Press release from City of Gainesville

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Several months ago, a vandal struck three times at the City Hall Complex. Windows were broken at the Old Library Building and the mayor’s office. Two racist and threatening notes were left behind.

These events were troubling. They raised safety concerns for all City employees and their families. The security and well-being of our organization and the community we serve is of paramount importance. Every neighbor and visitor deserves to feel safe and protected in City buildings and on City grounds.

The suspect the Gainesville Police Department charged in the case has now been booked at the Alachua County Jail. We are relieved and grateful to GPD for their excellent work in closing this investigation.

We can report that additional security measures at City Hall and the Old Library Building, long in the planning stages and unrelated to the vandalism, are largely complete. These add another layer of safety to our downtown workplace.

We are moving forward, continuing to remain vigilant with monitoring at City Hall, the Old Library Building and all City of Gainesville properties.

If you see anything that does not seem right, please reach out to your supervisor, our security officer at City Hall, or call the GPD non-emergency line at 352-955-1818. If the situation is an emergency, call 911.

We give you our full commitment, on behalf of the City of Gainesville, that we will continue to protect and support every member of our community.

Sincerely,

Harvey Ward
Gainesville Mayor

Cynthia W. Curry,
Gainesville City Manager

Alachua Chronicle’s article on the arrest of the suspect can be found here.