Can Prostitution Be Eradicated from the Heights?

What do you think needs to be done to eliminate prostitution in the Seminole Heights area? Tell us in the comments section below.

When Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor announced the new last February, if the crackdown on prostitution would eliminate a problem that has plagued the Seminole Heights communities for decades.

But Monday night, April 30, prostitution was still the main topic of conversation during a meeting with Castor, where members of the Southeast Seminole Heights Civic Association discussed concerns about crime in the neighborhood.

“(Prostitution) is the most unique crime issue we deal with because it is so unpredictable,” said Castor, who is a Seminole Heights resident, during the meeting at the , 5202 N. 12th St.

Castor said that the Tampa Police Department has implemented new tools for cracking down on prostitution in recent months, such as:

• Targeting prostitutes — PEZ, bordered by Fowler Avenue on the north, 15th Street on the east, Florida Avenue on the west, Seventh Avenue on the south, and with the Nebraska Avenue corridor in the middle, is a zone where a judge can ban a suspect with a felony prostitution arrest as a special probation condition. If prostitutes are caught more than three times in the PEZ, they face felony charges for violating probation, according to Tampa Police. Yet, PEZ offenders can be inside the zone for certain stipulated exceptions, such as for a doctor's visit. “It’s a step, not a solution,” said Tampa Police Capt. Lee Bercaw during the meeting.

• Targeting johns — Last December, Tampa City Council passed an or buying drugs from their cars. Drivers engaging in one of these activities have to pay $500 to get their vehicles back. “We did not have one repeat offender,” said Castor. “It seems to be a very beneficial tool.”

• Targeting the problem — Castor said that Tampa Police Department has launched a pilot program together with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office to rehabilitate offenders who have problems with alcohol abuse and drug use.

Yet, some folks feel this is not enough.

“We still find condoms and johns parked in the alleyways” said Mike Ferlita, who lives off of Nebraska Avenue. “Prostitution is the number one crime that stains our neighborhood.”

Folks shared their concerns, but they also put forward their suggestions for tackling the prostitution problem, such as closing some of the alleys and putting more street lights to make roads and pathways brighter.

Southeast Seminole Heights Civic Association president Sherry Genovar-Simons said that the community needs to work hand in hand with the police department in order to fight crime in the area.

“They cannot do it without us, and we cannot do it without them,” she said.