Local PD Holds Quarterly Update for Commissioners
The Gainesville Police Department (GPD) held their January 1 – March 31 quarterly update for the City Commission on Thursday.
Before speaking on gun-related statistics, GPD Chief Nelson Moya extended his “deepest sympathies” to the family of Ontaria Baisden, who was killed in the shooting on Easter Sunday at TB McPherson Park.
GPD Chief Nelson Moya extends condolences to the family of Ontaria Baisden (City of Gainesville)
From January 1 to March 31, there were 16 incidents of shots fired, two people shot, and one homicide victim. 54 firearms were recovered by GPD, 8 of them stolen.
Moya presented a map depicting the locations of shots fired incidents.
GPD Chief Nelson Moya presents map of shots fired (City of Gainesville)
GPD Captain Paris Owens said the gun violence unit “continues to thrive [and] do a great job.” She said the unit will be doing details with the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office.
GPD Captain Paris Owens gives update on the Gun Violence Unit (City of Gainesville)
Lieutenant Lisa Scott said GPD received 486 calls for service at Grace MarketPlace in the first quarter of 2025. She said GPD served trespass orders around NE Waldo Road and SW 40th Blvd.
Major Jamie Kurnick said GPD has hired seven officers this year. She said the department has 18 vacancies, but they’re in the process of being filled.
Mayor Harvey Ward said, “I saw a slide for our police advisory council the other day that compared us to several other communities around Florida: Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Ocala, and Lake City, with a variety of crime numbers including homicides…. When you break it down per 100,000, the actual rate of these crimes—we are a safer city for those numbers…. There are always folks who will find some weird statistic that they can twist around and put on a website somewhere about how we're ‘the most dangerous city in America.’ You’ll always find somebody to say that, but the actual facts don’t bear that out.”
The next GPD Quarterly Update will be held in August.
