BARRIERS AGAINST DRUGS

Roadblock In Troubled Neighborhood Helps, But More Is Needed

When the Sheriff's Office barricaded an entrance to a drug-riddled
southeastern Manatee County neighborhood this spring, longtime
community activist Remonia Lewis was one of many people who said it
was worth a try. But, she cautioned, "You're not going to change
anything until you get rid of the people who are causing all the problems."

The warning is still appropriate, three months into the experiment.
The Sheriff's Office and some residents say the effort has driven
away drug dealers, but other residents are skeptical of the results
and critical of the inconvenience.

In March, the County Commission approved placing concrete barriers at
57th Avenue and Seventh Street Court East -- a move that left the
Bermuda 100 neighborhood north of Pride Park with one entry.

The idea was to cut off the easy access for drug dealers and their
customers. Last week, the Sheriff's Office said the move is working
and asked for permission to close the entrance permanently.

But the commission wisely decided to extend the experiment for nine
months and reassess the proposal then.

Commissioner Ron Getman, a retired Florida Highway Patrol commander,
said the results are promising but it's too soon to tell whether a
real impact has been made.

Crime statistics are mixed, at best. The numbers of reported crimes
and drug offenses are down only slightly from a year ago, according
to the Sheriff's Office.

The barriers may be part of the solution. But increased patrols and
sweeps, plus attentive neighbors and landlords, are likely to produce
the most concrete results.