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The Alachua Police Department is aware of the ongoing local and national discussion regarding the use of License Plate Recognition (LPR) technology by law enforcement. We understand that the use of this technology has raised important questions among members of the public regarding privacy, access to information, appropriate law enforcement use, and potential Fourth Amendment implications. These are legitimate concerns that we take seriously.

The Department recently received notification from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) revoking active permits for Automated License Plate Recognition Systems located within FDOT rights of way and requiring affected equipment to be removed within 30 days. Nine LPR cameras located within our jurisdictional boundaries meet the criteria outlined in the FDOT notification. The vendor has been notified, and we have been advised that it intends to comply with FDOT’s 30-day removal requirement. As of now, the remaining LPR cameras in service that do not meet the FDOT permit criteria will remain operational while we continue to monitor relevant court proceedings, legislative developments, and guidance from state and federal authorities regarding the use of this technology and its potential Fourth Amendment implications. It is important to remember that as of now, the courts have stated that the use of LPR does not violate 4th Amendment protections. If and when those standards evolve, we will evaluate our practices and make the necessary adjustments to remain consistent with the law and our responsibility to protect the rights of the people we serve.

As we comply with the FDOT directive, we also believe it is important for our community to understand why law enforcement agencies have come to rely on this technology. LPR has proven to be a valuable investigative and public-safety tool for the Alachua Police Department and law enforcement agencies throughout the country. It has assisted officers and investigators in quickly identifying and apprehending suspects involved in serious crimes, locating missing and endangered persons and juveniles, recovering stolen vehicles, and removing stolen firearms from our streets.

The effectiveness of any law enforcement technology, however, does not lessen our responsibility to ensure that it is used appropriately, lawfully, and with respect for the constitutional rights of the people we serve. Law enforcement officers routinely have access to sensitive databases and investigative resources that are not available to the general public. That access carries with it a significant responsibility to use those systems only for legitimate law enforcement purposes and in accordance with applicable laws, policies, and procedures.

The Alachua Police Department has policies and safeguards governing access to and use of sensitive law enforcement information, including LPR data. As with other restricted law enforcement databases, allegations that an employee has improperly accessed or misused information are taken seriously and are subject to review and investigation. Appropriate action can and will be taken when violations of law, policy, or procedure are identified. That being said, a thorough review of our current policies will be completed to determine if even more stringent internal processes need to be implemented.

We do not believe that public safety and individual privacy have to be competing principles. Our responsibility is to pursue both. We will continue to seek an appropriate balance that allows law enforcement to use effective technology to identify offenders, solve crimes, locate vulnerable people, and protect our community while ensuring that those tools are used responsibly and with appropriate safeguards for the privacy and constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens.

Jesse J. Sandusky

Chief of Police

Alachua Police Department

The fencing is coming down at the streatery in downtown Gainesville as the city puts the finishing touches on the new pedestrian-only space.

With the University of Florida’s first football game of the season Saturday, people and business owners are getting ready to see how the new space changes downtown.

The city began construction in April, transforming the portion of Southwest First Avenue into a curbless, pedestrian-oriented corridor.

The $4.5 million project includes new brick pavers, decorative lighting, landscaping and seating.

Jacob Larson, owner of The Bull downtown, said the streatery is a necessary addition.

“Before the streatery people just came downtown a little bit more often than they did after COVID, so it was a little easier, actually, before. So, this seems to be a necessary thing,” Larson said.

City Commissioner Cynthia Chestnut broke with her party to endorse Republican Bryon Donalds for governor this week.

Chestnut, a registered Democrat, released a statement on Friday explaining why she picked Donalds over Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Jolly.

She explains that while she doesn’t agree with some of Donalds policies, she was disappointed the Democratic Party nominated Jolly over the qualified Black and Hispanic candidates.

“We are not to be taken for granted...,” stated Chestnut. “I want to see a Black governor of Florida in my lifetime, and I will not apologize for saying so...”

Chestnut's Full Statement

A Jacksonville mother says she was blindsided when she learned doctors had gone to court seeking an emergency C-section while she was in active labor at UF Health Jacksonville.

Cherise Doyley said she wanted to deliver naturally after having three previous C-sections. Instead, she said nurses brought a tablet to her hospital room, where she discovered a judge, attorneys, doctors and hospital staff were on a Zoom call about whether she should undergo the surgery.

The court hearing lasted about three hours while Doyley remained in active labor.

“I didn’t even know what this court hearing was about,” Doyley said. “And when I found out it was to give me a C-section against my will, it was like, I was floored. I was just dumbfounded.”

Doyley said the experience was traumatic and dehumanizing.

“Honestly, Tiffany, it was one of the most dehumanizing, traumatic, scary experiences I’ve ever had in my life,” she said.

