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Crime, mystery don't take a holiday in this county

By JEFF WEBB
Published July 3, 2005

Eating has become a a big part of Independence Day celebrations. Perhaps these tidbits will provide some food for thought you can include in your holiday spread.

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The Florida Department of Law enforcement recently announced that Hernando County's overall crime rate dropped a whopping 13.7 percent in 2004. That's more than double the statewide average of 6 percent, which is the lowest it has been in 34 years.

Hernando also posted a 14.7 percent decrease in violent crimes, such as murders, aggravated assaults and robberies. In the Tampa Bay region, Hernando's decrease was greater than those reported in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco and Citrus counties.

Although there was about a 12 percent increase in the number of forcible sex crimes, such as rape and child molestation, the overall decrease in serious crimes is a significantly encouraging statistic, especially with Hernando County's continuing climb in population.

So, with fewer violent crimes being committed, one might speculate that there would be fewer prisoners in the county jail, right?

Wrong.

The number of guests at the local Gray Bar Hotel went up almost 30 percent in 2004, with about 400 inmates registered there at the end of the year. And that trend is continuing; Last month, there were 466 prisoners in the county lockup, which is undergoing a $20-million expansion in anticipation of boosting its enrollment to about 550.

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Speaking of serious crime, you may have read in the Times last week about one that surely was not.

Prisoner Patrick Zupo, who is serving his sentence one weekend at a time for driving with a suspended license at the county jail, allegedly helped himself to a slice of corrections officer Jose Pabon's pizza on July 22. The guard was miffed enough to press petty theft charges, and Zupo is scheduled to go to court for it on Aug. 3.

Most folks learned in their sandbox days that they shouldn't take things that don't belong to them, so unless Zupo was literally starving to death, or auditioning for Sean Penn's role in a remake of Fast Times at Ridgemont High , his foray into forbidden frommage is largely indefensible.

But, really, should we spend the public's dough to prosecute him?

Here's a more palatable proposition: In exchange for Pabon dropping the theft charge, Zupo agrees that on the last day of his 19-weekend sentence, the pie's on him.

* * *

It may not be a whodunit in the vein of mystery writers Dan Brown or Dean Koontz, but there is a lot of guessing going on about who's the mastermind behind a petition that surfaced in Spring Hill recently.

The petition seeks signatures from Spring Hill residents who would like the County Commission to hire an outside consultant to study the costs, advantages and disadvantages of merging the Spring Hill Fire District with the Hernando County Fire Rescue Department. According to a Times report by staff writer Mary Spicuzza, a handful of people have admitted seeing it, and even collecting signatures for it, but no one would take ownership of it.

Judging by the way it is worded, it's a safe bet that (a) A lawyer had a hand in it because the legalese is enough to cause most people's eyes to glaze over, and (b) it was not written by anyone who opposes disbanding the Spring Hill fire district.

So, like they say on the wanted posters, if anyone has information regarding this case, please contact ... well, me. (Sorry no reward, other than knowing you've helped solve the mystery.)

--Reach Jeff Webb at 754-6123, or webb@sptimes.com

[Last modified July 3, 2005, 02:00:20]