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Dear friends,
Today, I stood with Commissioner Samuel B. Ings, Commissioner Robert F. Stuart, Police Chief Michael McCoy, and community leaders to reaffirm our City’s continued commitment to the safety of all our residents, to remind criminals that our police presence will be felt, to engage every resident to protect their neighborhood, to ensure our children are safe, to break the culture of silence in the community for criminal activity, and most importantly, to deliver the message loud and clear, that this administration, this City Council and this community will not tolerate an increase in crime.
That is why we launched an Illegal Gun Bounty Program through Central Florida Crimeline. We learned about this best practice from the Jacksonville Sheriff at the Florida Urban Partnership Safe City Summit I organized late last year.
Here’s how the Illegal Gun Bounty Program works. A one thousand dollar reward is just a phone call away. Citizens can call Crimeline anonymously at 800-423-TIPS. Information that leads to an arrest, a gun recovery and a weapons charge will result in a cash reward. Initial funding of the gun bounty program is made available through the law enforcement trust fund – which is forfeiture dollars and monies seized from drug dealers and those involved in criminal activities.
Last year, OPD had more than a 70 percent solve rate with our homicides – compared to a 54 percent national average, and Chief McCoy will tell you those cases were solved and criminals locked up behind bars because witnesses provided critical information and details.
We’re dedicating every available resource to ensure the safety of our citizens, but this issue cannot solely rest on the shoulders of the fine men and women of our police department. We need citizens to get engaged, provide crime-related information and stand up for our community. By utilizing Crimeline, residents can stay anonymous and keep their neighborhoods safe.
We’re aware there isn’t a single answer to address the increased level of criminal activity, however we will take every opportunity to empower and engage our public safety personnel as well as the citizens of Orlando to reverse this troubling trend.
Even if the Illegal Gun Bounty Program only saves one life … than this program will be declared a victory. It's only if we can break this culture of silence and take action as a community that we will make positive progress.
I encourage all of our residents to “See it. Stop it. Say it.” through Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS.
Sincerely,
Buddy Dyer
Mayor
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Mayor's Message
Join Mayor Buddy Dyer at the first annual Blues-B-Q, a celebration of blues music and barbecue at City Hall Plaza, February 17 from 4-9 p.m. Our headliner for this event will be famous blues legend Buddy Guy. Buddy Guy is a five-time Grammy award winner and a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee. He also owns the world famous blues club, Legends, in Chicago. The Blues-B-Q will also feature local blues artist Sam Rivers from Apopka and Blues Image’s Mike Pinera. In addition, we will have several types of BBQ for purchase and sampling. Mark your calendars now so you don't miss this free event. This free event was made possible by our sponsors: the Downtown Development Board, the Orlando Utilities Commission, All Florida Mortgage Centers, 96.5 WHTQ, Star 94.5, Miller Lite, Monarch, WDBO, and the City of Orlando.
