The Orlando Police Department’s 2015 Year in Review provided some troubling statistics related to public safety in the City Beautiful. While there were minor gains being made in some categories of crime statistics, violent crimes increased, with murders doubling across the city from 2014 to 2015. Sex offenses and aggravated assaults… [read more]
Yesterday, Ringling Bros. decision to retire all of its elephants by May of this year was “one of the biggest announcements in the modern era of animal welfare,” according to animal rights advocates. But for one of Central Florida’s most prominent Democratic politicians, it may actually be upsetting, after emails reveal one… [read more]
Just months after receiving official designation as an Orlando historical landmark by the City Council, Tinker Field was degraded into a liquor bar and bathroom during this year’s bowl games. On the historic pitcher’s mound, the exact site where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke in his only visit to Orlando, city… [read more]
As Orange County grows and becomes more populated, traffic congestion has spiked, which increases the risk for pedestrian and bike accidents. According to statistics, the Metro Orlando region consistently ranks as one of the most dangerous cities for pedestrians in the country. That’s one reason why Orange County Mayor Teresa… [read more]
When he donated his $175,000 sculpture falloffstone to the City of Orlando, artist Peter Shelton never imagined his art would end up being destroyed by city employees and then the center of a three-year cover-up scandal by the Dyer administration. In fact, for years Shelton had tried to figure out what exactly happened… [read more]
Despite last month’s decision by the Municipal Planning Board, the relocation of Orlando Union Rescue Mission’s homeless shelter is not a done deal yet. An official appeal has been filed against two items approved by the Orlando MPB on December 15th which rezone the proposed Parramore location and allow the development… [read more]
As public scrutiny focuses on police practices and use of excessive force, interest in body cameras has skyrocketed, including here in Orlando. While not a solution, body-worn cameras could definitely help but only if there is an open public discussion on how to improve the process as implementation continues. There are… [read more]
When a police report was filed by City of Orlando employee Paul Wenzel alleging “criminal mischief” and “vandalism” of a $175,000 city asset in November 2012, the Orlando Police Department did nothing. No investigation was ordered. No questions were asked. In fact, no officer or detective ever reviewed the police… [read more]
Orlando Art Board member Jim Lussier threw a tantrum during this month’s meeting while attempting to cut off official public comment before the allotted time was done. Lussier became visibly irritated when public comments linked an ongoing City Hall cover-up to senior administration officials and the city staffer assigned to… [read more]
The Orlando Sentinel has published a major report, Focus on Force, revealing 3,100 people were “hit, kicked, pepper-sprayed, shocked or had some other force used on them by Orlando Police Department officers from 2010 through the end of 2014.” OPD officers injured 1,900 people during that time, and 1,200 required medical… [read more]