ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Police Department has launched an effort to control crime at a local hotel that has been a trouble spot for violent crimes in the past.
The Vacation Lodge motel brags about new owners with the cleanest rooms around, but Orlando Police say there's a lot of dirt going on inside the motel. The motel is located on South Orange Blossom Trail, not far from the Citrus Bowl and directly behind Jones High School.
Orlando Police records show officers have responded to more than 300 calls for service at the motel in the last year. In response, officers are saturating the Vacation Lodge and the area around it looking for any criminal activity. They're calling it Operation Pressure Point.
Officers say the motel is a haven for convicted felons, drugs, and prostitution. Channel 9 was there as one man was arrested for having drugs.
"We're finding a lot of them don't even belong on property. One person is renting a room, but they're letting other people conduct criminal activity such as drugs, guns, and prostitution" said Assistant Chief Paul Rooney.
We're told motel management is cooperating with the operation and Assistant Chief Rooney says the operation doesn't cost the department any extra money because they're using officers already on duty.