Temporary Ybor City Curfew Sought By Tampa City Council Member

TAMPA, FL — Tampa City Council member Gwendolyn Henderson announced that she will make a motion during Thursday’s regularly scheduled council meeting calling for businesses in the Ybor Historic District to temporarily close at 1 a.m.

The temporary abatement would last for 6 months, giving the city time to study the violence in Ybor City and identify potential solutions.

The council member’s actions follow shootings in Ybor City on Oct. 29 that left two people dead and 15 others injured.

“Senseless acts of gun violence are always difficult. When it’s nearby, the reality is horrific, so I have spent the past several days talking with Ybor residents, Ybor business owners, law enforcement and Mayor Castor about what steps we can take to eliminate an environment that promotes violence during the late hours in Ybor City," said Henderson, whose district includes Ybor City. “It is true that there is no one-size-fits-all or flawless solution, but I am confident that we will make a difference.”

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In addition to the temporary abatement, Henderson said she will make a motion Thursday directing city staff to do the following:

• Keep East 7th Avenue open to traffic even during closing time on Fridays and Saturdays to limit loitering.
• In addition to Ybor City Community Redevelopment Agency funding, identify sources of revenue to expand community policing and step up code enforcement to crack down on noise violations, loitering, public drinking and other infractions.

“These measures are intended to help ensure Ybor City remains a safe and thriving neighborhood no matter what time of day,” Henderson said.

Henderson, a Tampa native who grew up in the working-class Carver City neighborhood, is also asking Hillsborough County Public Schools Interim Superintendent Van Ayres to consider sending a recorded message to the parents of high school students stressing that Ybor nightlife is not a place for teenagers. One of the victims killed during Sunday’s shootings was a 14-year-old boy.

"As I was watching the videos of what took place, you could see all the people running from the scene and then saw two Tampa police officers walking into the line of fire," said city council member Bill Carlson. "I think a lot of people woke up Sunday morning grateful that these men and women of the Tampa PD who are protecting us."

The council meeting begins at 9 a.m. at Tampa City Hall.