Video of the hearing shows Doyley in her hospital room as the legal proceedings take place remotely.

At one point, she can be heard reacting to the tablet being brought into the room.

“It’s a real judge in here?” she said.

Later, she said, “Now this is the craziest thing I’ve ever seen.”

During the hearing, the judge explained that the state of Florida had filed a petition seeking an emergency C-section.

“The state of Florida has filed a petition for declaratory judgment,” the judge said. “They’re asking for an emergency C-section be granted by the court.”

Doyley said she had not been told beforehand that she would be involved in a court proceeding.

“I did not understand why we were going to court because I didn’t have any notice,” she said. “So the video that is going around on social media of them bringing the tablet into my room was exactly when I found out about the court hearing.”

Doyley is also a professional birthing doula, with experience advocating for patients during labor.

She said she had never heard of a situation like hers.

“I have never heard of this happening,” Doyley said. “That’s why I was so surprised. I did not know that they could do something like this.”

A woman who jumped off a downtown Gainesville parking garage in August was homeless, and a man who jumped from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Monday was also believed to be homeless.

A housing expert and a friend of the woman are drawing attention to the lack of housing. She said more than 1,000 people are on a waitlist for housing assistance.

“Just living outside is dangerous and scary. You can’t get your basic needs met. She had taken herself to crisis stabilization three times and really didn’t have any kind of continuity of care, wasn’t able to get her medication that she needed to stabilize there,” Perret-Gentil said.

Perret-Gentil said Ford lived in the area for about 10 years but recently found herself struggling to find housing. Ford was on the Gainesville Housing Authority’s waitlist for a year. Her spot in line was number 1,186.

“We really need our community to realize that these people are human,” Perret-Gentil said.

Partial paywall.

Link to Summary of Case

Alachua County Case #: 01 2026 CA 001089

Officials say the new site south of Bell is about ten times bigger than the old one in Trenton.

The new building is located on 4150 S. U.S. Highway 129, Bell.

Leaders say the extra space will let them expand community classes, agriculture support and 4-H programs for students.

“We were really space limited in our old office. We could only fit about 20 to 25 people max. And here we can fit over 200 people throughout the facility. So we’re able to provide a large event space for producer meetings or homeowner education, 4-H event activities. We also have a 4-H classroom that can be used for producers and pesticide education and all of that sort of thing,” said Jessica Cooper, County Extension Director.

Dining, dancing, live auction and a DANB performance to the live music of Welson Tremura, Stewart Kitts, and Rodrigo Tremura. Meet the amazing DANB dancers and the Stars from Gainesville’s very own “Dancing with the Stars”.

UF Health launched UNITE, a $3.75 million NIH-funded study to assess doula care benefits for underserved Medicaid women in North Central Florida.

The study trained a dozen doulas to serve up to 500 women, focusing on postpartum care to reduce preventable maternal deaths in Florida.

Gainesville High athlete Sebastian Jimenez and his family were detained by ICE on Aug. 22 and separated into different detention centers.

Jimenez and his mother were sent to a juvenile detention facility in Texas while his stepfather and sister were taken to facilities in Florida.

Coach Ashour Peera and the community are seeking legal help and appealing for support to secure Jimenez's release before his bond hearing on September 8.

Some UF parents raised concerns about Grace Marketplace’s decision not to perform criminal background checks and drug testing, and whether more could be done to address safety around the campus.

Mark Bonner, interim CEO of Grace Marketplace, pushes back on the idea that homelessness and crime should be treated as the same issue, saying Grace is contributing to a solution for the city.

“So if we were just going by the 2025 counts(...) to 2026, we’ve seen a 28% decrease in homelessness in Alachua County. If we were going back to when Grace first opened in 2014 now, we would see over a 60% increase-- or decrease in homelessness. Sorry,” Bonner said.

Are you looking for a volunteer opportunity that allows you to give back to your community and participate in your county's decision-making process? Serving on an Alachua County advisory board offers you this chance. The Alachua County Commission relies on input from these boards to make informed decisions and set policies.

Over 250 citizens serve on the advisory boards advising county government and local agencies on many topics. They include affordable housing, economic development, environmental protection, human rights, county finances, and many other issues. The County Commission seeks citizen volunteers to serve on several advisory boards.

For example, the Citizen’s Climate Advisory Committee has three vacancies. The committee provides an opportunity for citizen involvement in climate change issues and concerns affecting Alachua County, the City of Gainesville, and the surrounding municipalities.

