Alachua Police Department

08/22/2026

🎉 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗕𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗱𝗮𝘆! 🎉

The Alachua Police Department was proud to help es**rt the Bikers Against Bullies of Ocala (BABUSA OCALA FL) to a special birthday celebration in our community.

Approximately 100 motorcycles and vehicles showed up to support him, with riders from across Florida joining the Ocala crew for the ride. Gainesville Street Rods also came out to show their support. Several organizations brought gifts, and APD was proud to present him with an Alachua Police Department patch.

No child should feel like they have to face bullying alone. If you or someone you know is being bullied, speak with a trusted adult and reach out to your local School Resource Officer. We are here to listen, support you and make sure you know that we have your back.

Thank you to the Bikers Against Bullies, the riders who traveled from across Florida, Gainesville Street Rods and everyone else who helped make this birthday one to remember.

📸: 𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯.

08/20/2026

🎒🚔 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲–𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟳 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘀! 🚔🎒

Meet the Alachua Police Department School Resource Officers serving our schools during the 2026–27 school year.

👮‍♂️ 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿: Sgt. Hunt
🏫 𝗦𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮 𝗙𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹: Ofc. Gordon
🏫 𝗠𝗲𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹: Ofc. Sayers
🏫 𝗔𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗮 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹: Ofc. Payne
🏫 𝗜𝗿𝗯𝘆 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹: Ofc. Hudson — better known as 𝗣𝗮𝗽𝗮 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗿 🐻

Our School Resource Officers work each day to build positive relationships with students, support school staff, promote a safe learning environment, and serve as trusted resources throughout our school community.

If you see them around campus, be sure to say hello! 👋

Interested in learning more about our School Resource Unit and what our SROs do? Visit: https://www.cityofalachua.com/253

08/16/2026

𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗔𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲

There’s still time to register for the Alachua Police Department’s 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗶𝗱 𝗖𝗣𝗥 𝗔𝗘𝗗 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲.

This hands-on, interactive course will teach participants how to perform adult, child, and infant CPR, use an AED, respond to choking, and provide basic first aid during a medical emergency.

📅 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟬, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲
⏰ 𝟵:𝟬𝟬 𝗮.𝗺. 𝘁𝗼 𝟭:𝟬𝟬 𝗽.𝗺.
📍 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿
💲 $𝟯𝟬 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘁
👥 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝟭𝟲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿

The registration fee includes the course completion card and classroom supplies.

Space is limited to just 𝟭𝟬 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀, and seats are confirmed on a first-come, first-served basis once payment is received. Don’t miss your chance to learn skills that could help save a life!

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿:
https://www.cityofalachua.com/554

Registration is now open for the Alachua Police Department’s Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED Classroom Course.

This hands-on, interactive course will teach participants how to perform adult, child, and infant CPR, use an AED, respond to choking, and provide basic first aid during a medical emergency.

Saturday, October 10, 2026
9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Legacy Park Multipurpose Center
$30 per participant
Open to participants age 16 and older

The registration fee includes the course completion card and classroom supplies.

Class size is limited to 10 participants. Seats are confirmed on a first-come, first-served basis once payment is received. This is a pass-or-fail certification course, and registration fees are nonrefundable.

Learn more and register:
https://www.cityofalachua.com/554

08/15/2026

𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝘅𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 - 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗲: 𝟮𝟲𝗔𝗣𝗗𝟬𝟬𝟵𝟱𝟴

An early-morning encounter by an Alachua Police Department officer developed into an investigation that demonstrated the persistence, attention to detail, and dedication our officers bring to protecting this community.

On August 9, 2026, at approximately 4:57 a.m., an APD officer conducting routine patrol near NW US Highway 441 and Main Street observed a man on a bicycle flee upon seeing the officer’s patrol vehicle. A short time later, officers located the bicycle abandoned at Skinner Field, which closes at dark.

As officers approached the area, the man was located walking away in the darkness behind a building, in the opposite direction of the abandoned bicycle. He was detained while officers investigated the suspicious circumstances.

During the encounter, the individual provided officers with a name and date of birth that could not be verified. Technical difficulties with a law enforcement database prevented officers from confirming his identity at the scene. After officers obtained information regarding where he was staying, he was released. Officers continued investigating and later determined he had provided a false name.

