I am and always have been firmly and unapologetically Pro-Police. These brave men and women put their lives on the line every day in the name of our safety.

Unfortunately, we are witnessing a nationwide attack on our wonderful police departments. It is a privilege for me to say that I plan to make additional funding for more staff available to this crucial segment of our community.

I proudly stand in defiance of the “Defund The Police” movement. I want to revive and popularize a “Refund the Police” campaign so that Lakeland can be a beacon of safety for the State of Florida.

To maximize the efficiency of our police, I also want to expand the CrimeWatch program to bring our community closer together. This will increase the department’s ability to provide Lakeland citizens with consistent and authoritative data regarding community policing.

Additionally, I believe that neighborhood pride is a necessary precursor to neighborhood safety. Lakeland is an arboretum city with an amazing natural beauty that I want our citizens to help shine through. To aid in this, I must work to champion neighborhood programs that will beautify the community. I want to stimulate community pride by investing in initiatives that will clean up, paint, and plant to breathe new life into our wonderful community.