Per HYNCA’s and other interested parties’ input, TPD has introduced community policing officers to Ybor from Monday thru Friday during business hours. Two officers will patrol the area to make our neighborhood safer for everyone. You will recognize them as they will be traveling on foot, by bike, or the new TPD golfcart. One the officers is Robert Barrett who was previously of District 3’s Neighborhood Crime Watch office. 

HYNCA happily welcomes our two new officers and looks forward to working with them through our neighborhood crime watch!

From the Tribune:

Valerie Kalfrin and Mark Holan

Published: January 16, 2008

TAMPA - The city’s crime statistics are still being finalized, but an early look shows that crime reported within the city limits appears to have dropped for the fifth consecutive year, police and Mayor Pam Iorio said Wednesday.

The Tampa Police Department expects to release its 2007 annual crime report toward the end of the month. However, "we’re anticipating a 10 percent decrease" in the overall crime rate compared with 2006, police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said.

That would mean the crime rate in Tampa has dropped more than 40 percent since 2002, McElroy said.
Iorio mentioned the crime drop at a Wednesday luncheon meeting of the South Tampa Chamber of Commerce, saying no other cities in Florida or "any other medium-sized city across the country" has experienced a similar decrease.

"Crime is lower than when I was in high school 30 years ago," she said.

The crime rate is calculated by adding seven categories of reported offenses: murder, rape, aggravated assault, robbery, burglary, larceny and auto theft.

Annual crime statistics for Tampa in 2006 showed that crime in the city dropped 9.4 percent compared with 2005 and 36 percent compared with numbers for 2002.

McElroy on Wednesday said the police department’s District 3, which covers east Tampa, downtown and Ybor City, led the other two districts in reduced crime statistics. The district worked heavily on addressing problems caused by juveniles and "fine-tuning their crime analysis," she said.

Reporter Valerie Kalfrin can be reached at (813) 259-7800 or vkalfrin@tampatrib.com.

So far this year Ybor has been bustling with activity and has kept everyone busy, including myself. In fact at times so busy, that I had neglected updating our site. Following are some old and new news about our neighborhood, from crime (or lack thereof) to various events. 

Illuminated Knight Parade - Reserved Bleacher Seating Still Available!
 
Tampa, Florida - January 25, 2008 - The Krewe of Sant’Yago Illuminated Knight Parade hits the streets once again on Saturday, February 16, 2008 at 6:30 p.m.  Downtown and Ybor City come alive as the parade showcases over one hundred floats masked with lights and loaded with chivalries!  Limited Reserved Bleacher Seating is still available - be sure to get your seats before they sell out!

Beginning at 12:00 p.m., Mix 100.7 presents Family Fiesta at Union Station (Northeast Corner of Nebraska Avenue & Twiggs Street).  From 12-6:00 p.m., the area will come alive with activities for the entire family, including entertainment, presentations by the Tampa Bay Rays and Hillsborough County Magnet Schools, balloon bounces, face painting, and so much more!  Reserved Bleacher Seating is now available in the Family Fiesta area - for more information and to purchase bleacher seating, please visit our website at www.cc-events.org or call 813.248.0721.  Parking is available at the Twiggs Street Garage.

93.3 FLZ, 95.7 The Beat and 98 Rock will be hosting pre-event festivities in Ybor City from 4-6:00 p.m.,featuring live entertainment, specials, take-home goodies, and of course, beads!

At 6:30 p.m., the Illuminated Knight Parade will begin at Nebraska Avenue & Twiggs Street (staging takes place on Meridian Boulevard).  The parade moves north on Nebraska Avenue to Nick Nuccio Parkway, north to 7th Avenue, east on 7th Avenue and continuing through the Ybor City Historic Landmark District to 21st Street.  Additional Reserved Bleacher Seating is now available west of 15th Street!

Be sure to catch the fun and excitement on Saturday, February 16th - join the Spanish Knights as they bring to you the Sant’ Yago Illuminated Knight Parade!!!  For more information and to purchase Bleacher Seating, please call 813.248.0721 or visit us on the web at www.cc-events.org