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Eric Ward

Tampa must look for new police chief as Eric Ward steps down

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

After just a little more than two years on the job, Tampa Police Chief Eric Ward is leaving the force for a position with Coca-Cola Beverages Florida as head of security. “It was not an easy decision for me to make, and it was something that I did not take very lightly,” the 50-year-old soft-spoken chief said at a news conference Thursday at TPD headquarters to announce his departure. “It’s a great opportunity,” Ward said after he was asked why…

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Serving life for murder, Tampa man continues legal crusade to get car back

in Local Courts/Top Headlines by

A Hillsborough County man serving a life sentence for murder is continuing his 14-year battle with the Tampa police over the seizure of the car — 10 years old at the time — that he used in the crime. In 2003, police arrested and charged 21-year-old Michael Gerard “Mickey” Glenn Jr. with first-degree premeditated murder. Glenn was accused of killing 25-year-old Antonio Powell in a drug-related shooting. Three years later, Glenn made a minor uproar in local media by announcing he would…

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Overall crime rate in Tampa is down 9% from a year ago, police say

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

Nearly every year since 2003, Tampa Police have championed a drop in the crime rate from the previous year, commensurate with a nationwide reduction in crime. That trend continued Monday, with the Tampa Police Department reporting that violent crime was down 16.5 percent in Tampa in 2016 compared to 2015. Property crime was also down 6.8 percent over the same time period. “It’s a team effort,” said Mayor Bob Buckhorn at a news conference at TPD’s downtown headquarters. “It’s not just the men and women…

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Tampa Police to receive $1.95 million federal grant to hire 15 more officers

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

The Tampa Police Department is the recipient of a $1.9 million federal grant to hire 15 more officers to strengthen its community policing efforts. The federal grant was awarded through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). “Fifteen more officers on the street where they are needed and training to be more community-oriented are critical to defuse tensions and build trust,” U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor said. “Community policing builds trust and partnerships, which help officers better respond to the diverse…

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Mitch Perry Report for 8.26.16 – Mason-Dixon says the presidential race in Florida is super close

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

Attention, Florida Democrats: Time to get off you a** if you want Hillary Clinton to win the state in November. A Mason-Dixon poll shows the Trump-Clinton battle in a virtual tie, with the former secretary of state up by two points, 44 percent to 42 percent. As has been said a thousand times, Trump cannot win the presidency without winning Florida, but according to this poll 10 days before Labor Day, he could win the Sunshine State in November. By any stretch, this…

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Bike citations in Tampa down 81 percent from a year ago

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

Tampa Police Chief Eric Ward told the City Council Thursday that citations of bicyclists in the city are down 81 percent this July, compared to a year ago. The department made only four citations in July, compared to 21 in July 2015, an 81 percent decrease. There was an even greater reduction in May, when the TPD made only six citations, compared to 32 in May 2015. Those citations did spike up in June, with 11 cyclists cited this year, versus…

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Mitch Perry Report for 7.11.16 — Donald Trump gets closer to naming his VP choice

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

We’re just a week out from the Republican National Convention, which means we’re just days away from learning who will be Donald Trump‘s vice presidential choice. Of all the issues that make Americans fear a Trump presidency, the fact that he would have access to the nuclear codes is probably the most dominant concern, which is why it makes some sense if he were to nominate someone from the military. Enter retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn. The 57-year-old Flynn is a…

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