Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/289950
he asked Sarasota Police Chief Bernadette DiPino and Sheriff Tom Knight. DiPino replied that her department was gathering data, but statistics have shown an increase in calls to police departments in areas where shelters have been built. In San Antonio, such calls "more than doubled" after a facility was constructed, DiPino added. The increase, however, was attributed to quali- ty-of-life issues, DiPino noted. "We are collecting the crime data … We should get the facts," DiPino said. "We need to be pre- pared to respond to the calls and the issues." Consultant Marbut told the boards that while there has been documentation of an uptick in calls, there is no evidence showing a rise in violent crimes in the vicinity of other home- less shelters that have been built recently across the country, including Pinellas Safe Harbor in Clearwater. Marbut could recall only one serious incident in three years at Pinellas Safe Harbor, he added. "The conversations are about loitering at the bus stop. 'Somebody took my bike out of the parking lot,'" Marbut pointed out as exam- ples. "They are quality-of-life issues." Marbut also said a shelter should be near services needed by the residents: the court- house, the Public Defender's Office and centers offering programs to help those with substance abuse and mental health problems. That is why the facility should be located in the city core, he noted. Businessman John Minder was among more than two-dozen people who took to the podium during the public comments portion of the meeting. Photo by Norman Schimmel Sarasota News Leader April 4, 2014 Page 14