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'Protect Pensacola' Update

Dave Dunwoody, WUWF Public Media

Pensacola-area leaders and representatives from local, state and federal law enforcement agencies provided an update (Wednesday) on the work of Protect Pensacola — a task force on gun violence that was set up earlier this year.

The idea for the panel, in large part, stemmed from the slaying of 20-year-old Elizabeth Harris, who was shot in a parking lot near a downtown nightclub in late May. Other such incidents also played a role, says Mayor Grover Robinson.

“We’re very proud of the work Pensacola police do; but there are certain challenges that we have in a normal, everyday course,” said Robinson. “And those things to make a dent in some of the other problems, we need help.”

That’s when Protect Pensacola came into being — concentrating on gun violence and patterned after programs in other north Florida cities. The mayor wanted to “echo” those efforts here.

“And put forward and make the call to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, understanding there were opportunities to bring federal assets to bear,” the mayor said. “At the same time in that, the state was also willing, through the state attorney’s office and [Florida Department of Law Enforcement] to come in and support us as well.”

Credit Dave Dunwoody, WUWF Public Media
Pensacola Police Chief Tommi Lyter

The news conference, in front of Pensacola City Hall, was an update of the past 90 days. Pensacola Police Chief Tommi Lyter thanked the men and women of the task force – including FDLE, the Florida Highway Patrol; FBI, ATF, U.S. Marshals and local law enforcement for chasing what Lyter called “the worst that the bad guys had to offer.”

“The operation resulted in 117 total arrests for crimes ranging from murder; robbery, carjacking, weapons offenses, numerous narcotics offenses, and many other crimes,” Lyter said. “We made an additional arrest for the murder of Elizabeth Harris when the U.S. Marshals Service made an arrest near Atlanta on a warrant for murder.”

In all, four men are charged in the Harris slaying.

Lyter says he can honestly say that Pensacola is safer today because of the task force’s work. But he adds there’s still more to do.

“At the end of the day, a cop’s a cop; I don’t care if you’re a [sic] FBI agent; I don’t care if you’re an ATF agent, certainly the U.S. Marshals,” said Lyter. “The courts, they have a different playbook if you will; but a cop’s a cop. And that’s what I’m so thankful for their willingness to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with us in some of these neighborhoods.”

Protect Pensacola is also about moving forward and building stronger bonds among the agencies, and developing programs, through grants, for economic opportunities and educational assistance.

“As the mayor said, it’s not just the results of the operation that are important,” says State Attorney Bill Eddins. “It’s the fact that we have continued to improve our ability to work together so that we can control crime to the fullest extent possible.”

Eddins adds that beginning next month, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will begin providing training for the Pensacola Police Department. That reflects some of the findings of a recent grand jury investigation into the shooting death of a local resident by an officer.

Credit Dave Dunwoody, WUWF Public Media
Larry Keefe, U.S. Atty, Northern District of Florida.

“Eighty-five percent of all of the law enforcement in this country is state and local law enforcement; state and local law enforcement is the backbone of law enforcement in this country,” said Larry Keefe, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

He added that when federal agencies come to local jurisdictions, it’s at the request of the locals. And once there, the bad guys are put on notice that things are ratcheting up against them.

“So, if you get charged federally, you’re going to be in trial fast and you’re going to be sentenced to a federal prison and you’re not going to be two hours away where everybody can visit you – you’re going to be in a faraway place,” Keefe said. “When the word hits the streets that the feds are involved with the state and local folks, there is a significant deterrent impact.”

Protect Pensacola is a program that’s divided into multiple phases. The initial phase was to identify and arrest fugitives considered the “worst of the worst;” the next phase is investigative.

“This is what we decided is the best course of action, was bringing in outside law enforcement agencies – our federal partners,” said Lyter. “The idea was to get it back under control again, so that the Pensacola Police Department can maintain. We will continue our partnership that we have with the feds. There are some cases that we made that are ongoing that we’ll continue to work with.”

One major emphasis moving into 2020 will be criminal activity in lower-income neighborhoods, which Lyter says lend themselves to higher crime rates. He adds that’s not unique to Pensacola, Escambia County, or the state of Florida. It’s seen on a national scale.