CLEANED-UP CORNER OFFERS FRESH START FOR NOTORIOUS NEIGHBORHOOD

While being interviewed by News Channel 8, Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio presented
a challenge to reporter Peter Bernard: Go to the intersection of 29th
Street and Lake Avenue in east Tampa and see if there is any drug dealing
taking place.

The reporter did and found the intersection, long known as a haven for
illegal activities, to be what one should expect on a Sunday afternoon:
peaceful. The only "dealing" going on was a mother and her children selling
candy apples, which would have been impossible a year ago.

The mother told Bernard that drug dealers were still around, but not as
openly active. Even though the intersection wasn't completely drug- free,
she agreed that things had improved significantly - a big first step for
community revitalization.

Iorio's philosophy is simple: We shouldn't accept criminal activity as
normal in some areas of the city but unacceptable in others. The residents
of the neighborhood bordering 29th and Lake have a right to walk their
streets without having to confront drug dealing - just as they would in
south Tampa or Tampa Palms.

That is why last May the mayor and then-Police Chief Bennie Holder launched
Operation Commitment, a very specific strategy for making east Tampa more
livable. The ultimate goal of Operation Commitment isn't simply to jail
people and hand out code violation citations. The goal is to change
behavior so that residents and visitors find it unacceptable to openly sell
and buy drugs, solicit prostitutes and discard trash in east Tampa.

Laura Fuller, president of the East Tampa Business and Civic Association,
told Tribune writer Andy Reid that she is pleased with the mayor's effort
to make the streets safer but would like to see the city help with job
creation and economic investment. The oldest, easiest and most proven way
for government to encourage development is by providing safe streets, good
schools, attractive parks, strict code enforcement and other services that
enhance the quality of life. To that end, Iorio has included $4 million
more than the previous budget for such neighborhood improvements as new
street signs, sidewalks and pothole repairs.

The intersection of 29th and Lake still has much room for improvement, but
an indication of change is that a mother and her children could stand and
sell candy apples where crack cocaine had just months earlier been the
product of choice. This commitment by Mayor Iorio and the Tampa Police
Department deserves the community's strong, continued support if further
progress is to be realized.