Post by Chuck McCue on Nov 1, 2022 11:45:51 GMT -5
"All,
Our calls for service were slightly higher in October than in September. We made it through Labor Day weekend and Halloween/Florida-Georgia weekends with no major problems.
We currently have four officer vacancies with three new officers starting in mid-November. We have one viable candidate for the last sworn vacancy, and hopefully we will be fully staffed again by the end of November. Of course, those four recruits and one officer currently in training need to successfully complete their field training program and transition to solo status. Counting these five officers and one officer on extended light duty, we are currently six officers short on the street. Hopefully after the first of the year, we will be able to reconstitute the much needed traffic unit. Once again we will be fully staffed, and over the last 3 ½ years we certainly have been the exception with staffing levels. This has been a struggle to maintain, and we will continue to develop innovative ways to attract and retain the best officers.
In reference to non-sworn vacancies, we have finally seen progress. The purchasing administrative assistant position, which was vacant for two years, was finally filled as was our second animal control position. The Records section should be fully staffed by the end of November also. We did lose a dispatcher to another agency, but another dispatcher who previously resigned for family reasons recently returned to work for us. We are still three despatchers short, and another dispatcher will retire in January of 2023. The prospects to fill these positions look bleak at this time as there is a national shortage of applicants for this career field. Our recruiter, Detective Ikram, has been doing a fantastic job!
We debuted our recruiting video this month to rave reviews (see website and/or Facebook). We took a different approach with this video because we felt new officers and lateral-transfer officers are seeking to be supported by all levels of the city government; we felt they were also looking for a positive corporate culture. Both of which we have; therefore, we highlighted both points in the video. Additionally, we feel our pay is competitive, therefore we have the clear advantage over many other agencies in the two previously mentioned categories.
The CPAAA volunteer appreciation banquet was held in October (see photos on Facebook). Volunteers and officers were in attendance, and the food prepared by Sergeant Shackelford was fantastic!
We received all marked vehicles from this year’s “catch up” order. We will stage all of these vehicles together in Latham Plaza in December for a photograph for Police Department and City use.
Paid parking for this year ended on Sunday, October 30, at midnight. SP Plus was selected from the RFP again, and the information will be headed to City Council soon for their final approval to begin again next spring under a new contract.
Both Police K-9s were recertified in the trials by FDLE again this year.
The Police Department held the annual children’s Halloween party (see photos on Facebook). As usual, the event was packed and was well received thanks to our wonderful volunteers and Sergeant Tator.
Jacksonville Fire Rescue, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and our department conducted drone training this month at the golf course (see photos on Facebook). We have been developing a UAS drone program, and we will be recommending to City Council the purchase of two drones for our use. The funds will be drawn from federal drug seizure money. Although this technology is not new to law enforcement, we took our time researching different UAS drones on the market, their capabilities, their costs, their physical limitations, and the required certifications for drone operations. We also researched legal limitations, model policies, and testing requirements for the pilots. The police department created an approved policy for the drone program, and we have several licensed UAS drone pilots. We have been deploying a donated, inexpensive drone in certain circumstances for the past three months with good results. This allowed us to gain hands-on experience to further refine the UAS drone program’s parameters. This hands-on experience allowed us to also identify situations where this technology could be used.
Public relations functions
SWAT situations
Missing children calls
Missing adult/elderly calls
Pre- and post-hurricane photography
Large special events
Demonstrations
Crime scene photography/video and mapping
Traffic crash photography/video and mapping
Fleeing suspect on foot
I hope each of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Gene Paul N. Smith
Chief of Police
Jacksonville Beach Police Department
904-247-6343"