News
Re: After librarian screams, patrons tackle suspect | story, May 14
Crack down on vagrancy
As a resident and property owner in Tarpon Springs, I am totally outraged by this unprovoked attack on one of our city librarians by yet another homeless transient! Thank God the new police chief and the city commission have imposed a tougher city ordinance in regards to dealing with these vagrants.
I am tired of all the whining about the down-on-my-luck homeless vagrants. While I understand that some of these people have legitimate hardships due to these economic times we live in, and people are down and out through no fault of their own, I do know that the majority of these homeless people choose to live on the streets.
They say this is a free country and they will not be told what to do or where to live. While they do have these rights, I, as a hard-working and tax-paying citizen, have the right to feel safe in my own community. This is not just a City of Tarpon Springs problem, but a problem countywide.
I feel that all the other local municipalities, along with Pinellas County, need to form some kind of program to deal with all the transient and homeless people, so Tarpon does not keep bearing the brunt of this problem alone in North Pinellas. Maybe we could use some of the school buildings that were closed down throughout the county to provide housing, a bath and some drug and alcohol rehabilitation. You can use the labor of all these homeless people and transients for any renovation work these buildings might need. Just a thought.
We should not have to tolerate the vagrants' public urination as well as panhandling, and now attacking a librarian inside our beautiful library at 1 p.m. This is unacceptable. I hope that our elected officials along with our great Police Department start enacting and enforcing tougher city ordinances and put the hammer down on these people.
Joseph Rowe, Tarpon Springs
Re: Different city, same battle | story, May 16
Dunedin did right on police force
It was good to see this article on Dunedin's switch from its own police department to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office some 15 years ago, with the concurrent savings of upward of $30 million (even at the conservative estimate of $2 million times 15 years).
I was a resident of Dunedin at the time and our then-Mayor, Tom Anderson showed great courage in advancing the switch. The Dunedin experience may serve as a model for our mayor and commissioners here in Clearwater.
They will be wise to carefully analyze, but if the figures add up, the budget problem is solved. It is not likely to be a pleasant task, as naturally the union, police chief and other parties have their vested interests and fears. However, I believe the needs and benefits of the employees in Dunedin were met and most of them benefited from the change to the Sheriff's Office.
Crime does not stop at the city limits. A huge advantage occurs in a unified communication, forensic and management system. Study of this proposal should go forward.
Henry L. King, Clearwater
Tarpon is hogging the headlines
Thank you, Clearwater Times, for covering Tarpon Springs with such vigor and tenacity. Oftentimes I daydream, wondering if the St. Petersburg Times has a Tarpon Springs section that consists of nothing but Clearwater news.
I'm just over the moon learning about cigar rolling and playgrounds in Tarpon Springs. Each day I wake and wonder aloud, "Tarpon, you okay today?" Then in full sprint I head to the paper stand. Thankfully, Tarpon is okay, mostly. Sometimes I get so worried about so little Clearwater news that I find myself scanning the obituaries. Is my town okay? Is there a heartbeat? Ah, but just then, a siren. Yes, Clearwater is still kickin'.
Matthew Allen, Clearwater
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