Page 25 - Florida Sentinel 1-29-16 Edition

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ACLU Says Black Motorists Cited More For Seatbelt Violations
A recent report released by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) states that Black drivers are stopped and ticketed for seatbelt violations nearly twice as often as whites.
Musrat Choudhury, an attorney with the ACLU said, “it raises a red flag when seatbelt en- forcement by specific agencies leads to racial dis- parities that exceed even the dramatic statewide gap. These agencies must take steps to address the disparities and promote fair and impartial polic- ing.”
The report stated that in some counties the statistics are even greater, ranging up to four times more often. The ACLU is calling on the
Florida Attorney General’s Office of Civil Rights to investigate.
The ACLU also wants the Florida Legislature to pass a measure penalizing law enforcement agencies that fail to comply with the statute’s re- porting requirement. These agencies include the Miami Police Department, the Tampa Police De- partment, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
The report also recommends that law enforce- ment collect and analyze data for all traffic and pedestrian stops, provides testing and training for officers and retrain officers whose stop-and-cita- tion practices result in large racial disparities.
City Of Tampa Prepares For Gasparilla Parade
This weekend, streets will be closed in the downtown area for the 101st Annual Gas- parilla Parade will take place.
The Parade will stage at the intersection of Bay to Bay Blvd., and Westshore Blvd., with the parade slated to begin at 2 p.m. It will con- tinue to Brorein Street, turn east on Brorein Street and then north on Ashley Drive.
As a result of recent terror- ist attacks, several law en- forcement agencies are
partnering with the Tampa Police Department to create a safe environment for parade attendees. The agencies in- clude the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Temple Terrace Police De- partment, the USF Police De- partment, and several other agencies from surrounding counties, along with state and federal agencies.
On Saturday, the Gasparilla Parade route will be consid- ered a wet zone for that day
only. Alcohol can on
00ly be consumed in author- ized areas along the parade route and this will be strictly enforced. There will be no drinking allowed in the neigh- borhoods and on the way to the parade.
Police said their goal is to make the event safe and fun without having to arrest any- one. However, adults caught with open containers of alco- hol in unauthorized areas will be given a citation.
West Tampa CRA Elects CAC Officers
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
On Tuesday, City of Tampa staff, including West Tampa De- velopment Manager, Jeanette Fenton, hosted a meeting of the West Tampa CRA to elect of- ficers for the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC).
After an update by Randy Goers, Invision Tampa Project Manager, on the progress being made on the Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park redevelopment, the future of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Recreation Center, and plans for the Presbyterian Vil- lage property, elections were held to select the officers for the CAC.
West Tampa CDC Vice-Chair and businessman, Joe Robin- son, was elected Chair of the CAC, and retired City of Tampa employee, Ken Perry, was elected Vice Chair.
Robinson said as Chair, he wants to open things up so everyone will have a chance to be heard.
“I’d like to start things off with a massive cleanup of the community. Once everything is cleaned up, we’ll have a better vision of what we have to work with.
“As far as our CAC Board is concerned, I think we have a strong Board, and we will be fair to everyone. I’m in awe of the fact that we have three different engineers on this Board, and our areas of expertise are per- fectly suited for what lies ahead
in West Tampa.”
Robinson
said he ex-
pects a lot of
great things to
happen with
this group,
and he wants
to make sure
the people in
the commu-
nity have an opportunity to have input on every issue.
“That’s how progress is made.
“We need cooperation from the police on what their plans are for the community. We don’t know if they will want to build a district office in the area or not.”
The issue of retention ponds was raised during the meeting, with the Tampa Housing Au- thority installing one along Main Street, between North Boulevard and Willow Avenue, and a second pond the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is planning for the Pres- byterian Village property.
“We need to do a lot of re- search on retention ponds, and make sure a proper mainte- nance schedule is in place,” said Robinson.
“I want to make sure we bring in the agencies involved in all the projects going on in West Tamp a so we will know what’s being done and what’s being planned. We need presen- tations presented to us by every agency and individual who has plans for West Tampa.”
JOSEPH ROBINSON West Tampa CAC Chair
Residential Fire Leaves Man In Serious Condition
Hillsborough County Fire Rescue responded to a residential structure fire at 7420 Aripeka Dr. in Palm River at 6:14 a.m. Wednesday. A neighbor noticed smoke coming from the home and called 9-1-1. When the first unit arrived, they found an adult male in the kitchen area of the home, and transported him to a local hospital. Officials said
he’s in serious condition suffering from smoke in- halation and some burns. Officials said the fire ap- pears to have started in a bedroom and the home did not have any working smoke alarms.
The injured man is a civilian employee with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, where he works as a Community Service Officer.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2016 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 13-A