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Cameras To Keep An Eye On Crime

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By LENORA LAKE, Tribune correspondent

Published: January 19, 2008

UNIVERSITY AREA - The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office could install up to 30 cameras this year to monitor criminal activity in the community west of the University of South Florida.

Officials from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, Tampa Police Department and University of South Florida Police Department also should work closer together to deter and apprehend criminals, said a sheriff's office captain who is coordinating a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.

"The grant is an attempt for more data sharing between agencies," said Capt. Ray Lawton of the sheriff's office's Special Investigations Unit. About half the money will be used for the University Area "because it has been a hot spot for robberies," he said.

The University Area, which is bound by Bearss Avenue, Fowler Avenue, Nebraska Avenue and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, has some of the highest crime numbers in the county's unincorporated area.

The project, Eye on Crime, is funded through a federal Byrne Grant. It includes training for deputies and equipment to collect and share the data with other agencies.

Lawton said the sheriff's office has targeted University Area crime for about 18 months. Tactics have included a robbery task force; lawsuits against four apartment complexes for criminal activities on their property; a "stay away zone program" that requires convicted felons who live outside the community and have committed crimes there to stay away from the area as part of their probation; and a short-term, trial run of cameras that were on loan in 2007.

The new cameras will provide a 360-degree view of street corners and parking lots, he said. The sheriff's office is looking at the capabilities of cameras used in other cities and the satisfaction of their users.

Some may oppose use of the cameras, Lawton said. The installation of face-scanning cameras in Ybor City in 2001 drew complaints.

"We don't want our cameras looking into people's houses," Lawton said.

Before installing the cameras, the sheriff's office will hold at least two town hall meetings in the community to discuss its plan.

Lt. Leon Paige, a shift commander in the District 1 office at 14102 N. 20th St., is working with Lawton to coordinate the district's implementation of the plan. He said he expects the first meeting to be in or before March. He hopes to address business owners, apartment managers and residents.

"We hope to prevent and solve some of the crime in the area," Paige said.

Lawton said the sheriff's office also plans to collaborate with local groups, such as the University Area Community Development Corp., to make the most effective use of the grant money.

Julian Garcia, the development corporation's executive director, said the nonprofit group plans to work with the sheriff's office, but a specific plan has not been developed.

Paige said he has prepared a list of proposed locations for the cameras. He said he consulted with other sheriff's deputies, including those working street crimes, auto burglaries and robberies.

"I went out and rode with the street crime guys," Paige said. "Now, we will get the tech guys out to ride around" and be sure the proposed locations would not have the cameras affected by lighting, shadows, bushes or other obstacles.

He said that during the cameras' trial runs in 2007, deputies arrested a number of suspects dealing drugs or committing other crimes. One day, five arrests were made because of activities observed on the camera monitors, he said.

"They were not the quality we will be getting, but they did serve their purpose of giving us footage videotape recordings and dispersing criminals," Paige said.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Share your thoughts on cameras being used to monitor criminal activity in the University Area by visiting northeast.tbo.com and clicking on "View Forum" to the left side of the page. Correspondent Lenora Lake can be reached at (813) 865-4851 of llake@tamp

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