Public Safety:

Seeking Right-Size Plan

After a national task force meeting with police chiefs, the mayor says Pensacola needs a “right-size” plan for at-risk teens, and a curfew is only part of it.

Mayor D.C. Reeves and Police Chief Eric Winstrom recently attended the U.S. Conference of Mayors and Police Chiefs Task Force Meeting in San Diego. When Reeves returned, I sat down with him to ask what he learned and what it means for Pensacola.

The conversation comes as the community continues to wrestle with unsupervised teens after the shooting in downtown Pensacola over the Fourth of July weekend. Curfews, at-risk teenagers and new youth programs have dominated the discussion. Reeves says it is time to move from talk to action.

What Came Out of the Meeting

A best practices report is coming. The mayor’s conference is compiling recommendations based on what mayors and police chiefs shared at the meeting.
“Right size” for Pensacola. Reeves wants to sit down with Commissioner Lumon May and discuss which ideas fit this community.
A quick win is already in the works. Police will notify schools when a serious crime happens at a student’s home, so teachers know that child may need extra support.

Curfew Needs a Destination

The ideas are not the hard part. Reeves says the work takes intentionality among the city, the county, the school district and nonprofits. A curfew may help keep kids safer, but it only works if there is somewhere for them to go.

The “not so secret sauce.” The mayor says the simple view is that a community center offers a positive distraction. The more accurate view is mentorship, fellowship and the slow building of confidence. That is what he calls the “not so secret sauce” of youth sports and community centers.

The money gap for older teens. May says Escambia County has one of the highest numbers of juveniles on probation in the state and one of the highest civil citation rates. The Children’s Trust has spent $18 million to $20 million on after-school programs for kids up to about age 12, but once kids reach 14 to 17, they fall out of those programs.

May has asked the Trust to set aside money for a teen program, starting at $1 million and now talking about $2 million. Reeves told me money will not be the issue. Getting the right pilot program started will be.