DETECTIVES COMBINE FORCES TO CRACK DOWN ON CRIME

PLANT CITY - Police combine investigative forces for a weekend to show
their presence in the community.

Every so often the Plant City Police Department likes to mix things
up.

And last weekend, they did just that. With detectives from the special
investigative unit - those who deal with drug-related crime - and the
criminal investigative unit - those who deal with everything from
burglary to murder - the department cracked down on crime.

``We were trying to target the criminal activity,'' said Capt. John
Borders. ``We were trying to get new leads on cold [unsolved] cases.
We got a couple.''

Borders said the two groups of officers last year performed sthe same
operation. However, last weekend's combined forces was a first since
then. It is likely the two groups will work together on a monthly
basis to put a dent in Plant City crime.

About 14 people were arrested last weekend during the operation, said
Sgt. Jerry Ottersbach.

The crimes ranged from teenagers buying liquor to drug offenses,
police said.

Too often, police work is reactionary, Ottersbach said. That's
particularly the case for patrol officers.

With this effort, the department was attempting to be
proactive.

``This was about getting out amongst the people,'' he
said.

Many of the arrests were made in known drug areas on the city's east
and west sides. Others were made because police had received complaints.

On Sept. 25-26, from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m., police said, the arrests
included:

Three juveniles who were caught buying liquor at Presco Food Store,
504 N. Plant St. The Plant City trio, ages, 16, 17 and 20, were
charged with possession of alcohol by a person under the legal age of
21, police said. The teenagers were released to their parents, while
the 20- year-old, Billy Sawtelle, was released and given a date to
appear in court, police said.

The store's clerk, Patel Vineshkumar, 32, of Zephyrhills, was charged
with selling alcohol to minors, police said. He was given a court date
and released at the scene.

``Maybe we saved someone from driving under the influence,''
Ottersbach said.

He said the incident will be reported to agents of the state Division
of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco, who may pursue action against the
store's liquor license.

That same night police stopped a group of teenagers hanging out in the
parking lot of the Comfort Inn, police said. The group had planned to
rent a room at the hotel to throw a party.

That plan was foiled. Two in the group were charged with possessing
fraudulent drivers' licenses, police said.

``They looked like they made them on a computer,'' Ottersbach
said.

Also arrested that day was 33-year-old Keith E. Littles, who was found
at Days Inn with drugs, police said. He was charged with possession of
cocaine and possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana, police
said. Littles was being held this week at Hillsborough County jail on
$5,500 bail, officials said.

Before the night came to a close, another juvenile who wanted to play
cops was questioned and released, police said.

The boy was spotted in a truck with a blue strobe light on his
dashboard, police said. He turned the device on to pull over a
motorist who thought he was a police officer, police said. The
16-year-old never stopped but instead sped off. But he wasn't quick
enough. Police who saw the incident caught him and then released him
to his parents without charging him with a crime.

``One more step and he would have been impersonating a police
officer,'' Ottersbach said.

The following day, on Sept. 26, there were more arrests, all of Plant
City residents, for charges ranging from outstanding warrants to
possession of cocaine.

Arrested on warrants was Devon Walls, 23, who was wanted for failure
to appear in court on charges of obstructing and opposing an officer
without violence, police said. Officers added charges of resisting
arrest without violence and possession of cocaine, after finding him
with a bag with cocaine residue, police said. He was being held in
lieu of $5,500 bail earlier this week at county jail, officials said.

Also arrested on a warrant was Andre L. Guion, 34, who was wanted for
failure to appear for possession of cocaine, police said. He was being
held at the county jail earlier this week without bail, officials said.

Police said Cleveland Maurice Ray, 22, couldn't stay away from where
he wasn't wanted: the Laura Street Bar. He had been warned for
trespassing before. And on Sept. 26, he tried it again, police said.
This time he was arrested for resisting arrest without violence and
trespassing, police said. He was being held at the county jail earlier
this week in lieu of $1,000 bail, officials said.

Not far from the bar, Danny Patterson, 21, was arrested and charged
with possession of cocaine, police said. He was released earlier this
week on $1,000 bail, police said.