The Lakeland Downtown Development Authority is piloting a new ambassador program this summer that will put additional staff members on the city’s streets, according to Executive Director Julie Townsend.
The LDDA has hired four part-time ambassadors who will report to Tony Davila, the organization’s clean and safe manager. These individuals should stand out, wearing bright yellow shirts. The back of their shirts will read “Ambassador” with the LDDA’s logo on the front.
The LDDA’s ambassadors will be tasked with watering the downtown flower pots, picking up trash and proactively looking to assist downtown visitors who might be lost or confused, Townsend said.
“They are in bright yellow, as we wanted to make sure we reflected the safety part, especially if working early hours and it’s dark in the morning,” she said.
Townsend said the LDDA has also hired two part-time “security ambassadors” to start working with Davila this week.
“We don’t want to call them officers. They are not carrying guns,” she said. “We wanted to make it a little softer.”
The two security ambassadors will be wearing dark blue uniforms with the words “Security Ambassador” on the back of the shirt. The LDDA logo is on the front of the shirt, and they will not have a badge or guns.