St. Pete police give free steering wheel locks for Kia, Hyundai owners after high number of car thefts

The St. Petersburg Police Department gave out free steering wheel locks to certain car owners as they continue to respond to a high number of Hyundai and Kia car thefts over the last few months. All were given away within a day. 

DUI charge, improper timekeeping results in suspensions for 2 St. Pete officers

One officer was accused of DUI after a crash in Hillsborough County. The other was found to have overcharged the department for nearly 100 hours of work time through falsifying timecards.

Man arrested after burning Uhuru House flag with flamethrower, St. Pete police say

The man caught on surveillance cameras torching a flag with a flamethrower at Uhuru House has been arrested, according to the St. Petersburg Police Department. 

Juvenile detention facility employee accused violently attacking 17-year-old, police say

A juvenile detention facility employee is behind bars and facing disturbing child abuse allegations. Investigators said 53-year-old Andra Walters repeatedly punched a 17-year-old resident at Charles Britt Academy in St. Petersburg while another employee held the child down.

St. Pete police distributes $40,000 to local youth organizations

The St. Petersburg Police Department distributed $40,000 in federal grant money to five local organization working to help the youth. The paper checks represent so much more than the value printed on them.

St. Pete’s CALL Program serves more than 3,000 people in first year, city council extends program

Since the program started in February 2021, CALL has served over 3,000 people, completed over 5,400 contacts (a combination of live calls, follow-ups and referrals) and received over 1,000 officer referrals.

Sheriff: Suspect shot after pointing gun at St. Pete police officer

A suspect who pointed a gun at St. Petersburg police was shot by an officer late Thursday evening, according to Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri.

USF students, officers discuss improving relationship between law enforcement, minority communities

University of South Florida students along with officers from USF's police department and the St. Petersburg Police Department discussed how to improve relationships between law enforcement and minority communities.

Pinellas County prosecutors work to extradite man charged in two St. Pete killings

Pinellas County prosecutors charged a man accused in two St. Petersburg killings with two counts of first-degree murder, and now they want him moved to their jail.

Man shot in car, suspect arrested, police say

An 84-year-old man was shot early Saturday morning while sitting in his car at a convenience store, say detectives with the St. Petersburg Police Department.

St. Pete PD uses robot featured in Sam Adams Super Bowl commercial

One of the stars of this year's Super Bowl advertisements is actually a member of St. Petersburg Police Department SWAT. 

St. Pete's chief of police one of Bay Areas prominent Black voices

The man in the top spot in the St. Petersburg Police Department got his start in law enforcement at a time when departments were hiring minorities in an effort to diversify their forces. At the time, he was not thinking about how his career would shape one of Florida's biggest cities.

St. Pete PD chief: Officer fired for using stun gun on man who was 'not physically resisting' during arrest

St. Petersburg police announced they fired one of their officers, saying he improperly used a stun gun multiple times on a man wanted for failing to appear in court. They said the suspect was 'not physically resisting in a way that warranted being tasered.'

'You're a community member. What do you want to see an officer do?': Workshops give officers new perspective

In the first days of St. Petersburg Police Department's workshops on community policing, officers were asked to “'Take off the badge, put that aside. You're a community member. What do you want to see an officer?'”