Tallahassee police and fire chiefs describe declining crime, LPR success and expand camera partnerships
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Summary
Police and fire chiefs told the commission violent crime and traffic fatalities fell in 2025, described efforts to raise fire ISO ratings through staffing, and defended public‑private camera and license‑plate‑reader programs as tools used in dozens of investigations, while commissioners raised privacy and vendor‑security concerns.
Tallahassee’s police and fire leadership presented public‑safety updates at the commission retreat, reporting decreases in several crime categories, plans to improve department ratings and detailing how camera systems and license‑plate readers support investigations.
Fire Chief Sanders said department morale is strong, highlighted 637 training hours citywide and attributed a decrease in fires to proactive public education and inspections. He said the addition of 26 approved positions improves staffing and positions the department to pursue an improved ISO rating — which can lower insurance premiums and reflects response capability.
The police chief reported an increase in sworn staffing, a nearly 9% decrease in violent crime in 2025, an 85.7% homicide clearance rate in 2025 (above the national average cited in the presentation), a nearly 11% decrease in property crime and a large drop in traffic‑related fatalities. The chief credited a combination of personnel, training and technology for the trends.
On surveillance, chiefs described a three‑tier approach: city public‑safety cameras placed in public spaces, license‑plate readers (LPRs) used as investigative tools, and voluntary public‑private camera partnerships that allow owners to share outward‑facing footage. The police chief said LPRs and partner feeds contributed to 38 investigations across categories including homicide, robbery and shootings, and helped recover more than 250 stolen vehicles over three years. He gave a specific case in which an LPR hit led to a multi‑agency arrest of a vehicle tied to a multi‑state burglary spree.
Commissioners asked about privacy and security: who must enroll property cameras, whether tenants are notified, and whether third‑party vendors (including Flock) store or could sell shared data. Jason Lowe (program staff) said owners opt into the voluntary program and the city requests outward‑facing cameras only; staff said access is restricted to credentialed law‑enforcement users and is governed by audit logs and agreements. Commissioner Matlow said he would share public reports about vulnerabilities he’s read about for staff follow up.
What’s next: staff said they will follow up with specific vendor‑security information and provide requested clarifications on tenant notification and data governance.