TAMPA — Police and federal businesses tout their efforts towards crime in a news convention, however get powerful questions on a few unsolved shootings.
Tampa police held a joint news convention with the Middle District of Florida U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Wednesday. They pointed to federal prices being introduced towards 91 people in 2022, and a 5 p.c decline in violent gun crimes within the metropolis final 12 months. They additionally identified profitable prosecutions concentrating on armed criminals, together with one concentrating on the “Robles Park” felony gang. Four folks have been charged with federal firearm and different offenses, three have pled responsible.
But reporters on the news convention additionally identified considerations from neighborhoods which have seen shootings not too long ago, together with the downtown space the place a 16-year-old boy was shot Sunday night time at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, and one in a West Tampa neighborhood.
The head of Tampa’s violent crime bureau says their arms are tied with some shootings involving juveniles, as a result of they cannot be charged underneath federal legislation. Captain Travis Maus (Moss) says they’re seeing 13- and 14-year-olds committing violent gun crimes. Maus says involved residents ought to contact their state lawmakers and ask for more durable motion towards juveniles. He says the division can also be working to persuade teenagers that there are higher pathways than violence. The feds are giving Tampa police greater than one million {dollars} in grant cash to provide you with a violent crime discount technique.
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