Orlando Police Department's 2015 Year in Review

OPD gives report on success, challenges last year

ORLANDO, Fla. – The Orlando Police Department held its annual "End of the Year Review" meeting on Wednesday.

With city officials and community leaders in attendance, the presentation gave an overview of the successes and challenges the department faced in 2015 and a glimpse into OPD's initiatives for 2016.

Orlando Police Chief John Mina said overall crime was down 1.28 percent, but certain violent crimes were up from 2014.

Homicides more than doubled from 15 last year to 32 in 2015.  Mina said that is due in large part to a near record low homicide rate in 2014.

"If you look beyond just the increase or decrease from last year,  Orlando Police Department and city of Orlando are doing a good job of reducing crime," said Mina.
Violence against officers and their response to resistance was also highlighted in Wednesday's meeting.

In July, Officer William Anderson fired on a fleeing vehicle as he was run over during a traffic stop.  Dashcam video showed Anderson's actions were justified in the shooting.  Mina said the incident showed the dangers officers face and the importance of video when it comes to claims of excessive force.

"They know they're recording and we get a good indication of how they're treated by some residents," said Mina.

In 2015, four OPD officers were fired for using excessive force during arrests in 2014.  Mina said those instances prove the benefit of body worn cameras.

"Having the body cameras will give us a clear picture of what exactly happened during that use of force," said Mina.

Out of more than 15,000 arrests in 2015, nine excessive force complaints were made against officers.

"We are human.  We make mistakes, but my promise is those mistakes will be thoroughly investigated," said Mina.

While aiming to reduce crime and increase officer safety, Mina said a focus for 2016 will be the implementation of body cams and enhancing community engagement efforts.


About the Author:

Mark Lehman became a News 6 reporter in July 2014, but he's been a Central Florida journalist and part of the News 6 team for much longer. While most people are fast asleep in their bed, Mark starts his day overnight by searching for news on the streets of Central Florida.

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