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Is homeless population really rising in Tarpon Springs?

By Rita Farlow, Times Staff Writer
In print: Friday, June 20, 2008

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TARPON SPRINGS — Vasile Faklis takes great pride in the department store his family has owned for 96 years.

It's not uncommon for him to walk the perimeter of his downtown property, picking up litter.

But recently that job has gotten a lot more time-consuming, as an increasing number of homeless have been camping out in the alleyway behind his business, he said. They leave behind mattresses, blankets, cigarette butts and trash.

"I'm constantly picking up beer bottles," he said.

Faklis, owner of Faklis Department Store, said he has noticed an increasing number of transients in the downtown area over the past couple of years. On a recent Tuesday afternoon, the smell of urine wafted from the vacant lot next to his building.

Faklis and several other business owners said they are sensitive to the plight of the homeless, but need to consider the needs of their customers, too.

"I'm all for helping people, but when I have customers that are complaining that they're attacked by panhandlers, when we have people that are drinking in public, urinating in public, when I have customers tell me it reeks of urine around here, it's not good for business and it's not safe," he said.

Residents and business owners said the problem isn't contained to downtown. Increasing numbers of homeless people are congregating at city parks, the Pinellas Trail and various vacant lots and alleyways around town, they said.

Now city commissioners are getting involved.

City Commissioner Peter Dalacos has asked his colleagues to discuss the perceived influx of transients at their June 24 work session.

"It's something we need to get more information on and something we need to be a little more proactive in looking at how to solve these problems," Dalacos said.

Some residents and business owners speculated that free meals offered by a local non-profit organization, the Shepherd Center, were drawing homeless from other cities.

The Shepherd Center helps feed the homeless through a rotating soup kitchen initiative. The initiative provides a hot meal for the homeless each day at different churches and a downtown public housing authority site, said Wanda Weber, the Shepherd Center's executive director.

Weber said her organization is not drawing people from other cities, although she acknowledged an increase in the number of meals being served. The organization is serving about 200 meals a day, compared with 100 a day last year.

But the numbers don't necessarily support an increased number of homeless in Tarpon, she said.

Some of those using the service are working poor, she said. The increase is more likely in response to rising food, rent and utilities costs.

But many of the transients police encounter come from Pasco County or other parts of Pinellas, said police spokesman Capt. Jeff Young.

And that concerns Dalacos. He said it's possible that transients are coming to the city with the assurance of a free meal.

"From there it's not hard to find a spot to sleep out for the night," he said in a memo to interim City Manager Mark LeCouris.

Police said they take a balanced approach. They do not arrest people for being homeless, but do respond to complaints about panhandling, public urination and alcohol consumption.

Often, the department works with the business owner to issue a trespass warning. If a person ignores the warning and returns, they can be arrested.

If not, they're free to move on.

Rita Farlow can be reached at farlow@sptimes.com or (727) 445-4162.