The Florida House, with scant debate, voted to nearly double the size of the Capitol Police’s jurisdiction, giving it authority over a whopping 20-block area of downtown Tallahassee.
Rep. Adam Botana, R-Bonita Springs, said the idea for the bill (HB 975) came to him after seeing what he called vagrants milling about downtown during his daily strolls, causing him worry about the safety of his staff.
The idea has faced little opposition in the House, passing on a 89–22 vote on March 4, but Botana worries whether the bill will make it to the governor’s office this year.
The Senate has yet to hear the companion measure in any committee and there’s fewer than two weeks left in a session scheduled to end March 13. That means the House is at the mercy of the Senate to take up its bill and pass it unchanged.
“We’re concerned about our staff, concerned about our people, concerned about the folks in this town,” Botana told the House.
Capitol Police provides security for the operation of state government and ensures public access to buildings and premises when it occurs within the Capitol Complex.
They have the authority to respond to criminal activity, make arrests and enforce parking regulations. This year’s measure would expand their responsibilities in downtown Tallahassee from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday.
State law currently defines the complex as a half-mile wide district from Gaines Street to Jefferson Street. Botana wants to extend the district nearly another half mile north to Park Avenue, to include College Avenue’s lobbyist row, upscale restaurants, and a Doubletree hotel.
Rep. Allison Tant, D-Tallahassee, focused on the vagrancy argument Botana made during committee meetings and told him Tallahassee’s efforts to help the homeless has led other communities to bus people without homes to the city. “It’s not an easy fix for us,” Tant said.
The legislation requires Capitol Police to develop an “operational security plan to address crime and vagrancy within the district and directs the Department of Management Services to consult with Capitol Police on enhanced security measures.”
Tant, however, questioned why, if extra police are needed, would Botana limit their patrols to weekdays ending at 7 p.m.
“That’s just when the college kids are getting heated up or just starting their nights,” Tant said, referring to the more than 67,000 students attending Florida State and Florida A&M universities, and Tallahassee State College.
The proposal comes at a time when Tallahassee reports a 9% drop in crime. But it’s in line with other Southern capitals:
Tant also said city officials had concerns over how the proposal is written and cites its hours of enforcement, potential conflicts over parking authority, and road closures as points of contention.
James Call is a member of the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at jcall@tallahassee.com. Follow on him X: @CallTallahassee.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida may expand Capitol Police patrols in Tallahassee
Reporting by James Call, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Tallahassee Democrat
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