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Busing urged to bring peace to Middleton students

By Letitia Stein, Times Staff Writer
In print: Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Middleton High students walk home after school turns out on Tuesday. Two to 15 police officers usually patrol the area in the afternoon to prevent fights.
	[KATHLEEN FLYNN | Times]

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TAMPA — Tampa police see far too many problems when the final bell rings at Middleton High School. Fights are a daily threat when up to a thousand students, many affiliated with neighborhood gangs, empty into the streets of East Tampa.

To keep the peace, anywhere from two to 15 officers patrol the neighborhood after school. Police leaders say there is a better solution: provide busing to every student every day.

"It would minimize the number of young people that are walking and possibly minimize potential problems," said Tampa police Maj. Bob Guidara, the district commander. "It would give those young people that were in fear for any reason an opportunity to travel home in a supervised setting."

In an effort dubbed "Operation Safe Passage," law enforcement is working with school and community leaders to come up with a busing proposal.

But in a tight budget year, its chances remain uncertain.

"It's definitely getting into courtesy ridership, which is costing us big time," said School Board chairwoman Jennifer Faliero, who didn't necessarily see the problem as the district's to solve. "This is happening in the neighborhood, and that is not a school issue."

The line between community and school is often blurry at Middleton's newly constructed beige and maroon campus. The school boasts a math, science and technology magnet, but has seen its reputation tarnished by high-profile problems.

A shooting at the campus during summer school last year sent shock waves through the community, even though no one was injured. There have been instances of fights starting in surrounding neighborhoods, then spilling over into the school setting.

Police decide how much force to send to the neighborhood, based on daily "intelligence" from the school's resource officer, who generally hears when fights are going to happen. The fistfights are usually between neighborhood-affiliated groups that police treat as low-level gangs.

On Tuesday, with rumors of a fight flying high, police dispatched as many as eight officers to patrol after dismissal at 2:45 p.m.

Students streamed steadily onto neighboring streets, meeting up on sidewalk corners. Music blared from passing cars as friends shouted at each other across the street.

Middleton freshman Gissel Moreno just wanted to get home, a walk that can take her past fights. She thought the bus service sounded like a good idea.

"I don't want to get jumped by anybody," the 15-year-old said. "They jump around here a lot."

Police officers say many afternoons end without trouble, but might not without such a heavy police presence. At one point Tuesday, an officer in a marked car drove slowly behind a group of nearly 50 teens, making sure they stayed on their path home.

The afternoon ended quietly. But seeing so many police cars around a school at dismissal is hardly ideal for the community. Some leaders would prefer to just let students ride a bus home.

"Kids having to see badges and guns every day, it plays on their thoughts: Are the kids in jail, or are they in school?" said Tallie Gainer III, a community organizer involved in the busing proposal. "At the end of the day, children need to get home safely."

Times staff writer Janet Zink contributed to this article. Letitia Stein can be reached at lstein@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3400. For more education news, visit the Gradebook at blogs.tampabay.com/schools.