ORLANDO, Fla. – The Orange County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday gave an update on the efforts it has undertaken to make Pine Hills safer and provided details on some of the criminal activity that was thwarted by authorities in the month of April.
The RISE initiative was introduced in December when Sheriff Jerry Demings, Orlando Police Chief John Mina and local elected officials announced what they called new crime-reduction strategies.
"What we simply did was, we targeted known offenders and their associates. During the last few months, we have served numerous warrants for individuals, as well as search warrants on property and vehicles," Demings said.
He said there was an additional push within the RISE initiative after a particularly violent weekend in April. During that month, authorities made 326 arrests, issued 180 citations and worked 4,882 hours, according to the provided statistics.
Demings spoke of a home in the Carver Shores neighborhood that authorities targeted because it is a "known hangout for criminals committing vehicle and commercial burglaries throughout Orange County."
Deputies said they found 43 grams of marijuana, ammunition rounds and two stolen cars with drugs inside during a late-night raid at that home on the 5200 block of Lanette Street.
[PHOTOS: Arrests made, contraband confiscated in Pine Hills]
One of the people at the home, 19-year-old Quintrellis Bell, was arrested on 20 outstanding warrants, Demings said.
Two other men were arrested at the home in connection with a carjacking that happened in the International Drive area.
326 arrests in this violent crime initiative - got gun off street just this morning @news6wkmg pic.twitter.com/88he2lb71v
— Nadeen Yanes (@NadeenNews6) May 9, 2017
Demings used those arrests as an example of how crime in Pine Hills tends to have a ripple effect on the rest of Orange County.
"When we look at the first quarter of 2017, homicide in unincorporated Orange County is down 61 percent. When we look at overall violent crime in unincorporated Orange County, violent crime is down by 15 percent," Demings said. "The Pine Hills initiative has been a key component in reducing the violent crime here in our community throughout Orange County."
Even with authorities targeting repeat offenders, Demings said deputies count on input and tips from the community to help them make arrests.
"We are encouraging our citizens that if they see something, to say something. That's the initiative that has been underway for quite some time," Demings said.
The crackdown on crime will continue and Deming had a stern warning for anyone who is engaged in criminal activity.
"If we haven't gotten you yet, in the very near future, we're coming after you," Demings said. "We are not backing off. We're going to stay focused on this effort for the immediate future."
News 6 requested crime statistics for the Pine Hills area for 2015 and 2016.
Homicides were up by 50 percent and robberies are up by three percent. On the flip side, the area saw a decline in sex crimes and residential burglaries.
As part of the RISE program, a mobile command unit was also set up in a parking lot along Silver Star Road near Pine Hills Road so the public can meet and converse with law enforcement officers.