Last year, Tallahassee was the crime capital of Florida. But this year's crime stats are dropping and more positive connections between police and community are getting much of the credit.
Saturday (8/20) saw a Solidarity Weekend event between cops and community at Bethel Missionary Baptist Church's Family Life Center. There was bar-b-que, basketball and good news on the local crime front. Tallahassee Police Chief Mike DeLeo saying violent crime for the first 7 months of this year down almost 20 percent versus a year ago. He credited more cooperation between law enforcement agencies and better relations with the communities they serve.
"We all have to reach out, work together and listen to each other," he said during the event, which was also attended by members of his TPD command staff and some members of the Leon County Sheriff's Office. "If we all operate in our own little worlds, we're not going to accomplish anything."
Many officers also were among the Bethel congregation during Sunday's Solidarity Weekend service.
