Nephew of the Week: Jonathan “JJ” del Villar
Hot and sassy are just a couple of words to describe Jonathan. Fabulous, exciting and entertaining are just some of the words to describe him in drag. Keep a close eye on him as he is going to go far.
The Tampa Citizen Police Academy: Week 6 of 9
This week’s class started with a presentation by Major Brian Dungan. He serves Tampa’s District 2. The Major explained CSI forensics, their new finger-printing system, communications and narcotic enforcement. He also talked about “H.I.D.A.” (the High Intensity Drug Area). This would include Miami, Tampa and Houston.
Outside it was time for simulated rounds fired in Glock 19 guns. YES! We got to fire guns! First we learned how to use both hands and line up the sights to shoot. The next way was definitely the fun way. It’s called point and shoot. This way, you just point the gun and shoot. Sure enough, we both were great shots!
Then the whole class went on a “Shoot, Don’t Shoot” demonstration. We broke off into groups of two. We were told there was an alarm going off and to answer the call. As we cleared the area around the building, we saw two people breaking into a car. We yelled, “STOP, POLICE!” and the bad guys ran off. Here is the big difference. Without training, as civilians, we were happy they ran off and nobody was hurt. As police officers, we totally FAILED! We should have run after them and caught the bad guys. The police make this look so easy but it’s not easy at all!
Ybor City Holiday Season Safety by Officer Sean Mahabir
Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year….right around the corner! I can’t believe how fast this year has flown by. Well, with the holidays comes crowds, good cheer, gifts, and mostly everyone’s favorite pastime…spending money. Ybor City is a great place to be….great people and great events….however, I wanted to remind you that there’s always a handful of “Grinches” out there.
Please be safe and turn on your crime radar…there are those that prey on individuals that are 
too busy to remember the simple rules of being safe. Here are some reminders for everywhere, not just for Ybor City…please pass this along to your employees, family, and friends. I’ll send bits and pieces of safety tips throughout the season if we are seeing any crime trends. Ybor City continues to have a very low crime rate…let’s keep it that way!
While out and about, present an alert appearance. Be on guard! Be aware of your surroundings; scan the area with your eyes/ears from time to time. Avoid concentrating so hard on shopping or work that you fail to keep track of your surroundings, others near you, or your personal property.
When parking…roll up the car windows, lock the vehicle, take the keys, and insure your valuables are concealed (preferably in the trunk). During hours of darkness, park and walk in lighted areas to the extent possible. Keep your wallet, purse, and any other valuables on your person or otherwise out of sight, NOT on the seat next to you.
The panhandlers are going to be in full effect and it’s important that our eyes and ears are wide open.
