The Independent News asked Pensacola Police Chief Chip Simmons for an update on his department’s increased presence on the streets”
“The number of officers has fluctuated from day to day. Monday we had in excess of 120 on the street. On Tuesday we toned it down somewhat and today we will be over 100 again. The hours we have worked has fluctuated as well. Tonight (Wednesday, July 25) we will work later in the evening than before. We will likely continue this off and on trend throughout the week and into next week. As I mentioned last week, we will continue it for as long as we can.
“On Monday alone the additional officers served 9 active warrants, made 7 arrests for violations observed, and wrote 20 tickets. This is in addition to the activity the beat officers worked.
“We are still evaluating what strategy to employ moving forward. The increased presence has its benefits, so a likely strategy would be to continue with increased officers as well as concentrated efforts in problem areas. We anticipated keeping pressure on those locations.
“The community has responded well. Everyone that I spoke to were happy to see us out there, especially those in the areas hardest hit by the shootings.
“I know that this is brief, but the program is fluid and we evaluate it daily to determine what changes are to be made. Thanks for asking.”
