By Tom Flanigan
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wfsu/local-wfsu-886761.mp3
Tallahassee, FL – Tallahassee Police Chief Dennis Jones and his command staff met with neighborhood leaders for breakfast at the Lafayette Community Center Saturday morning. The twice yearly meetings have become an important communication tool between citizens and police.
There were updates by top officers on crime trends in the city.
"They're looking for laptops, jewelry They're in and out very quickly."
Chief Jones told citizens some good news. Local crime is down overall around seven percent compared to last year. That's not true for all crime, though. He says property crimes like burglaries are up, and not all of the suspects are hometown criminals.
"(I'm) not saying that we don't have local criminals, but a lot of them are coming from South Florida, from Central Florida, from Georgia, from Alabama, and they're looking for those easy targets. You know, people in Tallahassee still don't lock their doors."
The chief says gun violence is a growing problem, especially involving young people. He says alert, concerned neighbors who aren't afraid to call the cops are the first line of defense against crime.