Lakeland, Florida

==Government and politics==
[[Image:Lakeland Munn Park Hist Dist Old City Hall03.jpg|thumb|right|Former Lakeland city hall, built 1913]]
Lakeland is governed by a six-member city council. Four members are elected from [[single-member district]]s; the other two are elected [[at-large]], requiring them to gain a majority of the votes. The mayor is elected.

===Mayor===
The City of Lakeland was incorporated on January 1, 1885. The mayor is one of seven members of the City Commission, acting as the board chair and performing mostly ceremonial and procedural duties beyond the powers of the other six. Prior to 1988, the City Commission selected Lakeland's mayor from among its members. Mayors can be on the board for up to 12 years in a lifetime, or 16 years in combination with holding a regular commission position. Lakeland's first mayor was J.W. Trammell.

The first female mayor was Lois Q. Searl, who served in 1965.
The 1970 municipal election placed the first African-American on the City Commission, Dr. [[John S. Jackson (Florida politician)|John S. Jackson]].<ref>{{Cite news|first= Garth|last=Germond |authorlink=   |title= Jackson Wins Runoff for City Commission Post  |newspaper=[[The Tampa Tribune  ]]|date= November 27, 1968|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tampa-tribune/135396400/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]]|archive-url=| archive-date=}}</ref>  In 1972, he became the first black mayor for the city.
In 1980, [[Carrie R. Oldham]] became Lakeland's first African-American female mayor.

Since 1988, the mayor has been elected by the city's voters.

