TAMPA -- The city council member whose district includes Ybor City is making a move to impose a temporary curfew on the historic district, following Sunday's shooting that killed two and wounded 16 others.
Council member Gwendolyn Henderson plans to make a motion during Thursday's (2nd) meeting to impose a 1:00 a.m. curfew for Ybor Historic District businesses for the next six months. Henderson hopes the city will study violence in the neighborhood and offer potential solutions.
Henderson says she spoke with Ybor resident, business owners, police and Mayor Jane Castor about the situation before making her proposal. “It is true that there is no one-size-fits-all or flawless solution, but I am confident that we will make a difference.”
Henderson also wants to keep Seventh Avenue open to traffic on Fridays and Saturdays to limit loitering. She calls for finding revenue sources to expand community policing and step up code enforcement. She hopes to crack down on noise, loitering and public drinking.
Henderson, a teacher in the Hillsborough school district, is also suggesting that Superintendent Van Ayres send a recorded message to parents of high school students to urge them to keep their children out of Ybor's nightlife areas. One of the victims is a 14-year-old boy.
Council will take up Henderson's motion during its regular meeting at 9:00 a.m.
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