The group, which has focused on crimes along 34th Street, wants to get more neighborhood organizations involved.
By PAUL SWIDER
Published December 18, 2005
When a judge was about to rule in a case concerning a drug house in Disston Heights, the residents there made sure the judge knew how they felt about the crimes in question.
"We spoke out and the judge increased the bail," said Carole Griffiths, president of the neighborhood association and part of Courtwatch, a group of volunteers who say they want to put the court system on notice that they care about how criminals are handled in their community.
"The bailiffs know us, and the judges know us," Griffiths said, "because of our yellow shirts."
Griffiths and others have been appearing in court for cases occurring along 34th Street, but they now want to expand the program throughout St. Petersburg to get more neighborhoods involved and broaden their scope.
Courtwatch is hoping to form under the umbrella of the Council of Neighborhood Associations to bring the demands of the community to bear on the whole criminal justice system.
"We have the same problems along Fourth Street with drugs and prostitution," said Karl Nurse, the CONA president, who will discuss the plan at that group's next meeting. "When you get folks to go to court, the people don't get probation, they get punished."
Participants say the courts often are overloaded and shuffle offenders through as quickly as possible. The Courtwatch idea is aimed at making sure bureaucracy doesn't take precedence over law enforcement.
Nurse talks about prostitution as one example. He said some judges view it as a victimless crime, but those who live near the activity don't, especially when they have to shield their children from it.
Likewise, he said, juveniles who steal cars are often processed and re-processed several times before the judicial system brings any force to their punishment. Courtwatch participants see the program as a way to affect every aspect of public safety.
"We would like to involve all of the neighborhood associations," Griffiths said. "We're in the early stages right now, but we're putting some feelers out there to see who is interested."
Those who would like to know more about Courtwatch can either attend the CONA meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Sunshine Center, or e-mail Griffiths at disstonheights@aol.com or call her at 522-7206.
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The Perkins Neighborhood Association Christmas party will be at the office of the 22nd Street Development Corp., 1027 22nd St. S, starting at 7 p.m. Monday . Members are asked to bring a covered dish to share, if they can, but to come and enjoy the holiday season regardless with their neighbors. The party is replacing the group's regular monthly meeting.
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The Greater Pinellas Point Civic Association Holiday Pot Luck is at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Bay Vista Center, 7000 Fourth St. S. Drinks and entertainment are provided by the association, which requests members to bring their favorite dish to share.
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Northeast Park Neighborhood Association will not have an association meeting in December. The next neighborhood meeting will be Jan. 16. Officer and board member nominations will be taken at that time for 2006-07.
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The Snell Isle Property Owners Association invites everyone to enjoy their special Holiday Lights Display in Snell Isle Park through Dec. 31. The park is on Snell Isle Boulevard just south of the Vinoy Golf Course.
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Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood Association representatives will be conducting door-to-door surveys to compile a list of crimewatch residents from Fifth Avenue NE to 30th Avenue NE, and from Fourth Street east to Tampa Bay. The task will take until February, so residents might not see a representative for several weeks.
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Readers wishing to submit information for the Neighborhood Notebook can contact Times staff writer Paul Swider either by e-mail at pswider@sptimes.com or by phone at 892-2271. Neighborhood association presidents who would like to publish their organization's information directly to the Web on their own itsyourtimes.com blog should also contact Paul Swider at pswider@sptimes.com
