Last week, the FWBPD released their 2021 Year in Review. 

“Throughout 2021, the Fort Walton Beach Police Department continued its commitment to the success of the community,” said FWBPD Chief Robert Bage. “It was a unique year with the continuation of COVID 19 as well as all of the variants, and continued demands for police reform.” 

According to Bage, the department’s professionalism and dedication to the community, combined with great teamwork, played an essential role in accomplishing the mission of making the community safer.

The department had a list of major accomplishments for 2021, that included everything from new grants to community events to water rescues. A few highlights include:

• Collecting nearly 1,300 toys for local kids.
• Made several high water rescues during localized flooding caused by summer storms.
• Implemented a Rapid ID Fingerprint program for quicker verification of identities.
• Installed security upgrades and enhancements to the infrastructure at the public safety complex.

As far as some stats, here’s a look at traffic crashes, overdoses and calls for service:

• Traffic crashes were down by 25%
• Traffic citations increased by 23%
• Narcan deployment increased by 54%
• Overdose calls increased by 65%
• Calls for service increased by 3%
• Crime was down by 3% to the lowest level in over 15 years

For 2022, here is a rundown of their major projects and initiatives:

• Continue partnering with local stakeholders, educating the public, and mentoring youth.
• Enhance the daily operations by providing state-of-the-art technology and practical training.
• Develop a validated Physical Abilities Test for all police officers.
• Develop crime tracking and prevention initiatives to reduce crime and the fear of crime.
• Recruit, hire, train, mentor, and retain the most qualified workforce.
• Focus on professionalism and respect throughout daily activities within the community and department.
• Complete the accreditation process.
• Identify and apply for grants from public and private sources to expand capacity and resources with minimalimpact on fiscal resources.
• Staffing and deployment analysis for efficient and effective policing across the City with an emphasis onreducing the fear of crime, traffic enforcement, and improved response times.
• Conducting a feasibility study for a new firing range and police training center.
• Strength partnerships with local law enforcement partners.