Dear Chief Demmings,
I wanted to write to let you and all your Department know that in my opinion you recent enhanced enforcement methods have been greatly successful and appreciated!
I can say that in my opinion and memory that the Parramore area has not been as clean and free from obvious law breakers (dealers and prostitutes) on the streets for a long time. Your methodology of stationing multiple O.P.D. cars and/or motorcycles for many hours each day for the last several weeks on hot corners has been especially helpful. The conditions your efforts have produced, if allowed to continue, will result in property owners attracting the types of tenants and buyers we all seek. This will lead to commercial and residential owners and occupants taking back the area and a greatly improved tax base and a healthier and safer city along with it's three new venues.
Only actions such as your department has taken can get control of the area. As you and I know, in the past several years O.P.D. has, using similar tactics, be able to accomplish similar results only to loose the gains as soon as the enhanced enforcement ended due to budgetary constraints or staffing demands of other areas. We also know that the force reduction will happen again.The only answer is to place CAMERAS in Parramore in ALL THE HOT SPOTS.
It is my understanding that the Orlando Housing Authority is placing approximately 20cameras in its soon to be redeveloped Carver Court project in the south end of the Parramore area. My estimate of the number of cameras necessary to control the balance of Parramore (multiple times the size of Carver Court) is approximately 30. O.P.D. experts have advised that the necessary cameras would cost 7-10 thousand dollars each. My quick estimate of the cost of the additional recent enhanced enforcement in man and car/motorcycle time and expense probably exceeds the cost of the 30 needed cameras.
I am sending copies of this to all Orlando elected officials in hope that they will get the message and commit the necessary funding to immediately install the cameras before the enhanced enforcement must end and all your department's efforts are again in vain.I am sure that you are familiar with the corner of Lee Ave and Bently Street where recently a camera was installed. This corner was the location of open drug sales for years. O.P.D. would increase efforts there and clean it up. As soon as your force left the area, the bad guys were back. This went on for years. Finally, as the C.R.A. owned Federal, Livingston, Otey,Parramore property was being affected and a local Preacher at Bently Street and Beech Ave was becoming forceful the camera was installed. Since that installation the corner and the immediate area continue to be a different world. The bad guys are gone.
I suggest that each of the elected officials be provided calls for service now and arrest stats for the immediate vicinity of the corner and surrounding few blocks for a few years before the installation of the camera and since the camera was installed. If they need empirical evidence of the success of cameras working in residential as well as commercial areas this should do the trick.
If I can be of any assistance, please advise.
Thanks, and happy holidays to all.
Phil Cowherd
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