New GPD chief's department changes include higher starting pay, longer shifts

Changes being implemented at the Gainesville Police Department were shared Wednesday with members of the Black on Black Crime Task Force.

Those changes include officers going from working 10-hour shifts to 12-hour shifts and increasing starting pay for new officers to $60,000 a year, according to information provided to The Sun via text message by Darry Lloyd, moderator and vice president of the task force and chief investigator and spokesperson for the Eighth Judicial Circuit’s State Attorney’s Office.

According to Lloyd, the changes were announced to the task force by GPD Chief Nelson Moya, who was named to the permanent position last month after serving in an interim role since March.

Local news: Interim Gainesville Police Department Chief Nelson Moya named to permanent position

Moya's top priorities at GPD, according to Lloyd, include dealing with gun-related violence, addressing Gainesville's homeless population and traffic enforcement.

The goal for dealing with homeless individuals is to provide them with resources in the community while still promoting law and order, Moya said.

An emphasis is being placed on traffic enforcement because the city is on track to surpass the previous year’s traffic-related fatalities.

Some of the gun-related statistics shared by Moya during the meeting included the reporting of 78 stolen firearms this calendar year through Sept. 30; 200 firearms seized/recovered by law enforcement officers; 104 shots fired; 37 people shot or injured by gunfire, and eight gun-related homicide victims.

Since arriving at GPD in June 2023, Moya has launched a data-driven Gun Violence Prevention Initiative to help enhance enforcement and intervention efforts, conducted firearm seizures, gun buybacks and community outreach, and worked to recruit new officers to the agency.

"I want an organization that is deeply tied into our community, I want there to be synergy between the citizens, our neighbors and the organization," Moya said on Sept. 13 when his appointment to the chief position was announced. "I want the employees to feel valued and loved so that they can translate that feeling of worth into how they apply public safety in this community."

The task force typically meets at 5:30 p.m. the first Wednesday of every month in the Hall of Heroes Community Room at GPD, 545 NW Eighth Ave.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: New GPD chief's department changes include higher starting pay, longer shifts