Pensacola mayor 'disappointed' in city's recent crime

PENSACOLA, Fla. (WALA) - Following a week which brought with it three drive-by shootings in the same area, Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward is disappointed in his city. Mayor Hayward and the Pensacola Police Department have decided to up patrols not only in the affected area, but all over.

Less than two days after her home was sprayed by bullets for the second time in a week, Paulette Reynolds actually got some shut-eye Thursday night, knowing the Pensacola Police Department was in the area.

"I guess that's why we slept good last night, because we knew the officer was out here somewhere," Reynolds said.

Fed up with three drive-by shootings in Reynolds' area in a week, Mayor Ashton Hayward stood tall against crime Friday.

"This is definitely not the image any city in America or the state of Florida wants to portray," Hayward said.

Alongside Police Chief Chip Simmons, the two announced that all 154 PPD officers will now patrol the streets.

"If you look at the city of Pensacola, we have 34 square miles, 50,000-plus citizens; we can do this, and we are going to do this," Hayward said. "It's unacceptable, we have a terrific police force, we're going to be on the ground, and we're going to stop guns on the street."

The effort stems from an incident Tuesday night.

Police said a red or maroon car pulled up to a 15-year-old and shot him in the leg near Desoto Street and 6th Avenue.

Later that day - and Wednesday around midnight - someone fired shots into Reynolds' residence East Strong Street near 7th Avenue.

But Strong Street and the numbered avenues which intersect it aren't the only areas with more PPD patrols.  The police department said it plans to make its presence felt all over Pensacola, especially in its problem areas.

And Reynolds called the changes a start.

"I do [feel safer now] and everybody else does, too," Reynolds said.

If you have any information on the shootings contact the Pensacola Police Department at (850) 435-1900.