Monday, May 20, 2013
We compile the odd, unusual "oh my gosh" police items from throughout the Tampa Bay region.
Forget the shot of espresso. A woman having coffee at Starbucks in Tyrone Square Mall in St. Petersburg this past weekend was shot in the calf when her friend's gun discharged from inside her purse. According to an article in the Tampa Bay Times, 38-year-old Amiee Peterson of Pinellas Park did not even realize that she had been shot until she saw blood oozing from her leg. Her friend, 51-year-old Pamela Back, also of Pinellas Park, told police that she kept the gun in her purse, but had never taken it out or cleaned it, since her father had given her the .25 caliber firearm. Two men are charged with stealing used cooking and fryer grease from a Wendy's in Sarasota and may be responsible for similar crimes in Pinellas County, authorities …
Friday, May 17, 2013
The Tampa City Council has begun the process of putting a new noise ordinance in place.
Loud car stereos in Seminole Heights may soon be quieted by fear of receiving tickets from the City of Tampa. On Thursday, City Council provided initial approval of a noise ordinance that would give officials such as police officers or code enforcement the ability to crackdown on bass-booming offenders, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Final approval could be granted on June 6, making a first offense $250 and a second offense $450. Three or more equals an arrest or pricier fine, the Times said. What do you think about the loud car stereo issue or the ordinance? Tell us in the comments. Previous coverage:
Thursday, May 16, 2013
With school almost out, TPD officials released some tips to make sure your house is secured while you head out of town this summer.
Residential burglaries increase as much as 18 percent during the summer while families are away on vacation, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. With that in mind, officials at the Tampa Police Department released the following tips for residents to keep in mind as they head out of town: Give your house a lived in look: Inform as few people as possible of your vacation plans: Complete a vacation watch form for the Tampa Police Department. The information you provide will be given to the officers that patrol your neighborhood. The day after your date of return, the form is destroyed. (Find a form at: http://www.tampagov.net/dept_police/Files/Documents/Vacation_Watch_Form_Prefill.pdf). Don't post your plans on social media …
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Fire Station No. 11 will be located at 1500 W. Waters Avenue in the Sulphur Springs area.
Mayor Bob Buckhorn and Tampa community leaders will break ground today on Fire Station No. 11 in the Sulphur Springs area just north of Seminole Heights. The groundbreaking will begin at 10 a.m. at the fire station, 1500 W. Waters Avenue. “As a city, we put a premium on keeping the public safe, and that means that we have to give our firefighters and first responders the tools to get the job done. Station No. 11 is aging and out of date,” said Mayor Bob Buckhorn in a news release. “The new station will help ensure that the residents of Sulphur Springs and the surrounding neighborhoods get the quality services they expect and deserve.” The station will replace the former Station No. 11 at 710 E. Fairbanks Street, which was built in 1959 …
Monday, May 13, 2013
We compile the odd, unusual "oh my gosh" police items from throughout the Tampa Bay region.
A 66-year-old Sarasota man faces a drug charge, after police allege that he ran a large-scale retail marijuana operation that involved receiving weekly deliveries of high-grade cannabis at his home that he repackaged into smaller quantities and sold at a profit. Sarasota Police Chief Bernadette DiPino held a press conference Monday, May 6, to announce the arrest of Anthony Snead, in connection to a six-month undercover operation. He was charged with possession of cannabis with intent to sell. Detectives estimate that Snead paid approximately $780,000 to $1 million per year for the cannabis, which he then resold for more money. A man tried to sell 25 brass vases that had been stolen from plots at a Bradenton cemetery, authorities said …
Monday, May 6, 2013
We compile the odd, unusual "oh my gosh" police items from throughout the Tampa Bay region.
A North Tampa woman has been arrested and charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child after she left her 7-month-old infant inside a bathtub with the water running for at least 15 minutes, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. The child drowned in the tub. Deputies say that Sierra McMillan, 22, of 14512 Seaford Circle placed her baby in the bathtub and turned on the water on April 28. When the doorbell rang, she left the baby in the tub with the water running, answered the door and spent time speaking with a solicitor. A man is charged with beating a dog to death during a burglary at a Sarasota automotive shop, authorities said Monday. The 61-year-old suspect was seen on surveillance video beating the dog with a tire …
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Find out how you can protect yourself and your neighbors.
- PUBLIC SAFETY
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Sunday, May 5
This just in from officials at the Tampa Police Department: Summer is here, and with it can come an increase in property crimes. The Tampa Police Department would like to remind our residents to help reduce the risk of becoming a victim by taking proactive steps to prevent crimes such as vehicle burglary, vehicle theft, residential burglar and vandalism. The following steps can help insure you have a safe and secure summer: For more information, call Crime Prevention at the Tampa Police Department at 813-354-6692.
Monday, April 29, 2013
We compile the odd, unusual "oh my gosh" police items from throughout the Tampa Bay region.
A Sarasota office manager is charged with practicing medicine without a license after authorities say she performed a painful procedure on a patient following her cosmetic surgery. Christine Patterson, 44, is the brother of Dr. Alberico Sessa and works as the medical biller and an office manager at his Clark Road practice, Sarasota Surgical Arts, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office. A patient came to the office in 2011 to complain of "massive swelling," with two witnesses telling investigators the woman's face was "swollen like a pumpkin." Detectives say Patterson contacted Dr. Sessa, who was out of town, then decided to insert a drain to remove excess fluid, reportedly telling the patient she had seen the procedure done "…
Friday, April 26, 2013
Two members of the TPD honor guard were on hand to pay their respects.
On Wednesday, two members of the Tampa Police honor guard were among the thousands of law enforcement officials who paid their respects at funeral for slain Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer Sean Collier. Corporal Desiree Croteau and Officer Kanyon Rodriguez were there, April 24, on behalf of the Tampa Police Department. While they were there, they spoke with the CBS affiliate in Boston about their visit. You can watch the video here.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has an online tool residents can use to keep up with the area’s most-wanted fugitives.
The Internet is fast becoming the new “post office” for law enforcement agencies that want to make sure photos of their most wanted fugitives make it into circulation. Instead of just hanging posters on post office walls, law enforcement agencies these days are creating webpages to get the word out to area residents. Some are even using social media outlets like Facebook as tools in the fight against crime. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has its own online “post office” wall. Dubbed “Find-a-Fugitive,” the webpage features the photos and some background information on the county’s Top 10 most wanted. It also shares photos of deadbeat parents and “dangerous drivers.” Cristal Bermudez Nunez, sheriff's office spokeswoman, said the …
Camille C. Spencer
10:58 am on Friday, May 17, 2013
@Larry: Thanks for your comment. I've heard similar responses from the community. more ›