HIGHLANDS COUNTY, Fla. - The Highlands County Sheriff wants to tackle gun violence and he hopes a new bike patrol will give them a different way to connect to people in three specific communities.
Deputies identified three neighborhoods with high gun violence. Those neighborhoods are Avon Park Southside, Washington Heights in Sebring, and Highway Park in Lake Placid. According to authorities, they said 55 percent of their attempted murders occur in those areas.
"You serve in pain, but you serve to, you know, alleviate pain from somebody else," Deputy Dwayne Council Sr. said.
Council's son was murdered in 2013 on the same streets he is now riding through. Deputy Council joined the sheriff's office a little more than a year ago. He said he did it to honor his son's memory and to make a difference.
"I know that's what he would want me to do," Deputy Council said.
The sheriff's office received a grant to start the bike patrols. They started riding in the 3 communities this week. Their mission is to build relationships with young kids in order to save someone's life from gun violence.
"If I can do anything to....prevent the pain....that we've experienced and that we still do sometimes, you know, that makes it all worth it," Deputy Council said.
