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| Pictured above: Tarpon Springs Police Officers at Howard Park |
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The City of Tarpon Springs is approximately 16 square miles including waterways and is located on the west central coast of Florida. Tarpon Springs has a diverse population of approximately 24,000. For more information on the population or city statistics, please visit this link.
HISTORY
The region, with a series of bayous feeding into the Gulf of Mexico, first attracted attention as a place for winter homes about 1876. Some of the newly arrived visitors spotted Tarpons jumping out of the waters and so named the location Tarpon Springs. The first Greek immigrants arrived to this city during the 1880s, when they were hired to work as divers in the growing sponge harvesting industry. In 1905, John Cocoris introduced the technique of sponge diving to Tarpon Springs. Cocoris recruited Greek sponge divers from the Dodecanese Islands Kalymnos, Symi and Halki in particular leading, by the 1930s, to a very productive sponge industry in Tarpon Springs, generating millions of dollars a year. The 1953 film Beneath the 12-Mile Reef, depicting sponge diving, takes place and was filmed in Tarpon Springs….More on the history of the City of Tarpon Springs from Wikipedia.
DEPARTMENT INFORMATION
Tarpon Springs Police currently has 49 sworn officers; approximately 30 are assigned to road patrol. The remaining sworn officers are assigned to various special units including Crime Prevention, Code Enforcement, SRO, Detectives, Youth Center and Training etc… Community based policing remains one of the most important philosophies of the police department. We expect EVERY officer to participate in our partnership with the community. We encourage officers to build positive relationships with children, business owners, visitors and residents. Please click on the “COPS&KIDS” link below for further information on our departments community based policing programs.
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