Successful Practices & Strategies 

St. Cloud Police Department 

Vol. 4 | No. 4

St. Cloud, Florida

http://www.stcloud.org/index.aspx?nid=7

Community policing element

Problem solving

Problem/issue 

Drugs and public safety concerns

Problem description

During the fall of 2015, a small neighborhood in Osceola County known as the River Road area was 

annexed into the City limits of St. Cloud, Florida. River Road is a very low-income socioeconomic area 

consisting of predominately minority residents. Soon after annexation, several minority community 

leaders informed the St. Cloud Police Department (SCPD) of open-air drug activity as well as various 

issues such as unsafe and deteriorating homes, vacant foreclosures, vandalized and absent street 

lighting, and poor landscaping in the neighborhood in addition to water drainage concerns. Some of 

these issues were of long standing and violated city code.

Community policing strategies implemented

The SCPD immediately took action to mitigate the issues, clean up the neighborhood, and enhance the 

overall services provided by the City of St. Cloud. In this effort, the department engaged the residents 

and led a police/citizen cooperative with the community’s leaders, pastor groups, and local businesses 

such as The Home Depot and Hungry Howie’s Pizza. Several city departments also joined in the 

restoration of this neighborhood, including Public Services , which addressed the water drainage and 

sidewalk concerns; SCPD Code Enforcement Unit, which demolished an unsafe foreclosure home; the 

Community Outreach Unit, which increased communication and developed programs and services for 

the community; and the Parks and Recreational Department, which assisted in the playground 

restoration and community cleanup. 

The SCPD coordinated several activities in the community: clean up days, a job fair, and neighborhood 

barbecues. Improvements were made to the Hopkins Park community house and playground adjacent 

to the community. In addition, the LOCK IT UP safety campaign was launched by the police department, 

and we assisted in establishing a neighborhood crime watch program. Cooperative police-citizen efforts 

to eradicate open-air drug activity in the River Road neighborhood led to Operation “Rollin’ on the 

River” targeting illegal narcotic activity. This operation was a six-month investigation and a collaborative 

effort with the U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration, Osceola County Sheriff’s 
Office, Osceola County Corrections Department, Kissimmee Police Department, and Office of the State 

Attorney’s Ninth Judicial Circuit.

Change and/or impact as a result of these community policing efforts

The successful execution of the raid resulted in the seizure of vast amounts of illegal drugs, including

423.6 grams of cocaine, 63.8 grams of heroin, seven grams of methamphetamine, 5,157.8 grams of 

cannabis, 453 illegal pills, two guns, three vehicles, and $15,676.02 in cash. In addition to 29 arrests, 

evidence of a dog fighting ring was discovered resulting in removal of 19 dogs along with dog training 

equipment and performance enhancing drugs. Through the joint cooperation of the community and 

ongoing involvement of the SCPD, the neighborhood and park continues to improve, becoming a safer 

environment for families and children. The impact of this operation will have resounding effects 

throughout the community and Osceola County. As SCPD Chief Pete Gauntlett stated, “This investigation 

is an example of what creative and cooperative law enforcement partnership efforts can achieve and 

yield results. I think we’ll have a quieter level of streets now. That’s how we aim to keep it.”

Lessons learned through program implementation

Through the cooperative efforts of the neighborhood residents and police, monitoring crime trends and 

patterns, tracking prolific offenders through the Intelligence-Led Policing Program, and maintaining 

relationships with community leaders, the SCPD can remain cognizant of the River Road community and 

its residents. 

Key lessons learned include (1) quickly identify crime trends and patterns, (2) identify quality-of-life 

issues and listen to citizen’s concerns, (3) communication is imperative, and (4) collaborate with 

neighborhood organizations and city departments to develop and provide programs to meet the needs 

of the community. 

The SCPD is dedicated to working within the community to preserve an outstanding quality of life 

through education, partnerships, and enforcement. We are committed to professional excellence 

through efficient use of our resources and by developing innovative programs for the community in 

which we live, work, and play.

The opinions contained herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the 

U.S. Department of Justice. References to specific agencies, companies, products, or services should not be considered an 

endorsement by the author(s) or the U.S. Department of Justice. Rather, the references are illustrations to supplement 

discussion of the issues. 

The Internet references cited in this document were valid as of the date of publication. Given that URLs and websites are in 

constant flux, neither the author(s) nor the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services can vouch for their current validity. 

Published 2017