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A computer helps plot where the incidents occur, and two officers are chosen to concentrate on those areas.
By TAMARA LUSH and COLLEEN JENKINS
© St. Petersburg Times, published July 10, 2001
PORT RICHEY -- The criminals have gotten bolder in Georgianna Nuce's Embassy Hills neighborhood during the past year.
First, they destroyed mailboxes. Then they stole lawn ornaments. Lately, they have burglarized homes.
Nuce, the president of the Embassy Hills Civic Association, wonders what's next. The neighborhood's security patrol, which works only three days a week, wasn't meant for crime fighting, she said.
"It's not as effective as the police," Nuce said.
An increase in calls for service from west Pasco's densely populated subdivisions, such as Embassy Hills, has caused Sheriff Bob White to create a new community policing pilot program.
On Monday, top brass at the Sheriff's Office announced that two officers in the agency's 11-officer Community Policing Unit will target problems in the Regency Park, Embassy Hills and Jasmine subdivisions.
The two officers will focus on the three subdivisions "over and above" the daily calls of the patrol deputies.
"The main goal of the program is to reduce crime and reduce fear of crime," said Deputy Troy Fergueson, who is one of the two officers in charge of the new project. "Education will be a key thing here."
Fergueson and the program's other deputy, Jeannine Miller, used a computer to do a crime analysis of the three subdivisions. By researching where residents have made the most calls for service, the deputies were able to determine where to patrol.
For instance, juvenile disturbance calls -- which encompass everything from kids fighting on the street to teens driving too fast -- are the most reported crimes from the three neighborhoods. From January to May, the agency received 196 calls about juvenile disturbances in those three neighborhoods.
Under the new program, when such calls are made, the deputies will talk to the juveniles and the adults in the area, in hopes of involving the residents.
"The citizens have to be active stakeholders, to lay a claim in the community," Fergueson said. And, before residents can do anything about fighting crime, "the community needs to be aware of what kinds of crimes are occurring."
The analysis also showed the deputies who the crime victims are and where they live, which allows them to target future patrols.
"We're educating people on how to lessen their chances of becoming an opportunistic crime victim," Fergueson said.
The two deputies also will:
Examine the environmental designs of the three neighborhoods to determine areas for improvement. Erect "No trespassing" signs, encourage residents to build fences and increase lighting, which can reduce criminal activity.
Meet with local security patrols and neighborhood associations to discuss how the pilot program is working. The Sheriff's Ofice and the residents met once on June 22.
Coordinate special bike and foot patrols.
Work with other county officials, such as Animal Control and Code Enforcement, to target "quality of life" problems, such as nuisance pets or unsightly buildings that should be condemned.
Nuce, who has lived in Embassy Hills for five years, says such attention is necessary in her subdivision.
"This is such a diverse neighborhood," Nuce said. "It used to be a retirement community, but now there are a lot of renters. A lot of places look really seedy."
Sheriff's authorities say their pilot program -- talking to residents about neighborhood problems and putting more officers in the neighborhoods -- is a classic example of the national community policing trend.
"It's like the old beat cop," Fergueson said. "We've been met with open arms. It's having a stable face in the community."