It appears the City of Tallahassee’s lack of attention to public safety over the last nine years has not been limited to funding for more police officers.
During a recent City budget workshop, City Manager Anita Favors Thompson took time to tell City Commissioners that the City’s Police Department building, located on Seventh Avenue, is in bad condition.
The City Manager, commenting on infrastructure challenges facing the city, said “our facility at the police department is not a happy event to even start that discussion, we have a whole bottom floor that is totally unusable because of water intrusion.”
Hear the Manager’s comments by clicking on the video below.
This information coupled with the recent number one crime rate ranking of Leon County in the state of Florida raises serious questions about the City’s commitment to public safety in recent years.
The current building is a converted elementary school and sources tell TR that the conditions are “embarrassing”. “It hurts morale and our retention and recruiting efforts,” said one officer.
Law enforcement sources say that the spending on Cascades Park, Gaines Street, and smart meters over the last 6-8 years clearly shows the City’s priorities were not focused on public safety and now the community is paying the price.
The discussion about the infrastructure challenges facing the City and the budget deficit projected for the up coming year led to a discussion about a potential property tax increase.
City Manager Describes Poor Conditions at Tallahassee Police Department added by Staff on
View all posts by Staff →
Who in their right mind, having seen the articles regarding the CDA, would still push the consolidation issue? The effort to combine one portion of one aspect of the two governments has been, and continues to be, an absolute albatross.
The most responsible business in the world is the sole proprietorship. Every adaptation beyond that creates more room for corruption and blame avoidance.
75 delegates (seventy-five) just came home after creating a huge illusion to take a title of “All American City.” That should tell us all very much about what this commission and manager are all about – illusions.
And you wonder why people leave for other opportunities.
Isn’t it amazing she brings this to the fore front as she is about to retire. This building has been in a shambles for years.
It is past time the public received an answer to a question posed by one of our long standing County Commissioners several months ago. What are the necessary steps the public must take to place on the next November General Election Ballot the following for an up or down Vote? Question: TO CONSOLIDATE THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE CITY OF TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA AND LEON COUNTY, FLORIDA INTO ONE CONSOLIDATED CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT, as mandated by the laws of the State of Florida.
The question HAS been answered multiple times via public referendums and the majority does not wish to consolidate. The late sheriff had made multiple attempts to make this happen, and each time it has been defeated by a public that knows it is the guppy trying to swallow the whale.
It has been said many of the times the vote was turned down was because of the “power” issue by those currently in those offices at the time. Times have now changed and the need is never more necessary than today to consolidate. An elected sheriff over one police body is needed. No pandering to commissioner, only being responsible to the people every four years.
Long overdue. City corruption is out of control. Time to consolidate the city and county into one and stop all this waste.
It is sad that we find ourselves listening to the City Manager tell the City (suddenly it appears) how run down the condition of the Police facilities currently are. This happens over a period of time, thus it has been ALLOWED to happen. I remember a time when City Managers of the past never let this happen (ie: Dan Klemen). What exactly qualifies someone to assume such a position, and is there a way to hold the City Manager to the fire for not managing properly or being the voice (publicly if needed) to ensure this is not allowed to happen?
All it takes is three votes and she’s gone! Call your City Commissioners today.
Do not forget the $500,000 Deferred Compensation the City Commissioners paid themselves illegally and refused to pay it back. The Honeywell contract.
The new office space they built themselves in Frenchtown.
The new car leases, hiring private detectives etc. It goes on forever. John Mark’s law Partner hired to do the new fence at the Airport.
And Bob Gabourie at the Democrat kept screaming how great they are. What a joke.
It’s not “Gabourie,” Hope.
It’s GABORDICK.
Please spell it correctly. 😉
They should rescind the deal with the Doubletree today! By the time the city pays them back with 5% interest, it will be almost $1M. Just think how much that money would help!
So glad I am outside of the city limits and outside the reach of the city’s cash cow – city utilities.
This is not even close to being new. Many many years ago, there was a story about the forensics unit having to renovate their own space in order to have an adequate area to do their work!
But as others have mentioned, this is likely more out of a desire to build a new facility at a different location.
And as even others have said, since money has been thrown at every project other than this, I am sure a tax increase or police service fee is in the near future for city residents.
Wow!!! The City Manager should step down now. She should be followed by the entire city commission. They have spent our money very frivolously and now they will raise our taxes to take care of the things that should have been at the top of the list from the start.
Don’t forget the $7.2 million for the sidewalk in the sky, and millions spent on such CRA ventures such as the Doubletree Hotel, the Marriot Hotel, the Seminole Boosters, and the Ron Sachs office building.
The primary role of government is to keep citizens safe. Clearly our City Manager and Commission have chosen to recommend and fund projects which they feel are more important than citizen safety. Funding to maintain law enforcement infrastucture is critical to citizen safety. Why was this building allowed to deteriorate to this level? Obviously this did not happen overnight.
And so begins the City’s development of the property on Miccosoukee.