FORT pIERCE POLICE DEPARTMENT

Like many agencies, the Fort Pierce Police Department struggles with maintaining adequate resources to keep up with the increased demands and challenges that it faces. In 2007, property tax reform significantly reduced the city’s revenue and forced a 5% reduction in the police department’s staffing.With additional tax reform action looming, the police department realized the need to leverage alternate funding sources in order to meet its mission.

Over fifteen years ago, the City of Fort Pierce implemented a community redevelopment agency that has grown to earn over $8 million dollars annually. In previous years, this funding was allocated exclusively for “bricks and mortar” redevelopment projects. However, the police department recognized this as a potential source of funding for enhanced policing services and prepared a comprehensive proposal for presentation to the redevelopment agency board.

As part of this proposal, the department conducted an extensive analysis of crime and census data to show that crime is plaguing the area and preventing successful redevelopment. The analysis showed that although the redevelopment area makes up less than half of the city’s population and land mass, it accounts for 66% of the Uniform Crime Report (UCR) Part I violent crime. In 2006, the area accounted for 75% of the city’s murders, 74% of robberies, and 63% of aggravated assaults. The study showed that violent crime rates in the area are 1.4 times higher than Fort Pierce as a whole, 4.8 times higher than St. Lucie County, 3.8 times higher than Florida, and 5.7 times higher than the United States. Furthermore, it identified specific neighborhoods in the redevelopment agency area that are suffering even higher crime rates. In one neighborhood the violent crime rate is 2.4 times higher than Fort Pierce as a whole, 8.2 times higher than St. Lucie County, 6.6 times higher than Florida, and 9.9 times higher than the United States. The proposal also presented a plan to attack these crime problems using the principles of community policing. The report reviews the concept of community policing, provides examples of how it is already being applied successfully in Fort Pierce, and lays out a plan for expanding this success within the redevelopment area. This innovative community policing program establishes three goals: 1.) crime control, 2.) improving police and community relationships, and 3.) forging community problem solving collaborations. The plan also includes numerous objectives that establish “deliverables” for the community. It incorporates a very strong emphasis on providing prevention services to children that are falling victim to gang activity within the redevelopment agency area.

This proposal resulted in an award of $5.6 million dollars over the next five years to fund salary and equipment expenses for 14 new sworn officers and a crime analyst. The police department is currently hiring this additional staffing and implementing the plan.

The police department’s proposal provides an analysis schema, project plan, and review of applicable law governing redevelopment agency funding. This proposal may serve as a helpful template to other agencies looking to leverage similar funding sources in their own communities. The proposal is posted on the department’s web site at www.fppd.org.

For more information please contact Chris Bender at  cbender@fppd.org.