Tampa city councilors weigh changes to Ybor City safety plan after deadly shooting
TAMPA, Fla. - Tampa city councilors are weighing changes to the safety plan in Ybor City after a shooting last weekend that left two people dead and injured 16.
One councilor has abandoned an idea to temporarily close bars at 1 a.m. but is considering several ideas that could make crowd control easier. At Thursday's meeting, they asked the Tampa Police Department to author a report on the safety situation in Ybor, and what changes would be feasible to improve things.
Residents weigh in on the proposed curfew for businesses in Ybor City following a deadly shooting.
Bar owners and bartenders who work in Ybor City said the majority of their income comes between the hours of midnight and 4 a.m. – the exact hours TPD said are the least safe. However, Councilor Gwen Henderson was convinced to pull her idea of ordering bars to close at 1 a.m. for six months off the table.
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"The community has spoken, and I greatly appreciate that. I don't feel beaten up," she said. "I don't feel threatened when I make a decision to bring something forward, because there's always a teachable moment."
TPD says between 12 a.m. and 4 a.m. are the least safe.
But, several councilors do seem to be considering ideas to order a curfew of those under 18 during certain hours, especially because a teen was killed in Sunday morning's shooting.
And, they're considering a plan to keep 7th Avenue open as close to 3 a.m. closing time as possible, in order to give groups less time to gather.
"That's the million-dollar question. To close the road or not to close a road? " said Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw. "I've been doing this for quite some time, and I'll tell you right now up front, I'm a huge proponent of that road being staying open as late as possible."
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Councilors took no official steps Thursday beyond asking TPD to spend three months studying safety in Ybor City.
"Then I heard you all push back (and say) we don't need to shut down at 1AM," said Henderson. "I heard you say that, and I can support that. But there are some things that need to change."
Tampa City Council Member Gwendolyn Henderson
The chief did field questions about the incident itself, but said most of it was privileged information that related to the investigation. He did say they are looking for several potential shooters.
The report will be due in January 2024.