bellied pigs near the state’s capital.
They say it’s a case of a person with good intentions getting in over their heads.
Christal Ellard works with Avalon Mini Pigs – Animal Allies Florida.
The group was contacted by the owner of the herd to help get the swine under control.
It’s is estimated their numbers have grown to more than 200 pigs.
“We’re just trying to help stabilize everything,” said Ellard.
The owner asked to not be on camera.
“I think that he started off with a very good heart,” said Ellard.
He’d been adopting unwanted pigs in an attempt to rescue them.
Local donations helped offset the cost of feed, but the population has become too much for one person to handle.
“When they start breeding out of control you quickly end up with a lot more pigs than you can manage, considering they can give birth every four months,” said Ellard.
Rescuers each pig needs to be given a clean bill of health and be spayed and neutered before it can be adopted out, they estimate the cost per-pig will be about $400.
Another concern is the fact the pigs have been escaping from their pens, and roaming free through the surrounding woods, which could potentially create a ferrel population.
“I’m not sure how that’s going to be handled,” said Ellard.
Clean up of the situation will likely take weeks.
Shawn and rescuers are asking for veterinarians’ to volunteer to help spay and neuter the animals.
They say they’re currently looking into partnerships with universities both in and out of state to help with the situation.
Advocates say if you want to help you can make donations to Avalon Mini Pigs – Animal Allies Florida.
The owner of the rescue also says anyone looking to adopt the pigs or volunteer can e-mail him at shawn@dinosoil.com.
He says you can also help purchase products and supplies for his rescue by contacting the Madison Farmer’s Co-Op.

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Federal Conservation Fund Set to Expire Sunday

September 28th, 2018 by Jake Stofan
A federal program that has provided billions of dollars for land and water conservation for more than half a century is set to expire on Sunday, but environmental groups in Florida are fighting for Congress to keep the program alive.
The Federal Land and Water Conservation fund was created in 1964.
Funded by taxes on offshore oil drilling, it’s provided billions of dollars for the acquisition and maintenance of environmental lands.
“What better way to use those monies, than to actually protect some of our treasured national areas,” said Executive Director of Florida Conservation Voters, Aliki Moncrief.
But the program is set to expire this Sunday. Environmental groups say if that happens, Florida will in loose a valuable funding source, which has provided more than $1 billion to the state.
“We would see a diminution of funding for a lot of places that people enjoy today,” said Manley Fuller, President of the Florida Wildlife Federation.
In Florida, the economy is tied to the environment.
“We have an almost $60 billion outdoor recreation industry. A lot of that is tied to protecting these special areas,” said Moncrief.
Large parks like the Everglades or Osceola National Forrest receive funds through the program, but the fund also helps purchase land for and maintain local recreational parks throughout the state.
“They brag that the Land and Water Conservation Fund during the course of its lifetime has funded at least one park in every county in the country,” said Executive Director of Audubon Florida Julie Wraithmell.
With the attention of Congress heavily focused on the Supreme Court Confirmation process, it’s likely the fund will not be renewed before the Sunday deadline.
However Congress can reauthorize the program.
Environmental groups hope to see the fund re-enacted after the election in November.
In the meantime, they’re encouraging the public to contact their representatives.

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New Penalties for Animal Abusers Take Effect Monday

