Neighbors Voice Troubles With Pinellas Safe Harbor Shelter

This time last year, a homeless person caught committing a minor crime probably would have been arrested and held in county jail, costing taxpayers $125 a day.

Now, police will issue a “notice to appear” and take the offender to Pinellas Safe Harbor, a county-run shelter equipped to house and feed 470 people each day.

The shelter has been open for six months and reports an average of 335 residents each night.

Housing the homeless population has caused trouble with neighbors, though.

Business owners and residents near Pinellas Safe Harbor came to Bayside High School on Thursday evening to voice concerns over the shelter’s effects on their community.

Shawn LeMaitre of Bandit Fitness Equipment said his customers are constantly solicited by Safe Harbor residents in his parking lot.

“We cater to a higher clientele, and we really can’t have these people approaching them for money. I feel for the homeless who want to improve their lives, but they’re not the ones doing this,” he said.

Bandit Fitness Equipment's store is about one mile away from the shelter, which is located on 49th Street North in Clearwater.

Chief Deputy Bob Gualtieri, second in command to the sheriff, was there to insist that the problems were caused by a “few troublemakers.” The shelter is developing a system of consequences to dissuade bad behavior while still providing a place to sleep.

“This is only six months old. I’m not going to tell you it’s perfect, but it’s better than what we were doing before,” Gualtieri said.

Prominent community organizer Theresa “Momma Tee” Lassiter was also present and stressed the importance of compassion for the population at Safe Harbor. She has volunteered there and seen firsthand how many people have been helped.

“You can’t let a few bad apples spoil the whole batch. These people get decent clothes and meals so they can go out and look for jobs,” she said.

She understood the neighbors’ frustrations but says they are too removed from the day-to-day good coming from Safe Harbor.

Business owners "come out here to complain about its effects, but none of them have ever been to Safe Harbor. They only see the few causing trouble,” she said.

Some residents reported homeless people leaving trash on their lawns, and one woman said they have knocked on her door to ask for money.

Gualtieri said when people witness these infractions, they should call the police immediately. To help with policing the area, he said they have applied for a grant that would add five community police positions.

Gualtieri said the shelter is continually improving and has some ambitious prisoner-release programs coming down the pipeline. As 2,500 released prisoners return to Pinellas County each year, he hopes Safe Harbor can better reintroduce them to society. The felons would be separated from the general homeless population at the shelter.

The shelter recently opened an outdoor courtyard, which can house an additional 100 people, and renovated a garage into a classroom.

At a recent job fair, 35 Safe Harbor residents found employment.