At the recent city retreat, several citizens spoke aggressively against the proposed location of the public safety complex on the Southside of Tallahassee. However, City Commissioner Curtis Richardson defended the city’s decision to support the location.
Many residents, most from the Southside community, argued against the police station being placed on the Southside.
Cea Moline, a student in Emergency Management at Florida State, said she is “worried that putting it in that area of town…might endanger black and brown people who live in that area…we know that, you know, the police isn’t really accountable in any city in America for what it does to people. Whether it be shootings, killings, or beatings.”
Opponents also argued that the police station would take away from Southside jobs, would drive up property prices, would provide an incentive to police officers to arrest colored people because of it being a “weed and seed zone,” and that the money that could be put towards the proposed complex would be better utilized elsewhere.
Residents cited a city audit that indicated that crime statistics were over reported and complained that this information was not sufficiently explained to the public.
Due to this lack of transparency, these residents said they could not trust the city to build a police station on the Southside.
However, Tallahassee City Commissioner Curtis Richardson, later in the meeting, spoke in favor of the police station being placed on Southside:
“I have lived on the Southside of Tallahassee for 25 years. My wife and I chose to build our home on the Southside of Tallahassee.. I want the public safety complex. The people that I talk to, my neighbors, those who are involved in the neighborhoods movement on Tallahassee want the public safety complex on this side of town…what you heard today, is not characteristic of what I’ve heard in all of my years.”
Richardson stated that the complex would allow for more public meeting space, more community-oriented policing, and would help to develop the Southside by coexisting with other Southside developments that are already taking place.
At the January 30th city commission meeting this Wednesday, officials will vote to authorize city staff to negotiate an architectural and design contract for the public safety complex with the Architects Design Group.
City Commission Hears From Opponents of Public Safety Complex at Retreat added by Hannah Cooperman on
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This city is geographically large enough to have several substations ( smaller neighborhood stations).
They are much more economically feasible.
I am against the COST of it. You are spending 85 to 90% of your Budget buying the Property when you already OWN a nice piece of Property on Paul Russell Road that already has everything you want to have at the new POLICE STATION. And STOP trying to soften what it is, it is NOT a Public Safety Complex, it will be the new POLICE STATION. Ms. Moline, as far as putting the new POLICE STATION in that area, HOW will it endanger black and brown people who live in that area? HOW? It is other Black & Brown People that endanger the black and brown people who live in that area so maybe putting the POLICE STATION on the Southside will help reduce the Crime in that area.
The rats don’t want rat catchers in their hood. The law abiding citizens do.The fact is it will bring financial vigor to the area and put more officers where they’re needed.
Hannah, good job. Know who you are quoting. Someone who seems diametrically opposed to your background.
https://canarymission.org/individual/Cea_Moline
More officers please. I rally don’t care what an immature gender dysphoric member of the Students for a Democratic Society thinks. I have lived on the southside. The southside wants and and needs a law enforcement presence there. Cea Moline has an agenda that makes him/her feel good.
Agreed. The hoodrats don’t want the po-po in their hood. Too bad.
If Emergency Management is Cea’s major, what is her/his minor? From that quote, I’m guessing Ebonics.
And a few well-placed MOABs would solve the Palistinian terrorist problem in one day.
Waste of taxpayers money, we need more police officers not a big building. Build a precinct to help over crowded main station, and Reno the old station….save the money to hire cops, they are servely understaffed!!!
Tick Tock we’re still waiting for Curtis Richardson to show us the text between him and the new commissioner Bryant.