September 27th, 2018 by Jake Stofan
A new law taking effect Monday will make it more likely animal abusers do jail time.
It also requires animal shelters get lost pets back to their owners after a disaster.
A police body cam video shot in 2017 showed the public a case of animal abuse that occurred in Daytona Beach.
A young Labrador Retriever named Ponce had been beaten to death.
“And the public outcry about the sentencing, or lack of, was massive,” said Kate MacFall with the Human Society.
The incident drew attention to the state’s relatively weak penalties for animal cruelty and spurred new Legislation to crack down on abusers.
“This shows us a lot about the courage of Floridians and what we’re capable of and how much we care about our pets,” said Jennifer Hobgood, Director of State Legislation for the ASPCA’s Southeastern Region.
The Legislature approved Ponce’s Law in March of 2018.
It raises aggravated animal cruelty from a level three to a level five offense.
“It’s easier and more appropriate at a level five to assign jail time,” said MacFall.
It also clarifies that judges can prohibit convicted abusers from owning or even having contact with animals.
“So if they are found having contact with animals during their probation it would be a violation of their probation,” said Hobgood. “They could go to jail.”
Tagged onto Ponce’s Law is another change, which establishes a set of procedures for animal shelters like this one to follow after a natural disaster to help reunite lost pets with their owners.
“Things like scanning for a microchip in a timely fashion and properly, checking for tags, calling identified owners of lost pets,” said Hobgood.
An educational campaign launches the same day the law goes into effect.
It’s goal is to spread word about Ponce’s Law to prosecutors, judges and law enforcement throughout the state.
The campaign kicks off in Ponce’s home Daytona Beach and is led by Debbie Dario, the Escambia County paralegal who spearheaded Ponce’s Law.

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Charges for Sheriff’s Deputy Accused of Planting Evidence Likely Months Away

September 27th, 2018 by Mike Vasilinda
It could be a month or more before charges are filed in the case of a North Florida Deputy accused of planting drugs on unsuspecting motorists.
In body-cam video released by the Jackson County Sheriff, Deputy Zachery Wester first tells Theresa Odom there was a problem with her brake lights.
Then he said a drug sniffing dog was on the way.
“Instead of doing that would you consent to a search of your vehicle,” Wester asked Odom in the video.
At about five minuets into the stop, Wester is already searching her car, holding what appears to be a baggie with a white substance in his left hand.
“The one that I saw was clear and the one I saw had  some still photos which confirmed what the video showed us,” said Glenn Hess, State Attorney of Florida’s 14th Judicial Circuit.
Presented with the find, Odom proclaims her innocence, as others did as well.
Over 250 cases involving the deputy were reviewed.
This week 49 cases were thrown out, bringing the total to 119.
The Deputy was fired but he has yet to be charged.
Hess says it could be a month or longer before anything happens.
“Until the investigation is completed, we don’t know what charges to file, and we don’t know how many charges to file,” said Hess.
Theresa Odom is free.
She declined to be interviewed for fear of jeopardizing the investigation, but she did allow this picture to be taken and in a lengthy conversation both on and off the record, she told us her tail lights never malfunctioned,
The Department of Law Enforcement, which is investigating this case says last year out of 85,606 law enforcement officers statewide, just 1,154 disciplinary cases were opened.

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Tallahassee Crime Rate Front and Center in Governor’s Race

September 26th, 2018 by Jake Stofan

The state ’s Republican Party doubled down Wednesday on the crime rate in the state capital, where the Democratic gubernatorial nominee is the Mayor.

Tallahassee has had the highest crime rate in Florida four years running.
The GOP is also pointing to this mailer from mayoral candidate Dustin Daniels, who is Gillum’s former chief of staff, suggesting Daniels blames Gillum for crime.
”And it’s just not correct,” said Daniels. ” All I have ever said is I believe that we need to invest in the programs he has put forward because they are shown to be working.”
However, residents of a north side neighborhood just blocks from the Mayors home were hit with at least a dozen car burglaries over the weekend.
Shots were also fired.
“Scared the hell out of me,” said resident Marti Hill.
Police have arrested two juveniles for the weekends crimes.
They seized six guns.
Tallahassee Reports, an alternative conservative newspaper is reporting that the city commission, of which Mayor Andrew Gillum is a member, refused police requests for more officers.
“As you look at the documents, they kept asking for help,” said reporter Steve Stewart. “Kept telling the City Commission we have a problem, and they never responded until it really got to a problem where it was gonna take years to correct.”
The City has since hired about 50 new officers.
Leon County Sheriff, Democrat Walt McNeil, took the GOP to task for it’s criticism, saying “The political fear mongering from his opponent is false, dangerous, and disrespectful to the law enforcement officers on the front lines fighting crime every day”.
McNeill was elected in 2016, blasting the high crime rate at the time.
While police say crime is at its lowest in five years, how the city ranks statewide is unknown.
Statewide crime rates for the first six months of the year are yet to be released.

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