Maitland City Talk

Crime is a topic that we frequently hear about. We read about it in the paper, see it on the news and it is a frequent topic of Internet chat. We are privileged to live in a city that has one of the lowest crime rates in Central Florida. Our crime rate is lower than every city in Orange/Osceola counties with the exception of the very small cities of Belle Isle, Windermere and Oakland. This low incident of crime is in spite of the fact that we have several major roadways traversing our city, including U.S. Highway 17-92 and the Interstate 4 corridor. We also have Maitland Center that is host to more than 15,000 workers each day, and our city has a drive-through population of more than 300,000 commuters per day.

Although we do enjoy a safe city, incidents of criminal activity do occur. The experts state, and our police department agrees, that crime prevention is one of the key components to ensuring we have a low crime rate. The most important part of any crime prevention strategy is you. Without each of us taking an active role in preventing crime by calling the police department or utilizing proven crime prevention techniques, the criminals will continue to attempt to prey on an easy target.

When you see something suspicious such as a car or a person in your neighborhood that you do not recognize, you should immediately contact the police department and provide them with a description of the car, a license plate number if available and a description of the person. No one knows your neighborhood like you do, and the information you provide to the police department will allow them to confirm that the vehicle has not been involved in criminal activity and/or the person is law abiding and not trying to commit a crime. This is very important during the daytime hours because most residential thefts and burglaries occur during the time when criminals think no one will be at home. The most frequent method of breaking into a home is through an unlocked door or unsecured window. It is beneficial to keep hedges and plants trimmed around windows and doors so they are not concealed. There are many components to making your home safe from intruders including landscaping, lighting, alarms and other design features.

In Maitland, we are fortunate to have police officers who are certified in Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED). These officers have received intense training on methods that may be used through home and landscaping design that will be helpful in preventing and reducing crime.

Another important part of an overall comprehensive crime prevention strategy is Neighborhood Watch. Maitland has many active Neighborhood Watch groups and the police department is always looking for more homeowners to get involved in the program. Those neighborhoods that have an active group frequently have lower incidents of crime. Neighborhood Watch programs organize homeowners to watch out for neighbors and to report suspicious activities. Active Neighborhood Watch groups also are provided a Neighborhood Watch sign, which is paid for and erected on their street by the city. To report suspicious activity, the police department recommends you call 911. You can find out more information on how you may help prevent crime or form a Neighborhood Watch group by calling the Community Policing Section of our police department at 407-875-2832. Sergeant Louis Grindle will be happy to make an appointment to meet with any homeowner to discuss ways that they may improve the security of their home. The police department will also meet with groups of people to present crime prevention strategies. By working together we can ensure that Maitland remains a safe and healthy community for many years to come.

—William McEachnie, Deputy Chief, Maitland Police Department

City Council meeting of March 12

The Maitland City Council met on March 12 at 6:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers. Below is a synopsis of that meeting. The next regular scheduled Council meeting will be held on Monday, March 26.

Public Hearings:

Adopted an Ordinance amending language governing the re-employment of retired police officers and firefighters to comply with interpretations of Florida Statutes 175 and 185. Amendments to this Ordinance also provide either clarification to existing provisions or verbiage additions that mirror existing Florida Statute language.

Moved to continue the Public Hearings creating the Downtown Maitland Zoning District and the rezoning of properties within that District until the March 26 Council meeting.

Consent Agenda:

Approved the council minutes of Feb. 27 and the Workshop minutes of Feb. 20.

Passed a Resolution establishing an Interlocal Agreement with the Houston-Galveston Area Council (HGAC) contract for “piggyback” purposes.

Approved a contract with Southern Sewer Equipment Sales to purchase a Vac Con combination sewer cleaner in the amount of $249,800.

Approved Change Order Summary 2012-7 to the Fire Station contract with Wharton-Smith, adjusting the contract from $2,300,575.15 to $2,301,709.77.

Approved Change Order Summary CH2012-3 to the City Hall contract with Wharton-Smith, adjusting the contract from $3,543,012.77 to $3,339,694.30.

Decision:

Approved a one-time 2 percent merit award for the city manager and city clerk for fiscal year 2012.

To listen to a recording of the meeting, visit itsmymaitland.com