MOUNT DORA, Fla. — Interim Police Chief Michael Gibson provided updates to Mount Dora City Council on the Safe Spaces program approved in August. The program provides businesses with voluntary decals, indicating they are a safe space for victims of hate crimes.
What You Need To Know
- The program has faced push-back, including from GOP lawmakers who say it's "virtue signaling" and could harm businesses who choose not to participate
- In coordination with the program, Chief Michael Gibson says officers will be trained on how to best serve LGBTQ members who have been victims of a crime
- Business owners are at odds over the program, with some excited to receive a decal, while others feel a decal would create separation within the community
According to Gibson, the project will consist of four phases. In the first phase, where the project stands now, officers will undergo an education program. The program will help them understand how to best serve victims of hate crimes.
It will also help them understand when something is a hate crime. Finally, officers will be instructed to document instances of hate speech, as Chief Gibson says these frequently lead to hate crimes.
In phase two, Gibson will present the department’s plans and efforts to the nationwide coordinator of the Safe Space program, which is headed up in Seattle, Washington. Also, during this phase, the decal design will be finalized and a local program coordinator will be chosen.
Gibson will then address the City Council with the local program coordinator with the latest updates in phase three.
Finally, phase four program: activation. Ideally, Gibson says he hopes to have the program up and running by October.
One point of contention within the Mount Dora community is the decal design. The national decal depicts a LGBTQ+ pride flag, though the program is intended to benefit all victims of hate crimes. Some community members hope the decal will feature a design applicable to different racial, ethnic, or religious backgrounds and not solely to the LGBTQ+ community.
Meanwhile, the program itself has been a contentious topic in Mount Dora.
One shop owner, Lisa Winslow, says she’s looking forward to getting her decal.
“It’s just about being a good person. Maybe if we just got back to being good people, and focusing on what we have in common instead of what we don’t have in common, we could get along,” said Winslow, owner of Home and Garden Treasures.
Winslow has owned her shop since 1999, and says she wants to make it clear that she’s there for anyone needing help.
Down the street, shop owner Amy Becker has similar sentiments but isn’t on board with the decal.
“I just want to have my store say ‘open’ or ‘closed.’ And I don’t want it to become a political thing of whether I do or don’t have a sticker,” said Becker, owner of Becker’s Best Shoes.
Becker says she welcomes every single person into her shop with open arms and feels as though the decal would create separation in the community.
“I don’t need to separate it. I think if you have a heartbeat and you’re human, you’re welcome and you’re safe,” said Becker.
