ST. CLOUD, Fla. – If you haven’t had the opportunity to watch Trooper Steve On Patrol with St. Cloud Police Chief Goerke, I encourage you to watch it in full in the video player above.
This man is a wealth of knowledge and enjoys his job as much as a patrol officer does.
We got a lot of insight into the current state and future of the department.
When we think of the city of Saint Cloud, we still think of small-town living. Although that vibe is still -- and I believe will always be there -- it is growing in abundance. The city recently grew to a western portion of the Florida Turnpike, and chief indicated that once that area is developed completely he will have to increase his department from 80 to 100 more police officers.
The good thing is that the chief has the acknowledgment and the support of city council members when it comes to understanding what it takes for a police department to keep up with current times and to ensure the agency has up-to-date modern technology.
You know school safety is an extreme passion of mine and seeing how this city police department secures its schools is encouraging. The up-to-date information and live camera feed provided to their patrol officer is something most people would expect to see in a metropolitan.
In all, my takeaway from our ride with Goerke is simple: Yes, their community is experiencing an extreme boom, but the police department is currently up to date in accreditations, training, personnel and equipment -- not only for today, but for the future expansion of the city.