ORLANDO, Fla. — Public safety leaders from Central Florida and the state were among those who gathered Thursday for the National Conference on Preventing Crime for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
What You Need To Know
- The National Conference on Preventing Crime was held in Orlando
- It was the conference's first meeting since the start of the COVID pandemic
- Central Florida leaders and Attorney General Ashley Moody took part
- Working together in partnerships was a key theme of the conference
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer joined Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith, Orange County Undersheriff Mark Canty and Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody at the Caribe Royale Convention Center as they discussed their plan for reducing crime rates, centered on working together.
Reducing crime within the community is the most important thing an attorney general can do, Moody said.
Interagency partnerships help reach that goal, she said.
“It is one community working toward a common goal, setting aside ‘me’ and working on ‘we’,” Moody said.
Technology has been a huge component aiding law enforcement officers, Moody said.
Using a Crime Stoppers telephone number that ends in TIPS (8477) throughout the state and offering a phone app also have been successful factors, she said. Most tips come through the Florida Crime Stoppers app, Moody said.
Overall, though, remembering the theme of partnership will elevate safety within neighborhoods because law enforcement officers can only do so much to ensure public safety, Dyer said. Programs that work together with law enforcement to mentor at-risk youths can be a key factor, officials said.