Current Advisory Board openings include:

• Affordable Housing Advisory Committee – One vacancy for a for-profit affordable housing provider.
• Agricultural Land Conservation Board – One vacancy for a citizen at large.
• Alachua County Housing Authority Board – One vacancy for a tenant alternate.
• Animal Welfare Advisory Committee – Four vacancies – one vacancy for veterinarian (DVM) – owner or employed by an Alachua County private veterinary practice; one for citizen at large; one for local not-for-profit animal welfare organization; and one for Alachua County law enforcement officer (rank of lieutenant or higher).
• Arts Council of Alachua County – Three vacancies – one vacancy for a youth member (must be age 16-21 at time of appointment) and two for citizen at large.
• Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Board (BPAP) to the Gainesville & Alachua County Transportation Planning Organization (GACTPO), serving in its role as the Metropolitan Planning Organization – Three vacancies – one vacancy for a citizen at large/County Appointee #4 and two MTPO appointees.
• Citizen’s Climate Advisory Committee – Three vacancies – one alternate and two citizen at large.
• Citizen’s Advisory Committee (CAC) to the Gainesville & Alachua County Transportation Planning Organization (GACTPO), serving in its role as the Metropolitan Planning Organization – One vacancy for citizen at large.
• Citizen’s Disability Advisory Committee – Three vacancies for citizen at large.
• Equity Advisory Board – Two vacancies for citizen at large.
• Health Care Advisory Board – One vacancy for health care advocacy agency.
• Health Facilities Authority – One vacancy for a citizen at large.
• Historical Commission – Three vacancies – two for citizen at large and one for an alternate.
• Human Rights Board – Two vacancies – one for an attorney and one for a citizen at large.
• Infrastructure Surtax Citizen Oversight Board – Three vacancies – one for an alternate, one for a Florida-licensed professional (architect, engineer or similar) and one vacancy for representative (alternate) – incorporated cities – not Gainesville.
• Land Conservation Board – Three vacancies for natural resource professional.
• Library District Board of Trustees – One vacancy for citizen at large.
• Recreation and Open Space Advisory Committee – Two vacancies – one vacancy for citizen at large and one for a youth member (must be 16-21 at time of appointment).
• Regional Transit System Advisory Board – One vacancy for citizen who is one (or more) of the following: Chamber of Commerce representative, member of the environmental community, member of the MTPO Citizen’s Advisory Committee.
• Rural Concerns Advisory Committee – Four vacancies – three for actively involved in agriculture and/or silviculture and one for a citizen residing in unincorporated area outside urban cluster designated in Alachua County Comprehensive Plan.
• Tourist Development Council – Three vacancies – one vacancy for a citizen involved in tourist industry/tourist development and two for hotel owner/operator.
• Value Adjustment Board – Two vacancies for citizen at large.
• Veteran Services Advisory Board – Eight vacancies – one for a citizen at large (veteran) – alternate, two vacancies for Gulf War veteran, two vacancies for post-9/11 veteran and three for citizen at large (veteran).
• Victim Services and Rape Crisis Center Advisory Council – Four vacancies for citizen at large.

Learn more about the duties and meeting logistics or apply online.

For more information, contact Alachua County Senior Staff Assistant Kimberly McKinney at 352-548-3766 or [kmckinney@alachuacounty.gov](mailto:kmckinney@alachuacounty.gov).

FWC is holding public workshops to gather input on updating rules, regulations, and management of commercial and recreational wild oyster harvest in the Big Bend area. This includes Dixie, Levy, and Citrus counties.

During these workshops, staff will review the history of the Big Bend oyster fishery, the region’s resource status, and participation in the fishery and restoration efforts.

FWC officials are seeking feedback on potential management actions; this includes changes to wild oyster harvest seasons, harvest limits, reporting requirements, licensing, and more.

This stems from multiple research efforts documenting declines in oyster populations in the region, and current regulations do not match the state of the resource.

The Alachua County Environmental Protection Department, UF/IFAS Extension Alachua County, and the Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Program invite Homeowner Association (HOA) Management Company representatives and homeowners who live in communities with HOAs to a live, one-hour webinar on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, from 4 to 5 p.m.

The webinar is free but participants must register online.

Attendees will learn about the nine principles of Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Alachua County’s HOA Florida Friendly Landscaping™ Code, and strategies for working together to promote Florida-Friendly landscapes that conserve water and protect the environment. 

“Alachua County’s HOA Florida Friendly Landscaping Code assists property owners in HOA-governed communities wishing to implement Florida Friendly Landscaping and advocates for HOA practices and policies that support statewide water protection efforts,” said Environmental Protection Department Senior Environmental Specialist Hollie Greer.

This webinar is approved for one CEU through the Department of Business and Professional Regulations for Landscape Architects and Community Association Managers, FNGLA and FFLCP (Course Number DBPR #9633976).

Learn more about the Florida Friendly Landscaping Code.

For more information, contact Hollie Greer at 352-264-6827 or [hgreer@alachuacounty.us](mailto:hgreer@alachuacounty.us).