===Mayors of Lakeland===
{| class="toccolours collapsible collapsed" width=70% align="left"
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! style="background:#F5DEB3"|  <small>Mayors of Lakeland, Florida</small>
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! Image
! Mayor
! Years
! Notes
|- style="height:2em"
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| John W. Trammell
| 1885
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| John D. Torrence
| 1885
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| Eppes C. Tucker Sr.
| 1886–1888 
| 3 terms
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|
| Napoleon B. Bowyer
| 1889–1890 
| 2 terms
|-
| [[File:Herbert J. Drane.jpg|100px]]
| [[Herbert J. Drane]]
| 1888–1892
| <ref name=Graveyard>{{cite web |url= http://politicalgraveyard.com/geo/FL/ofc/lakeland.html |title=Mayors of Lakeland, Florida |editor=[[Lawrence Kestenbaum]] |work=[[Political Graveyard]] |access-date= April 21, 2017 }}</ref>
|-
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| ?
| –
| 
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| J. T. Park
| 1894
| 
|-
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| Clarence A. Boswell
| 1894–1896
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|-
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| James P. Thompson
| 1897
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| Samuel L.A. Clonts
| 1898
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|-
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| C. M. Marsh
| 1898 
| 
|-
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| James P. Thompson
| 1899
| 
|-
| [[File:Park Trammell.jpg|75px]]
| [[Park Trammell]]
| 1900–1902
| <ref name=Graveyard />
|-
|
| Samuel L.A. Clonts
| 1903–1904
| <ref name=Graveyard />
|-
| 
| John F. Cox
| 1905–1907
| 
|-
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| ?
| 1908
| 
|-
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| John S. Edwards 
| 1909
| 
|-
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| William K. Jackson
| 1910
| 
|-
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| John F. Cox
| 1911
| 
|-
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| Samuel L.A. Clonts
| 1912
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|-
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| Oscar M. Eaton
| 1913–1915
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|-
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| John F. Cox
| 1916–1917
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|-
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| Edwin C. Flanagan
| 1918–1919
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|-
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| Frank H. Thompson 
| 1920
| 
|-
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| Hubert C. Petteway
| 1921
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|-
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| J.T. Hodges
| 1922–1923
| <ref>{{cite book |title=Lakeland and Polk County Directory |publisher=[[R.L. Polk & Co.]] |url= https://archive.org/details/polkslakelandpol1923rlpo |year=1923 |chapter=City Government |chapter-url= https://archive.org/stream/polkslakelandpol1923rlpo#page/30/mode/2up |via=[[Internet Archive]] }} {{free access}}</ref>
|-
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| Daniel C. Boswell 
| 1924
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| John W. Buchanan Jr.
| 1925
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| J. Bunyan Smith
| 1926
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|-
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| William S. Rodgers 
| 1927
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| Jesse F. Council
| 1927–1928
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|-
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| William S. Rodgers 
| 1927
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| William F. Reid
| 1928
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| Charles I. Dwiggins
| 1929 
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| H. Dean Grady 
| 1930–1931
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| William F. Reid
| 1931
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| H. Dean Grady
| 1930–1931
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| Benjamin M. Pulliam
| 1932
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|-
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| Elijah A. Godwin
| 1933
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| Edward L. Mack
| 1934
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| Elijah A. Godwin
| 1935
| 
| 
|-
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| George W. Mershon
| 1936
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|-
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| H. Clay Haynes
| 1937
| <ref name=Graveyard />
|-
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| Lutie M. Koons
| 1938
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| Thomas D. Conter
| 1939
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|-
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| Ira C. Hopper 
| 1940
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| George J. Tolson
| 1941
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| Elmer E. Kelly Jr.
| 1942
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| Horace W. Gibson
| 1943
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| George J. Tolson
| 1944
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| William Cade
| 1945
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| Edwin C. Flanagan Jr.
| 1946
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| George J. Tolson
| 1947
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|-
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| William Cade
| 1948
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|-
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| Clinton V. McClurg
| 1948
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| Ernest B. Sutton
| 1949
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| Guerry L. Dobbins
| 1950
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| Clayton Logan
| 1951
| <ref name=Graveyard />
|-
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| James J. Musso
| 1952
| <ref name=Graveyard />
|-
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| Norman T. Kent
| 1953
| <ref name=Graveyard />
|-
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| Wilbur Y. Wooten
| 1954
| <ref name=Graveyard />
|-
| [[File:Scottkelly10211963.jpg|75px]]
| [[Scott Kelly (politician)|S. Scott Kelly]]
| 1955
| <ref name=Graveyard />
|-
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| Mac H. Cunningham
| 1956
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|-
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| Earl W. Bowen
| 1957
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|-
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| James J. Musso
| 1958
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|-
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| William M. Hollis 
| 1958
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|-
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| R. Tom Joyner Jr.
| 1959
| <ref name=Graveyard />
|-
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| William G. Cooper Jr.
| 1960
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|-
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| Reuben H. Gibson
| 1961
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|-
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| Morris J. Pritchard
| 1962
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|-
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| William H. Lofton 
| 1963
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| R. Harold Grizzard
| 1964
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| James R. West
| 1965
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| Lois Q. Searl 
| 1965
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|-
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| John H. Woodall Jr. 
| 1966
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| W. Jack Day 
| 1967
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| George W. Trask
| 1968–1969
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|-
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| Marvin H. Henderson Jr.
| 1970
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|-
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| Joe P. Ruthven 
| 1971
| 
|-
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| Charles E. Whitten 
| 1972
| 
|-
| [[File:John S. Jackson, mayor of Lakeland Florida.jpg|75px]]
| [[John S. Jackson (Florida politician)|John S. Jackson]]
| 1972–1973
| first African-American mayor
|-
|
| George W. Trask
| 1974
| 
|-
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| W. Carl Dicks
| 1975
| 
|-
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| Peggy C. Brown
| 1976
| 
|-
| [[File:Charles A. Coleman, mayor of Lakeland Florida.jpg|75px]]
| [[Charles A. Coleman]]
| 1977
| 2nd African-American mayor
|-
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| John Tolson
| 1977
| 
|-
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| Curtis I. Walker
| 1978
| 
|-
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| George R. Burt 
| 1979
| 
|-
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| [[Carrie R. Oldham]]
| 1980
| first African-American female mayor 
|-
|
| R. Larry Turnipseed
| 1981
| <ref>{{Cite news|first=Dan |last=Guido |authorlink=   |title= Larry Turnipseed - Got Involved in Politics to Repay the People of Lakeland |newspaper=[[Tampa Times|The Tampa Times]]|date=August 20, 1981|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tampa-times/139248802/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|archive-url=| archive-date=}}</ref>
|-
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| J. Larry Durrence
| 1982
| 
|-
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| Frank J. O'Reilly
| 1983
| 
|-
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| Peggy C. Brown
| 1984
| 
|-
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| Thomas R. Shaw 
| 1985
| 
|-
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| J. Larry Durrence
| 1986
| 
|-
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| Frank J. O'Reilly
| 1987
| 
|-
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| Willie J. Williams
| 1988
| 4th African-American mayor
|-
|
| ?
| 1989–1993
| 
|-
| [[File:Ralph (Buddy) Fletcher, mayor of Lakeland Florida.jpg|75px]]
| [[Buddy Fletcher (politician)|Buddy Fletcher]]
| 1993–2009
| 
|-
| [[File:Gow Fields, mayor of Lakeland Florida.jpg|75px]]
| [[Gow Fields]]
| 2010–2014
| first African-American mayor elected in the city
|-
|
| R. Howard Wiggs
| 2014–2018
| <ref name=WFTS2014>{{citation |title=Howard Wiggs defeats Gow Field in race for Lakeland mayor |date=November 5, 2013 |work= [[WFTS-TV|WFTS]] |publisher=[[E.W. Scripps Co.]] |url=http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-polk/lakeland/howard-wiggs-defeats-gow-field-in-race-for-lakeland-mayor }}</ref>
|-
|
| Bill Mutz
| 2018–present
| <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lakelandgov.net/government/mayor-city-commission/mayor-bill-mutz/|title=Mayor Bill Mutz|website=City of Lakeland|language=en|access-date=2018-07-11}}</ref> 
|-
|}
{{end}}
{{clear}}

