They have no badges, no guns, and no arrest powers. But what they lack in law enforcement authority, they make up for in knowledge of their neighborhoods. They are the members of the Collier County Sheriff’s Office community safety teams, and they have quietly become their neighborhoods’ watchdogs, identifying issues and raising concerns that don’t [...]

A renewed sense of hope and community pride was born as the sun rose Saturday in an Oceanside neighborhood still recovering from recent gang violence. An estimated 1,000 people turned out for the eighth annual Oceanside SUN (Supporting Urban Neighborhoods) Project. The partnership between the city and community residents, volunteer groups, and corporate sponsors gave [...]