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Daytona Beach News-Journal (FL)
March 24, 2008
Top cop takes back the streets
After 1 year, Bunnell chief tames crime, stirs some citizen unease
Author: HEATHER SCOFIELD - STAFF WRITER
BUNNELL - A year can make a world of difference.
Since Bunnell police Chief Armando Martinez took over early last year, locals say
improvements at the agency and in the community are many.
Before city officials hired Martinez, criminals and drug dealers were running the streets in
south Bunnell. And the poorly trained, underpaid officers in the city's ill-equipped Police
Department feared they might never gain the upper hand. The issues kept turnover high and
morale low, said Cpl. John Murray, a seven-year employee.
But city officials hoped to fix it and hired the then 47-year-old Martinez, who earns $65,000
annually. They had high hopes the "enthusiastic" Miami man could turn things around in their
small city of slightly more than 2,000 residents with rapidly spiking crime.
In just one visit, Martinez knew he had his work cut out for him in Bunnell.
"Others would have been discouraged and high-tailed it out at that point," Martinez said. "But I
wanted a challenge and there was no bigger challenge than this Police Department."
As he and city officials began the task of taking back turf from criminals, big decisions were
made. The city implemented an underage curfew and gave 17.2 percent overall raises to police
officers. The city and the Sheriff's Office also worked with Martinez to ensure his officers had
the training, tools and equipment they needed to do their jobs properly, Martinez said.
Martinez and his approximately 15 officers would spend hours walking, riding bikes and driving
in the community. They'd introduce themselves to residents and watch for anything suspicious.
And if people seemed nervous or if they were loitering in high crime areas, they might be
arrested.
Some of the arrests didn't stick.
In fact, the State Attorney's Office dropped the charges in several arrests. And some in the
community were angry about the wrongful arrests.
Edmund Pinto, vice president of the Flagler chapter of the NAACP, knew of Martinez' plans
before they were put into action. And he knew he might get calls about it. But the calls never
came, he said.
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