===Law enforcement===
On September 28, 2006, Polk County Sheriff's Deputy Vernon "Matt" Williams and his K-9 partner Diogi were shot and killed after a routine traffic stop in the Wabash area of Lakeland. More than 500 police officers from a variety of law enforcement agencies joined in a search for Angilo Freeland, suspected of murdering Williams and stealing his gun. Freeland was found hiding in a rural area the next morning. Nine officers from five different law enforcement agencies surrounded Freeland and shot him when he raised Williams' stolen gun at them. A total of 110 shots were fired, and Freeland was hit 68 times, killing him instantly.<ref name="Waddell">{{cite magazine | last = Waddell | first = Lynn | title = 68 Bullets | magazine = Newsweek | date = October 13, 2006 | url = http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2006/10/13/68-bullets.html}}</ref><ref name="autopsy">{{cite web | title = Autopsy: Officers fired 110 rounds at man suspected in cop's death | publisher = Sunbeam Television Corp. | date = September 30, 2006 | url = http://www1.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/MI30139/ | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131113120847/http://www1.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/MI30139/ | archive-date = November 13, 2013 | df = mdy-all }}</ref> Multiple investigations concluded the officers' use of force was justified.<ref>{{cite web | last = Walter | first = Shoshana | title = Killer's Civil Rights Not Violated, Panel Says | publisher = TheLedger.com | date = June 5, 2008 | url = http://www.theledger.com/article/20080605/NEWS/806050510?p=1&tc=pg&tc=ar}}</ref> Deputy Williams and Diogi were laid to rest on October 3, 2006, after a funeral that included a one-hour-and-45-minute procession to [[Auburndale, Florida|Auburndale]].<ref>{{cite web | last = Stegall | first = Sarah | title = Thousands Turn Out to Say 'Thank You' | publisher = TheLedger.com | date = October 4, 2006 | url = http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061004/NEWS26/610040399}}</ref>

In 2021, the Lakeland Police Department hired numerous former NYPD officers. Two of the new hires failed to disclose that they had been disciplined by the NYPD, and one new hire used to work in the NYPD's notorious anti-crime units which were disbanded after high-profile scandals.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Elder|first=Elise|date=2021-11-22|title=Former NYPD officers in Florida heralded by DeSantis include surprises|url=https://www.wuft.org/news/2021/11/22/former-nypd-officers-in-florida-heralded-by-desantis-include-surprises/|access-date=2021-11-24|website=WUFT News|language=en-US}}</ref>