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On lazy days, more youths find mischief

Law officers need not look at the calendar to know school's out. They can tell by the increase in property crimes.

By ABBIE VANSICKLE
Published June 24, 2006

TAMPA - A Temple Terrace middle school's windows shattered by rocks, its computers smashed, its hallways flooded with water.

A construction site for a new temple also damaged by vandals.

Gang-related and racially charged graffiti scrawled on walls in a northwestern Hillsborough neighborhood.

These crimes each made news in the last week, drawing attention to what law enforcement officers say is a problem each year when school is out: property crimes.

"All property crimes tend to spike during the summer," said Hillsborough sheriff's Maj. Ron Spiller.

Whether it's the quintessential crimes of youth, such as toilet-papering homes and splattering cars with eggs, or more serious crimes such as busting windows and breaking into homes, these incidents usually increase during the hot summer months, according to investigators from local agencies.

"Obviously, it seems they have more time on their hands during the summer," said Temple Terrace police Lt. Chris Jeffords.

Just how widespread the problem is depends on the agency and the part of the county. Not all areas see a spike, but investigators attribute a significant part of the problem to young people out of school for the summer, unsupervised and looking for excitement.

Most of these crimes aren't as costly as the $50,000 in damage at Greco Middle School, where police say three youths went on a destructive spree, breaking windows, smashing computers and using a hose to flood hallways. Tampa police spokesman Larry McKinnon said the school vandalism seems to be an anomaly.

But fighting property crimes during the summer is a perennial battle for law enforcement, he said.

"Kids have more time on their hands, their parents are at work," McKinnon said.

The problem has sparked a variety of initiatives for the Tampa Police Department. One group of officers in east Tampa is participating in a project called "I know what you did last summer."

Despite its light name, the aim of the project is serious, said police spokeswoman Laura McElroy.

Officers have a list of names of juveniles arrested last summer. They will check up to be sure the youths are staying out of trouble this year, she said.

A group of officers in South Tampa is working on "Operation Triple Play," a project to crack down on auto burglaries, auto thefts and home burglaries.

At a meeting to kick off that program, police Chief Steve Hogue compared police activity in the summer with retail shops during the holidays. It's the busiest time of year, he said, and the critical time to fight crimes.

Tampa school resource officers stop by pools and other hangouts to be sure kids are having good, clean fun. Juvenile probation officers check on young offenders to see whether they're following court-imposed curfew.

Investigators say residents can curb their risk of being victims of vandalism or property crimes.

Jeffords suggested that homeowners pay close attention to their neighborhoods and let people know they're at home.

"Spend some time out in the front yard," he said. "As far as prevention, there isn't a whole lot that you can do. If you're a nosy neighbor or paying attention to what's going on, that will certainly go a long way."

Local convenience stores can help by warning police when young people buy large amounts of odd items - say, 10 dozen eggs late on a Friday night, he said.

Other tips include:

Abbie VanSickle can be reached at 226-3373 or vansickle@sptimes.com.

[Last modified June 24, 2006, 09:29:49]