Through continued follow-up and the use of available law enforcement resources, officers determined the individual was 𝟲𝟮-𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿-𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻 𝗘𝘂𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲 𝗠𝗰𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝗹, who was designated a S*xual Predator in the State of Florida.

The investigation revealed McDaniel had previous convictions in St. Johns County involving victims under the age of 16. Officers also learned that McDaniel had an active arrest warrant out of St. Johns County related to violations of his registration requirements and was listed as absconded in the Florida Department of Law Enforcement S*x Offender Registry database.

Further investigation determined that McDaniel had allegedly been residing at an address within the City of Alachua for approximately one year without properly reporting that residence as required.

The case continued into the next shift, and officers remained committed to locating McDaniel. Through continued follow-up and the use of available resources, he was located and taken into custody.

McDaniel was arrested for:

• Providing False Identity to Law Enforcement
• Failure to Register Current Address as a Registered S*xual Offender

He was transported to the Alachua County Jail without further incident.

McDaniel will now have to answer to the charges stemming from this investigation in Alachua County, as well as the outstanding warrant from St. Johns County.

This case reflects the persistence and teamwork of our officers, who continued working the investigation across shifts until it was resolved.

08/11/2026

🚸 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹'𝘀 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 — 📵 𝗣𝘂𝘁 𝗜𝘁 𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻!

As students return to school, we want to remind all drivers: 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮 𝗹𝗮𝘄 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝘂𝘁 𝗜𝘁 𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝘇𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀.

📵 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗮𝘄 𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀-𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀, 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝘇𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀, 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘇𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮.

⚠️ 𝗩𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗮𝘄 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 $𝟭𝟱𝟵 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲. 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸.

👀 As you head out:
✅ Stay alert
✅ Watch for buses and pedestrians
✅ Obey reduced speed limits
✅ Keep your phone out of your hands

Let’s protect our students and make sure everyone gets to school and home safely.

08/10/2026

Thank you to everyone who expressed interest in this position. The position has been filled.

UPDATE: Thank you to everyone who expressed interest in this position. The position has been filled.

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🚸 𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝗛𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗱 🚸

Are you looking for part-time work? The Alachua Police Department is looking for a school crossing guard.

✔️ Pay Rate: $21/hour
✔️ Convenient schedule
✔️ Holidays and summers off

We are looking for highly motivated individuals with a friendly and outgoing personality. If you are interested, please contact Sergeant Hunt at (352) 672-5068 or email [email protected].

08/09/2026

🚌 𝗗𝗼 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗕𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮?

With students heading to and from school, every driver plays a role in keeping children safe. Florida law requires drivers approaching a stopped school bus displaying its stop signal to come to a complete stop and remain stopped until the signal is withdrawn.

Here’s the simple breakdown:

𝗧𝘄𝗼-𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱: Traffic traveling in both directions must stop.

𝗠𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶-𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮 𝗽𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿: Traffic traveling in both directions must stop.

𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘄𝗮𝘆: If opposing traffic is separated from the bus by a raised median, physical barrier, or an unpaved space at least 5 feet wide, drivers traveling in the opposite direction are not required to stop. Drivers traveling behind the bus still must stop.

When in doubt, slow down, stay alert, and watch for children near school buses and bus stops. A few extra seconds can help keep our students and community safe.

𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘄. 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘀. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗸𝗶𝗱𝘀. 🛑🚌

08/07/2026

𝗗𝗨𝗜 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝘀𝘂𝗶𝘁, 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗻 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗺 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝗔𝗿𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 - 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗲: 𝟮𝟲𝗔𝗣𝗗𝟬𝟬𝟴𝟳𝟱

On July 26, 2026, at approximately 1:27 a.m., Alachua Police Department K-9 Officer Railey was traveling southbound on NW U.S. Highway 441 when he observed a Toyota Corolla rapidly approaching his patrol vehicle from behind. The vehicle was traveling 91 mph in a posted 55 mph zone.

Officer Railey allowed the vehicle to pass and then positioned himself behind it to conduct a traffic stop. The vehicle continued traveling at a high rate of speed, requiring Officer Railey to travel several miles before he was able to catch up. As he closed the distance, Officer Railey observed the vehicle failing to maintain a single lane and repeatedly traveling into the bicycle lane. Once he caught up, Officer Railey activated his emergency lights and siren to conduct a traffic stop, but the driver failed to stop and a pursuit was initiated.

