Cities unite to fight crime

Residents who live in a neighborhood that straddles Gulfport and St. Petersburg are cooperating in a joint Crimewatch effort.

By JON WILSON

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 12, 2000

ST. PETERSBURG -- Here's a first:

St. Petersburg and Gulfport residents who live in a neighborhood straddling both cities are cooperating in a joint Crimewatch effort.

Break-ins, vandalism and juvenile crime have been typical problems in the neighborhood, which is just west of 58th Street S near Boca Ciega High School.

No neighborhood association speaks for the area, but residents in both cities saw a need to organize the crime prevention effort.

Linda Henderson has lived in the neighborhood for two years.

"We bought a handyman's special," she said. "We put a chunk of change into it and didn't like what we saw in the neighborhood."

Henderson, with the help of friend Harry Brodhead, started pushing the Crimewatch idea.

"I went door to door knocking," Henderson said. About 40 people attended an initial June 24 meeting in her front yard.

The official kickoff party is 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday on Seventh Avenue S between Fremont and Gray Streets. Fremont Street is a block west of 58th Street. There will be free hot dogs, and those who attend are asked to bring a covered dish and a lawn chair.

The group's mission statement says residents "pledge to drive out crime, beautify our streets and make our neighborhood the place to be."

Seventh Avenue S is the boundary between Gulfport and St. Petersburg. Houses on the avenue's south side are in Gulfport; St. Petersburg is to the north.

"Crime isn't going to stop at the boundaries," said St. Petersburg police officer Jim Giambruno, who is coordinating the St. Petersburg end of the Crimewatch. He said he later will select a resident to do that job.

He said Henderson contacted him and Gulfport police about working together.

Both Gulfport Mayor Michael Yakes and police chief Curt Willocks are enthusiastic about the new effort.

"I'm excited," Yakes said. "I look at it as crime prevention. I know Crimewatch is the term, but in Gulfport we don't watch crime. We work toward prevention."

Yakes said members of the Florida Youth Conservation Corps will be present Saturday. The organization helps at-risk youths and young adults ages 17-25 with schooling and jobs.

Police see no special challenges with the combined Crimewatch.

"This way, (residents) will be talking to each other all the time," Giambruno said.

And that's a major point, Henderson said.

"It's just getting people involved and getting them to come outside and take a little walk and look around and not be afraid to call the police, that's the biggest thing," she said.

Henderson said she expects the Crimewatch to meet monthly.

Interested St. Petersburg residents should call 893-7992; Gulfport residents can call 893-1924.

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