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Arrests for drugs drop; some think officers laxBy LEANORA MINAI © St. Petersburg Times, published August 16, 2000 ST. PETERSBURG -- Fewer drug arrests were made in St. Petersburg during the first seven months of this year than were made during the same period in 1999. That much is fact. But the interpretation of the data seems to hinge on one's perceptions of crime in St. Petersburg or the performance of Chief Goliath Davis III. Davis' detractors view the statistics, released last week, as proof that he is reducing the enforcement of drug laws in the city. Davis' supporters view the statistics as a sign that drug traffic may be on a cyclical wane in the city. The numbers themselves don't say much. Drug arrests dropped 8.3 percent from January through July of this year compared with 1999. Yet, police administrators point out, the number of drug arrests so far this year is up 1.6 percent compared with the same period in 1998. In fact, drug arrests in January, February and March 2000 were ahead of the pace for both 1999 and 1998 before falling off in April of this year and lagging behind 1999 numbers in May and June, too. The president of the Council of Neighborhood Associations and a leader of a group called the Backyard Coalition both said Tuesday that police Chief Goliath Davis III is not telling rank and file officers to be aggressive about drug enforcement. Davis did not return calls seeking comment. "The drugs in the city are out of sight," said Jimmy Biggerstaff, CONA president. "The statistics are just going to make the city look like we have less drugs." Lorraine Margeson, a Backyard Coalition leader and city crime watch coordinator, agreed and added that a policy of aggressive drug enforcement is not drilled in to officers. "Officers don't feel real supported," she said. Sgt. Maurice McGough, head of the crime analysis unit, said the Police Department books 12,000 people in jail annually, proving it is not soft on crime. "You've got to put these things in perspective," McGough said of drug arrest numbers. "They go up and down for a variety of reasons." Overall, the total citywide crime rate is down slightly for the first six months this year. But the statistics do make one thing clear: The city has been facing a problem with car thefts. Vehicle thefts are up 30 percent for the first six months of 2000, compared with last year. The department recently mobilized a special task force of officers who work overtime to apprehend thieves and recover stolen cars.
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