Pubdate: Thu, 11 May 2006
Source: Orlando Sentinel (FL)
Copyright: 2006 Orlando Sentinel
Contact:  http://www.orlandosentinel.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/325
Author: Phil Cowherd

PARRAMORE REALITY

As a Parramore area landlord who spends a large portion of his time 
attempting to increase police presence and law enforcement in 
Parramore, I must respond to suggestions that the Orlando Police 
Department's Taser use is somehow racist.

To believe this, one must believe that Deputy Chief Val Demings, the 
wife of Orlando's first black chief of police, is a racist. One must 
also note that those who are quoted in Monday's article making 
negative comments about the police in Parramore do not live in 
Parramore and may benefit (increasing their power and/or income) by 
claiming that OPD officers are racist, unfair or punitive.

All of the many law-abiding Parramore residents I know feel the same 
way as the 62-year-old retired resident you quoted saying, "If it 
weren't for the law, you couldn't walk down these streets."

In 1990, as chair of one of Orlando's first revitalize-Parramore 
committees, OPD furnished me statistics showing that the Parramore 
area generated 49 percent of drug-related charges. I note your 
article reports that it is now down to 39 percent.

The citizens of Orlando need to know that the Parramore area contains 
only about 1 percent of Orlando's land area and population. Serious 
crime occurring in Parramore is so rampant that it is often no longer news.

In order to protect the citizens of Parramore, College Park, Eola 
Park, the balance of the city and our downtown, we must finally get 
control of Parramore. This will lead to more police activity and 
therefore more tasing of individuals with no respect for our laws or 
our society.

Phil Cowherd

Winter Park
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman