Articles

Criminals' money to help community

By DONG-PHUONG NGUYEN, Times Staff Writer

The Hillsborough Sheriff's Office has given more than $100,000 to many groups in three years. This year 25 groups receive windfalls.

TAMPA -- Thanks to the area's drug dealers and thieves, there soon will be new basketball hoops for troubled teens, stuffed animals for autistic children and batting equipment for Little League sluggers.

For the third straight year, the Hillsborough Sheriff's Office handed out more than $30,000 to 25 community organizations. The money was seized from criminals over the past year and earmarked for its Community Enrichment Program.

Representatives from each of the groups collected their money Wednesday at the Sheriff's Office in Ybor City. They accepted checks ranging from $400 to $1,500.

The agencies were selected because of their contributions to the community, according to sheriff's officials. They included the Audubon Resource Center, the Grand Lodge of Florida, the Marcus Christian Academy and the Sulphur Springs Action League.

The Sheriff's Office came up with the idea to spend some of the hundreds of thousands of dollars it seizes each year on residents as part of its ongoing effort to connect with the community.

Among the beneficiaries was the K-9 Community Assistance Network, a nonprofit group that provides trained dogs to children with illnesses such as cerebral palsy.

Dog trainer Sharon Latimer and her golden retriever, Harley, happily accepted a $1,500 check.

Harley works with children with tactile problems by allowing them to brush her. She wears a special harness so young physical therapy patients can lean on her for support. One toddler took his first steps with help from Harley. And she plays with autistic children, who talk to her for long stretches of time.

"This is going to pay for a lot of flash cards, rubber stamps and stuffed animals," Latimer said. "We're so excited."

An official from the county's Department of Children's Services, Bill Hogan, is a past recipient. He raved about the program's benefits.

The group used its money to buy paint. Sheriff's deputies volunteered their time to help the kids paint their bedrooms.

"They say it takes a village to raise a child," Hogan said. "It takes many eyes, ears, hands and hearts, and by golly, we hope along the way someone throws a little bit of money in there."

The Sheriff's Office has given out more than $100,000 in three years.

http://www.sptimes.com/2002/07/04/Hillsborough/Criminals__money_to_h.shtml