PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — Many homes in an area of Bayonet Point are rundown and even condemned now, and a place where drug deals and other crimes happen all the time.
Myrna Cordery remembers when it was a quiet place for retirees.
“I own this. I’m low income. I can’t get another place. I’m stuck here," Cordery said.
The Pasco Sheriff’s Office is well aware of the issues here. That’s why they targeted the neighborhood and just made four arrests related to drug activity at one home.
In just the last year, the sheriff’s office says they've had dozens of calls for service on Gulf Breeze Circle. Those calls are for everything from aggravated assault to child abuse.
People here say drug deals are often made out in the open and prostitutes walk up and down their streets.
Since the latest wave of arrests people here say the neighborhood is actually quieter. But they still worry about abandoned homes being used by squatters.
“Every time a home is empty they break in," said Cordery.
Myrna says she’s glad to see the sheriff’s office paying attention, but she’s taken matters into her own hands with security cameras and even a gun.
“The way I see ownership of a gun is it’s better to have one and never ever need it, then to be in a situation,” Cordery said.
The sheriff’s office says they aren’t done with Operation Clearing House.
They will continue to work on getting rid of criminals they say are terrorizing their neighbors.
