Updated: Friday, 31 Jul 2009, 6:04 AM EDT
Published : Thursday, 30 Jul 2009, 10:55 PM EDT
Gloria Gomez
BRANDON - Is it picking and piling on the downtrodden, or keeping the community clean and safe?
Every few months the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office conducts raids on the homeless in the county.
Businesses and residents nearby complain about the crime and the mess that litter makeshift campsites that the homeless set up.
"You'll see hundreds of beer cans, urine, feces – they're using these people's property as their restroom facilities," said Corporal Tracy Reeves.
But some of the homeless say they are easy targets.
"I'm being arrested because I'm homeless. Put that on the news," said Ross Thomas, as he was led away in handcuffs during Thursday's raid. Hillsborough deputies arrested him because they said he had an open container 500 feet from a business.
Harrold Prichard is on his way to jail for an outstanding warrant and solicitation charges. The deputy smelled alcohol on him and questioned him about it.
"How much have you had to drink today?" the officer asks. "Not very darn much. Officers like you been around all day," Prichard responded.
Deputies say there's a difference between homeless people who have lost their jobs and a homeless vagrant.
"The vagrants that are out here on drugs on alcohol, and stand on street corners, and are knocking on people's windows as they drive up to an intersection," said Corporal Reeves.
Deputies say their goal is to do a clean sweep of the homeless from Brandon to Seffner. They say residents deserve a clean, safe community to call home.
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