The driver continued fleeing for several miles, reaching speeds of up to 98 mph. The pursuit entered Gainesville and was ultimately brought to an end in the 6300 block of NW 13th Street when Officer Railey performed a Pursuit Intervention Technique (PIT).

Following the PIT maneuver, Officer Railey held his position while additional officers responded to assist. Once officers from the Alachua Police Department and Gainesville Police Department arrived on scene, officers began calling the occupants out of the vehicle one at a time. The driver, Graham Scott Foster, was removed first and detained. The passenger, Homer Wiggins Jr., was then directed to exit. Before Wiggins exited, a Gainesville Police K-9 corporal observed him lean toward the driver’s side of the vehicle before returning to the passenger seat and exiting.

Officers later discovered an unholstered G***k .40-caliber handgun on the driver’s seat, in the area where Wiggins had been observed leaning. The firearm had been reported stolen only hours earlier following an armed burglary to a vehicle being investigated by the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office.

Wiggins denied knowledge or ownership of the firearm. The investigation determined that Wiggins was a convicted felon, with prior felony convictions for Tampering With an Electronic Monitoring Device and Hit and Run: Leaving the Scene Involving Death. Wiggins was charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.

During the DUI investigation, Foster stated that he had been traveling home from a bar in Alachua. Foster displayed several signs of impairment and agreed to perform Field Sobriety Exercises, which he performed poorly. He later provided lawful breath samples with Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) results of 0.182 and 0.191.

Foster was charged with Fleeing or Attempting to Elude a Law Enforcement Officer with Lights and Siren Active, Driving Under the Influence with a BAC of 0.15 or Higher, and Reckless Driving.

The Alachua Police Department would like to thank the Gainesville Police Department for their immediate assistance during this incident. This incident brought together three law enforcement agencies working two separate investigations involving the same individuals, demonstrating how interagency cooperation helps protect our communities and bring dangerous incidents to a safe conclusion.

08/05/2026

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝘆𝗮𝗻 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗵!

Tuesday evening marked two significant milestones for the Alachua Police Department. Recruit Ryan Walsh graduated from the Law Enforcement Academy at the Santa Fe College Institute of Public Safety, and Sgt. Jimmy Smith completed his first Basic Recruit Class as class coordinator. Chief Jesse Sandusky was in attendance to recognize and support both achievements.

Officer Walsh completed the intensive 770-hour Basic Recruit Training Program, successfully passing 14 academy examinations. During the graduation ceremony, he was also presented with the Driver Challenge Award, recognizing his outstanding performance in law enforcement vehicle operations.

Following graduation, Officer Walsh passed the Florida State Officer Certification Examination on Wednesday morning, an important final step in the certification process. He will now begin the Alachua Police Department’s Field Training Program, where he will apply his academy instruction alongside experienced field training officers as he prepares for independent patrol duties.

Florida’s law enforcement academy curriculum prepares recruits in critical areas such as constitutional and criminal law, ethics, communication, interviewing and report writing, patrol procedures, community relations, traffic stops and crash investigations, DUI enforcement, criminal investigations, crime scene procedures, emergency response, fi****ms, defensive tactics, first aid and law enforcement vehicle operations.

This graduating class was especially significant because it was the first Basic Recruit Class coordinated by Sgt. Smith since APD relocated its Training Division to the Santa Fe College Institute of Public Safety. Through this partnership, APD personnel help train and prepare recruits who will serve communities throughout the region.

“I am proud to have played a role in the training and coordination of this class,” Sgt. Smith said. “Providing recruits with the knowledge, skills and strong foundation they need is a responsibility we take seriously. It is rewarding to help these new officers begin careers dedicated to serving and protecting their communities.”

Please join Chief Sandusky and the Alachua Police Department in congratulating Officer Walsh on his graduation, receipt of the Driver Challenge Award, successful completion of the state examination and the beginning of the next phase of his law enforcement career.

08/04/2026

The Alachua Police Department was proud to assist with Operation Firewall, a three-day undercover operation targeting individuals attempting to sexually exploit children online.

As a member of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, APD works alongside local, state, and federal partners to protect children and hold offenders accountable.

“The protection of our children will always be a priority.” — Chief Jesse Sandusky

The operation resulted in 16 arrests, along with the seizure of fi****ms, vehicles, narcotics and other evidence.

We thank the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and every participating agency for their dedication and partnership.