Owensboro Police Department reimplemented its flex team — a group of officers who patrol the city and work to prevent a continuation of violent activity. In a little over a month, OPD’s flex team has played a hand in reducing the number of violent crimes that have occurred across Owensboro.
Since the flex team began patrolling neighborhoods, beginning in the northwest quadrant of the city, the number of gun-related homicides and injuries, as well as the number of gun-related instances that have occurred, has significantly decreased.
Since the beginning of 2019 there have been seven gun-related homicides that have occurred, eight injuries related to gun activity and 11 total instances where people were either killed, targeted or injured by guns.
Since June 12, Owensboro has only seen one shooting in one instance, which occurred on June 29 in the 200 block of Byron Court. OPD detectives described the shooting as an “isolated domestic incident” and charged Edward Cortez Sharp, 38, of Evansville with possession of a handgun by a convicted felon and possession of a defaced firearm in relation to the crime.
While gun-related homicides and injuries in communities have a tendency to ebb and flow over the course of a year, OPD’s flex team has seen a successful first five weeks in reducing shooting instances across the area by 90.9 percent, and reducing gun-related homicides and injuries by 93.4 percent.
The flex team has made a number of arrests that have benefited the area as well. OPD Public Information Officer Andrew Boggess said the flex team has made 84 drug charges, three weapons charges and served 97 warrants for arrest since taking to the streets in June.
“They’ve also done 50 hours of foot patrol in different areas,” Boggess said. “That’s a big number. Normally that’s something officers don’t get a chance to do because they’re so busy with reports and calls coming in during their shifts. They don’t get a lot of time to interact with the community, as much as they’d like to.”
Foot patrol allows the flex team to maintain a physical presence in different areas across Owensboro, giving officers the chance to be visible as they speak with residents and develop relationships with those most affected by gun violence, drug activity and other potentially dangerous situations.
While the numbers certainly show the flex team’s effectiveness, it’s still a little early to determine how violent activity will play out in the near or distant future.
“They’re only a few weeks in but, so far, the results have been positive,” Boggess said. “We’ve had one domestic incident since the flex team was implemented. So far, the flex team has had its desired impact in helping to make the community a safer place. It also feels safer for a lot of the members of the community.”
After a surge of violent activity hit Owensboro last year, OPD mobilized the flex in September. Again, violent activity decreased across the area, and the unit of four officers and one sergeant disbanded after three months. The number of violent crimes began to pick up again during the winter of 2018.
Boggess said that won’t happen this time around. OPD determined they would maintain a police presence in the area for a longer period of time than before.
“At this point, the flex team will remain active for an undetermined length of time,” Boggess said.
