City Manager T. Michael Sabers used the State of the City to highlight public safety investments and staffing increases that he credited with pushing crime rates down.

Crime and staffing: Sabers said Winter Haven’s crime rate stands at 1.714 per 1,000 people — the lowest recorded — and that the commission added three officers this year and six last year for a total of nine new officers over two years, enabling strategic response units and bike units.

Equipment and facilities: Sabers noted the commission approved roughly $1,700,000 for new police vehicles and earlier approved over $2,000,000 for two new fire trucks (received soon after construction) that will be placed into service. He also said the guaranteed maximum price for Fire Station 5 was accepted, and the station is expected to open in late 2026 or early 2027.

What’s next: The city will continue to recruit and train staff, place purchased vehicles and fire trucks into service, and finalize Fire Station 5 construction and planning for further stations as growth requires.