The fallout from the lack of charges in the Breonna Taylor shooting and the Black Lives Matter movement is already being felt in Tampa Bay.
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office announced this week that its Mental Health Unit will be expanded to allow deputies, who are armed, not to have to deal with mental illness calls that are not criminal.
Also, protesters in Tampa plan to hold a vigil for Taylor Friday after the Louisville, Kentucky, police officers involved in her shooting death were not charged with her death.
The Pinellas sheriff said it will be safer for trained professionals, not deputies, to deal with mental health calls.
“The people who are least qualified to address mental health issues, which are the cops, are being called upon too often to deal with symptoms of mental illness,” said Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri. “Criminalizing the symptoms of mental health disorders is not the way this should be handled.”
In-house professionals will team with Pinellas County deputies to respond together to mental health-related calls for service.
Florida attorney general wants Bloomberg investigated
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody asking for an investigation into media owner and former presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg and his efforts to help ex-felons vote.
Bloomberg is working with the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition and raised $20 million to pay the debt of ex-felons in Florida and grant them the right to vote.
“Michael Bloomberg is trying to use his power and money to tilt the election in Florida,” tweeted Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis. “I think it’s illegal and I’ve asked for an investigation.”
The GOP passed a law in 2019 requiring ex-felons pay all fines before their voting rights are restored. Moody thinks Bloomberg’s plan to pay this debt violates election law.
“We have to have trust in our elections process,” said Moody in an interview on Fox News. “Under Florida law, you cannot directly or indirectly give anything of value to persuade or entice a vote.”
Retired circus elephants move to wildlife sanctuary near Jacksonville
White Oak Conservation in North Florida will welcome 30 retired circus elephants from a breeding center in Polk County.
The elephants traveled with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus until 2016.
“Our family is committed to improving the lives of individual elephants and ensuring the survival of elephants in the wild,” said philanthropist Mark Walter of the White Oak sanctuary.
The wildlife site in Yulee, just north of Jacksonville, is set to open 2,500 acres for the elephants next year.
Broward elementary students receive sneakers
Soles4LilSouls donated new sneakers to 39 students at Broward Elementary School in Tampa.
Volunteer Sharlene Hartford reached out to her community in Seminole Heights to help children in need of this necessity.
“Providing new sneakers to a disadvantaged child has a positive effects on self-esteem,” said Hartford. “The additional movement provided by sneakers helps set them on a path of healthy lifestyle and diminish the chance of some diseases caused by obesity.”
CREDITS
Anchors: Payton Kirol, Caylee Cottrell
Reporters: Ta’Bria Snowden, Zack Brown
Producer: Gabriel Castro
Writers: Nicholas Cousineau, Alexandra Rodriguez, Dylan Zuccarello
Graphics editor: Carla Ibanez
Video Editors: Nicholas Cousineau, Alexandra Rodriguez, Bryony Deighton
Show Editor: David Jones
Web Editor/Social Media Producer: Natalie Hernesman
Graduate Assistant: Emmanuel Maduneme
Faculty Adviser: Jeanette Abrahamsen, Wayne Garcia
