In a show of force, several law enforcement organizations within Orange County came together Friday to formally kick off again, “Operation Holiday Cheer.” Now into its third year, the center piece of “Holiday Cheer” is the strengthened patrols by law enforcement around shopping malls and parking areas, where crimes are more likely to occur during the holiday season.
“We are bringing law enforcement together with private security officers and we are linking up together with them and the public to make these shopping excursions safer for everybody,” Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said at a press conference at Mall of Millenia. “And we are doing that by putting our resources out, both in uniform and out of uniform.”
Demings said, during the holiday period in 2010, compared to the previous year, overall crime in the I-Drive area was reduced by 41 percent, Florida Mall area crime was down by 56 percent and in the Disney tourism area, a 46 percent reduction was achieved. These reductions are remarkable and bare witness to what we can achieve together, he said.
“We are going to speak to the community and speak to criminals as well, who think that these (holiday shoppers) are easy targets,” he said. “We are going to put some people in jail.”
Notwithstanding the tough economic times, Demings said, he anticipated with the proactive approach being undertaken, crime would be held down around shopping areas.
Orlando Police Chief Paul Rooney echoed Demings’ sentiments and noted that areas around shopping malls and parking lots would be saturated with patrols–marked and unmarked vehicles, bicycles, motorcycles and horses. He also urged shoppers to take great care during the holiday season.
“In turn, we are going to ask all shoppers not to leave packages in plain view — bags, cell phones and lap tops — in their vehicles,” Rooney said. “We actually have notices this year which we are going to place on their windshield, either way giving them a good grade, or a warning to be a little more careful.”
Rooney said he did not expect there to be an uptick in the crime rate in view of the saturation of police at malls and parking lots.
Asked how he assessed his first six months as Orlando Police Chief, Rooney had this to say:
“I love it, I am humbled and I am honored. It’s a challenge each and every day. We have 1,000 employees with the Orlando Police Department, so it’s a handful, but they do such good work, day in and day out and I am just so proud.”
Other law enforcement agencies present at the press conference were: Mayor Cindy Williams, Florida Highway Patrol; Shief Mike McCoy, Windermere Police Department; Chief Thomas J. Jackson, Belle Isle Police Department; Deputy Chief Steven Golcon, Ocoee Police Department; Chief Joseph Jenkins, Eatonville Police Department; and Deputy Chief Bill Sullivan, Winter Garden Police Department.
