East Orlando has the highest concentration of gang activity in Orange County, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Gang Unit.
Members from the unit schooled an audience of about 70 residents on how to tell if gangs are in their neighborhood and how to keep their children safe during a Crime Prevention meeting in April organized by Orange County District 4 Commissioner Jennifer Thompson.
Residents started approaching Thompson about the issue of graffiti on their homes, fences, businesses and schools just after she was elected in November. It was then that she promised to hold a community meeting.
“We had 611 calls [to Orange County’s 3-1-1 service] just in January and all were public-safety related,” she said.
There are about 55 gangs in Orange County and 1,500 gang members, which is well below the national average, said Sgt. Dave Spall of the Gang Unit. He said the best way to tell if there is a gang presence in the community is gang-related graffiti — different from tagging, which is done by vandals, not gangs. Gang graffiti is “ugly” and looks to have been done quickly whereas tagging is “pretty” and looks like it took more time to do.
“This side of town has the most gang activity and presence,” Spall said. “If you have gang graffiti, a gang member either lives there or does business there and their business is always something illegal. [The graffiti] delineates a turf, it promotes the gang, an individual or their crimes.”
Spall said gangs tend to focus recruiting efforts on the most vulnerable people — children ages 14-16. Spall said parents should check their notebooks and backpacks for signs and signals that could be gang-related, notice their clothing to make sure they’re not favoring one color and be involved in their lives to keep them away from gangs.
“I had no idea,” said Claire Jones of Andover Lakes in East Orlando about gang activity in the community. “I learned a lot... It (the meeting) was well worth my time.”
More police-to-resident contact
Captain Lee Massie, the new leader of OCSO Sector 2 in East Orlando, said residents should expect to get to know their deputies on patrol.
“We want deputies to start getting out of their cars and shaking hands and getting to know the people in the community,” he said.
As a business owner and a resident of East Orlando, Debby Staab said it was nice to know the sheriff’s office wants to be more hands-on with the community.
“It was nice to meet the sheriff deputies in their environment and kind of see what happens behind the scenes,” said the Avalon Park resident. “I want to be aware and be proactive so we can keep Avalon Park a family-oriented community.”
Massie said Sector 2, which spans from Semoran Boulevard to the county line, receives the most calls for service.
“We go 24/7 but there’s always an opportunity to shake someone’s hand,” he said.
At the meeting, Massie reviewed the latest crime statistics and showed residents how the department uses that information to fight and prevent crime.
“Traditionally in law enforcement, we have not been good stewards of sharing information [with the public] and that creates a barrier. The goal is to break those barriers down and foster information sharing on both ends.”
When comparing January to March 2010 to the same period this year, crime overall has decreased by 11 percent. There have been some major increases, such as a 79 percent increase in commercial burglary primarily along the south Alafaya Trail and East Colonial corridors this year, but Massie said two arrests have been made in that case.
“Once we see a crime shift or if we identify new needs in the community, we can get that information to HOA leaders and business owners,” he said. “We were telling you to share information with us, but we weren’t sharing information with you. That’s where we dropped the ball.”
-To report graffiti or for any county-related service or question, call 3-1-1 where a dispatcher will connect you with the appropriate department. Graffiti can also be reported by calling the OCSO non-emergency number, 407-836-HELP.