For just over two weeks, the Gainesville Police Department has increased patrols in an area of the city that has been plagued by recent violent crimes.
Police Chief Jay Parrish, who took his oath of office at the end of January, said by most accounts the effort on Park Hill Drive has been successful. He said the decision to place the extra patrols in the area followed the murder of Gainesville businessman Jack Hough on Feb. 7, but there were other factors involved in the decision.
"Obviously we had the homicide, we had the armed robbery of a convenience store that was very hostile in nature [but] we also looked back into the fall of last year where there was another homicide there in Glen Cove apartments and a random shooting in one of the apartment complexes, so we knew we had to direct several resources into that area," Parrish said.
The increased patrols began on Feb. 15 in what Parrish described as a "triangle" encompassing the Park Hill Drive corridor.
"[The area extended from] Ronnie Green Parkway all the way down to Limestone Parkway, and because of the shooting at the Huddle House [on Jan. 23], we incorporated all the way back around to Textile Way," Parrish said.
The results of the effort: 274 citations and 36 arrests.
According to Parrish, the violations ranged from drug offenses to hands free cell phone violations and other traffic offenses.
"The objective here is to make the criminal feel insecure - not want to be in that area - as well as provide the business owners with a safe place to operate their business and the residents could feel safe going outside," Parrish said.
Parrish said he has heard mixed response to the effort in the community. Many people told officers they were thankful to see them in the area; others have questioned their motives.
Among those unsure of the police department's methods is the Newtown Florist Club, a longtime community activist group. Parrish said he and other Gainesville Police Department officials will meet with the community served by the group on Monday, March 4 at 6 p.m. at Bethel AME Church on Mill Street.
"It's a great opportunity for me as a new chief to have community conversations with the members of that club and those that support that club, so I'm looking forward to hearing what their concerns are," Parrish said. "I know some are not favorable, but we won't make any growth in community policing without this communication channel."
Parrish pointed out that he wants to work with communities all over the city to make Gainesville a safer place to live.
"We have to have the citizens' help," Parrish said. "If something doesn't look right, looks out of place, please let us know and let us investigate it before it gets worse - or if it's nothing, then you did your civic duty."
To listen to Chief Parrish's entire interview with AccessWDUN's B.J. Williams, click on the audio player to the left of this story.
