St. Petersburg declares Law Enforcement Appreciation Month; police chief reports drops in major crimes and outlines youth programs

Mayor Kenneth T. Welch read a proclamation designating May 2025 as Law Enforcement Appreciation Month and recognized the Saint Petersburg Police Department’s leadership and command staff for their service.

Chief Holloway then presented the department’s quarterly report for January–March 2025, saying major categories of crime were down citywide: auto thefts were down 19%, burglaries down 17%, property crimes down 17% and violent crimes down 36%, producing an overall citywide crime decline of 21%. Holloway reported five homicides in the quarter, the same number as the year before, and said investigators have at least one strong lead on an open case.

Holloway described program results and operational priorities he said have contributed to the trends: a GRIT team that responds to “shots fired” locations, the PATH outreach team, and the city’s call program that diverts some calls to navigators and specialists rather than sworn officers. He said 65 guns were voluntarily returned to the department this quarter and 24 were recovered, which he summarized as 98 firearms removed from circulation for the quarter. He also said juvenile-involved arrests remain a concern: roughly 65% of motor-vehicle-related arrests involve juveniles and 47% of vehicle burglaries involve juveniles.

The report included outcomes from youth interventions the department supports: Holloway cited a juvenile coaching model and a reported 68–73% non-reoffense rate for children who participate in targeted programs. He highlighted a $1,000,000 allocation established under the mayor’s equity program to support youth services, a Powell program to underwrite sports participation, partnerships with Gulf Coast and other providers for coaching/navigator support, and an Eagle Eye camera-registration initiative the department hopes to grow.

Council members pressed for more detail on nonemergency call volumes, summer transportation barriers that limit youth participation in programs, and whether substations or increased foot patrols would better serve neighborhoods with higher shooting-call volumes. Holloway said the department is tracking nonemergency contacts and is willing to provide more detailed breakdowns in future quarterly reports; he argued that boots-on-the-ground patrol and community engagement are more effective than static substations. He and staff said they would follow up with neighborhood leaders where residents reported missed meetings or unclear follow-up.

What happens next: Chief Holloway offered to provide a deeper data breakdown on nonemergency calls and juvenile referrals in a future quarterly report and to coordinate with council members and neighborhood leaders on outreach and transportation barriers.

Quotes

"For this quarter...auto thefts are down by 19%. Burglaries are down by 17%. Property crimes are down by 17%. Violent crimes are down by 36%. Overall...is down by 21% in the city," Chief Holloway said during his presentation.

"We had 65 guns returned to us for safekeeping, and we recovered 24, so that was 98 guns taken off the streets for this quarter," Holloway added.

Ending

Council thanked the chief and his staff for the report and asked for follow-up data on specific metrics and outreach strategies; council indicated interest in working with the administration on marketing and transportation solutions to increase youth program participation.