Longboat Key Police Chief speaks to the Kiwanis Club

Longboat Key Kiwanis Club members expressed the increase in police cars along Gulf of Mexico Drive has made them feel safer.

Longboat Key Police Chief George Turner was the guest speaker at its first bimonthly meeting of the season on Sept. 19 at the Lazy Lobster. 

Turner informed Kiwanians the police department filled its three vacancies after only having 16 officers in July. Now, the department is fully staffed, which allows him to assign three officers along the island at all times to ensure officer safety. 

Turner also shared with the club about the take-home car program. 

"We were one of the few departments in the whole state of Florida that didn't have take-home cars," said Turner. "It was very hard for us to recruit because people come in, and driving your own car back and forth every day is very expensive."

Turner said the club is a great way to communicate with the public and gauge any concerns they might have for the department.

Photo by Petra Rivera

Longboat Key Commissioner Gary Coffin also attended the meeting to mention three commissioner positions will be open on election day. He encouraged residents to apply to make their own impact on Longboat Key.

In other Kiwanis Club news, the club plans to elect a new president within the next month. President Chris Sachs is stepping down after his one-year term.