Page 82 - March-2015-Life-in-Naples-Magazine
P. 82
CCSO-LED BAYSHORE
DRIVE REVIVAL
HONORED WITH NATIONAL AWARD
W hen Cpl. Mike Nelson was assigned to in their neighborhoods and encouraging them to report that activity.
run the Community Oriented Policing Bayshore Drive also received cosmetic improvements. Streetlights were
Services (COPS) program in East Naples,
the Bayshore Drive area was a well-known haven for repaired and repainted. Street signs were replaced. Pedestrian crosswalks
criminals, drugs and the homeless were added to streets, along with flashing lights and flashing stop signs. New
landscaping and bicycle lanes also were added.
“At that time, Bayshore was probably one of the worst
areas we had in East Naples,” Cpl. Nelson recalled. More than a decade later, calls for law enforcement services are down nearly
50 percent, as a direct result of the local community working together with
Homes were in deplorable condition. Businesses had deputies, code enforcement officers and other local agencies. Commercial and
been boarded up and abandoned. Crime was on the rise. residential growth is on the rise. Eleven new businesses have opened their doors
Residents were afraid to walk the streets during all hours since the project began. Several apartment buildings have been converted to
of the day. condominiums. There has been expansion done to the Naples Botanical Gardens
and Bayview Park. Construction on two new housing developments is underway.
After more than a year of patrolling East Naples, A real estate office specializing in Bayshore properties has opened.
Cpl. Nelson decided something needed to be done about
Bayshore and it would take more than the Collier County The East Naples COPS Unit was recently named the recipient of the 2014
Sheriff ’s Office. L. Anthony Sutin Civic Imagination Award for this collaborative effort that
resulted in the successful revival of Bayshore Drive.
Led by Cpl. Nelson, a team of community members
and government agencies, came together and formed a The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing
task force to begin tackling the worst areas of Bayshore. Services gives the award annually to honor creative, successful and forward-
thinking collaborations between local law enforcement agencies and the
It started out with task force members getting out into communities they serve.
the community and knocking on doors to find out what
the needs of the community were. Proactive patrols were Cpl. Nelson, along with Cpl. Robert Reu, who helped start the task force,
utilized to locate the biggest problem.Once a problem was and their fellow COPS deputies Sylee Gibson, Angela Ison, James Spartz, and
identified, attempts to get cooperation from the property William Pschigoda were joined by the Bayshore/Gateway Triangle Community
owner were made. An evaluation from the building was Redevelopment Agency Operations Manager Jean Jourdan as this year’s honorees
obtained, along with a court order if necessary. Work was
then assigned to contractors for litter removal and/or “The Bayshore Triangle Project has truly optimized the community policing
demolition of unsafe structures. Assessments were made principles by improving the quality of life and increasing civic engagement
to the property owners for the cost to the county to abate through the creation of innovative partnerships and problem-solving strategies,’’
violations. More than 180 contractor abatements, 48 said COPS Office Director Ronald L. Davis in a press release announcing the
demolitions, along with the demolition and removal of award. “Congratulations to the Bayshore Triangle Project for their exemplary
the Bayshore Club Apartments and numerous boarded- work and dedication to the community.”
up structures, occurred during this process.
Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk has long been a proponent of
At the same time, deputies were forming partnerships community-oriented policing. The success of this project is proof community
with residents and helping them identify criminal activity policing works, he said.
“This collaborative effort is an example of community policing at its finest,”
Sheriff Rambosk said.
The proactive redevelopment of the community also has led to the area being
designated a Cultural Arts District. The Bayshore Arts Festival draws more than
