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BY LEON B. CREWS
Sentinel Staff Wrier
On Tuesday night, more than 1,000 people attended a meeting hosted by the Hillsborough Organization For Progress and Equality (HOPE). The meeting was held at Mt. Calvary Seventh Day Adventist Church on 40th Street.
Rev. Bernice Powell-Jackson of First United Church of Tampa, said the meeting was great, and everyone was pleased that several elected officials were in attendance.
“We addressed three items specifically and asked the officials in attendance what needs to be done to make them happen.
“We addressed the idea of establishing an affordable housing trust fund so we can help people who may be facing the possibility of losing their home. County Commissioners Les Miller and Kevin Beckner agreed to assist us in setting up the trust fund. The problem now will be in establishing a funding source.”
Rev. Powell-Jackson said they also asked City Council members, Frank Reddick and Lisa Montelieone to ask everyone that does business with the city to remove the section on their applications that ask about a person’s criminal history.
“That question usually appears at the beginning of the application, and doesn’t really give the person an opportunity to say anything. A judgment is made immediately, and the door is closed on an opportunity.
“We’d like to see these applications refer to an individual’s experience and qualifications first. So, if the Council could amend the current ordinance to make that change, it would be a big help.”
Also addressed was concern over the number of juveniles being arrested, and law enforcement representatives agreed to work on getting the numbers down.
Councilman Reddick said he thought the questions were direct, and called for direct answers.
“It was a challenging meeting and aggressive in its presentation. They want our support on the issue of applications for employment and that people at least be given the chance to be interviewed before being rejected because they have a criminal history.
“I told them I would submit their request to our legal department for a review. When I get their response, I’ll see what direction to go. It may be necessary for Mayor Buckhorn to address this.”
Tampa Police District III Commander, Major Diane Hobley-Burney, said she believes by working together, they can make a difference in the lives of the youth and the community.
“This was one of the most rigid meetings I’ve ever attended. I look forward to a partnership in finding a solution to the arrest of so many juveniles.
“We have a couple of programs already in place, and we tell our officers to evaluate the kids to see if they meet the criteria for these programs.”
Major Hobley-Burney said the process must start with the parents, because kids are under so much pressure from their peers these days.
“The need to be accepted can sometimes push aside common sense. We have outlets like the Rich House in Sulphur Springs and near Robles Park that are excellent tools to help the kids.”
Rev. Thomas Scott of the 34th Street Church of God said, he was in awe of the huge attendance, and he thinks a great job was done in organizing the meeting.
“It was a very diverse turnout, and we had a lot of elected officials in attendance.
“I didn’t think the meeting was confrontational. They wanted to make sure the elected officials stay on a time frame and answer the questions directly. They also wanted to make sure the elected officials are committed to improving communities. They are about social justice and making sure the poor people have a voice.”
HOPE was founded in 1988, and currently consists of more than 16 churches from all over Hillsborough County.
Those churches are:
All Saints Lutheran Church
Allen Temple AME Church
Corpus Christi Catholic Church
First United Church Of Tampa
Islamic Community Of Tampa
Lutheran Church of our Saviour
New Greater Friendship M.B. Church
New Life Pentecostal Church of God
Peace Progressive Primitive Baptist Church
New Smyrna Full Gospel Cathedral
St. Andrews United Methodist Church
St. Paul Lutheran Church
St. Peter Claver Catholic Church
St. James House of Prayer Episcopal Church
34th Street Church of God
Trinity Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
Unitarian Universalist Church of Tampa
