By Tamas Mondovics
In an effort to improve area neighborhoods by reducing crime, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Hillsborough County Code Enforcement and Hillsborough County Animal Control joined forces in a clean up campaign this month addressing criminal activity.
The effort this time focused specifically on communities within the Clair Mel and Palm River neighborhoods as detectives targeted subjects with outstanding warrants, verified compliance with probation requirements and conducted traffic enforcement operations.
According to District 2 Lieutenant Tripp Selke proved to be a very successful effort resulting in a number arrests as well as the removal of illegal drugs and firearm.
“Since the implementation of intelligence-led policing a couple of years ago, the department has been focused on targeting those that keep coming up on or radar,” Selke said.
Hillsborough County Sheriff David Gee also credited the successful crime reduction in Hillsborough County, to the department’s implementation of intelligence-led policing, calling it a targeted approach to crime control.
“We are in our fifth year of double-digit crime reduction,” Gee said in a recent interview.
The numbers of the Clair Mel and Palm River neighborhood clean up speak well of the effort as it for includes the seizing of 16 pounds of marijuana, 4 firearms, $1000 cash, 10 grams of cocaine, as well as the arrest of a total of 24 individuals by HCSO deputies.
With the assistance of the Hillsborough County Code Enforcement Unit, which made use of the County’s special graffiti removal truck 350 sq. ft. of graffiti was removed from public view.
Code Enforcement also secured four structures and expedited the demolition of one condemned, boarded up homes, and mowed approximately 80,000 sq. ft. of overgrowth on abandoned properties.
Leading up to the clean up, Code Enforcement also secured 8 units, removed 180 sq. ft. of graffiti from public right-of ways, as well as several tons of tires and accumulation from illegal dumping; and they cleaned up another 300 sq. ft. of overgrowth.
