Pubdate: Sun, 04 Nov 2007
Source: St. Petersburg Times (FL)
Copyright: 2007 St. Petersburg Times
Contact: http://www.sptimes.com/letters/
Website: http://www.sptimes.com/home.shtml
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/419
Author: Anne Lindberg, Times Staff Writer

DEPUTIES DESCEND TO SWEEP STREETS

A Roundup Targets A List Of 66 In Hopes Of Snuffing Crime Here.

LEALMAN- Sheriff's cruisers were lined up like  airplanes waiting to 
take off at a busy airport.

As one would take off, another one, two or three  cruisers would pull 
into the parking lot at Lealman  Intermediate School. The passengers 
were not happy  travelers off to have a fun-filled holiday. They were 
alleged drug dealers stopping briefly at the school  parking lot for 
processing before being whisked off to  the Pinellas County Jail.

They were picked up Thursday night in a sweep designed  to net 66 
offenders. The sweep itself was part of a  larger effort to quell 
crime in Lealman. The Lealman  effort is the third this year for 
Pinellas County  sheriff's deputies. They worked the Ridgecrest and 
High  Point areas for 30 days each before moving in mid  September to 
the area of Lealman bounded by 38th and  70th avenues N, 49th Street 
and the interstate.

Ridgecrest, High Point and Lealman were targeted  because they had 
become "hot spots" for crime, said  Pinellas County sheriff's 
spokeswoman Marianne Pasha.

Hot spots are identified by analyzing crime data and  listening to 
community policing and patrol deputies who  know the area. The spike 
of offenses in those areas was  enough to prompt deputies to put 
together the larger  effort.

"Rather than do one aspect of law enforcement, this is  more 
comprehensive," Pasha said. The concept is to take  deputies from all 
departments and "take care of some of  the individuals that are 
causing the problems."

In Lealman, deputies began with increased traffic and  DUI 
enforcement. They also helped get about 35 homeless  people off the 
streets by finding them places to stay  or other help. While that was 
going on, undercover  deputies were concentrating on drug, 
prostitution and  other vice crimes.

When deputies had identified enough suspects, they set  up the sweep, 
which began about 6 p.m. Thursday and  ended early Friday. They 
wanted to catch those involved  in drug sales at the street level, 
either as a seller  or as one who sets up the deals. Men and women in 
their  20s to 50s were on the list. About 90 percent of the  drug 
offenses involved crack cocaine. Others involved  Xanax, oxycodone 
and marijuana.

Some of those targeted also were allegedly involved in  other crimes, 
such as prostitution. Four of the 66 were  in jail, and deputies 
caught 27 of the remaining 62.  They also picked up seven people not 
on the list.  Deputies spent the rest of the weekend trying to round 
up others, and warrants will be issued for those not  found.

When finished, deputies expect to have made more than  300 arrests 
for offenses including DUI, prostitution,  drug dealing, open 
container violations, underage  alcohol sales, traffic infractions 
and active warrants.

When those accused of being dealers were picked up  Thursday, 
deputies brought them to the school parking  lot at 4900 28th St. N. 
Authorities chose the school  because its parking lot was big enough 
for staging the  30 or so deputies who participated. It's also hidden 
from the street.

When those picked up arrived at the school, they were  patted down, 
photographed and interviewed to see  whether anyone wanted to help 
with further  investigations.

"It's an intelligence-gathering time," Lt. Dale Jones  said. Jones is 
in charge of Lealman patrol units.

The Sheriff's Office has targeted Lealman crime since  at least 1998, 
when the office opened a community  policing headquarters on 28th 
Street N. In 2000, the  office reacted to the area's notoriety for 
the frequency of domestic violence incidents with the  creation of a 
Domestic Violence Intervention Program.

Four years later, Sheriff Jim Coats, who was then chief  deputy, 
spoke to Lealman Heights residents, who  complained about prostitutes 
and drug dealers. Less  than three hours later, deputies swept into 
the area  and arrested 18 men and women on various charges  including 
prostitution, aggravated assault, felony  battery and grand theft.

Deputies also boarded up three properties with repeated  code 
violations. Deputies thought they were being used  as drug holes or 
prostitution houses. In less than a  week, 32 people had been picked 
up and charged with  such crimes as drug possession, prostitution and assault.

A month later, deputies ran an undercover sting in  Lealman directed 
at picking up men who solicited  prostitutes. Ten men were arrested 
and charged with  drug possession and other crimes, as well as 
soliciting  a prostitute.

Two years later, in 2006, more than 40 deputies  arrested 32 people 
in a one-night sweep of street-level  drug dealers.

"It's always been a busy area for us," Pasha said.

Ray Neri, president of the Lealman Community  Association, watched 
part of Thursday's proceedings.  Deputies routinely attend LCA 
meetings to hear of  problems in the area and to keep in touch with residents.

"I'm so glad we've got the sheriff's department. These  guys are 
dedicated. They got in there and are cleaning  up our streets," Neri 
said. "They made a commitment a  couple of years ago to do this, and 
it's just great to  know they're going to continue with their commitment."

Pasha said plans are in place to keep crime rates down.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart