'Let's Go Get Some Code Violators,' Buckhorn Says

Code enforcement officers from Temple Terrace and Tampa swarmed the former Whistle Junction restaurant at Fowler Avenue and 52nd Street Thursday morning.

Tampa officers mowed grass, removed tires and trash, and handed a code violation warning to a manager at Tire Kingdom, an adjacent business.

The two cities are showing their commitment to keeping the communities clean by partnering on a code enforcement sweep. They're focusing on the border that separates them, particularly the area between 50th and 56th streets.

The old Whistle Junction was their first stop.

Check out some of what they did in the video above.

During a press conference immediately preceding the sweep, Temple Terrace Mayor Frank Chillura and Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn noted the importance of the partnership for both cities.

"I believe code enforcement along with law enforcement efforts are the two strategies to resurrecting and revitalizing the blighted areas," Chillura said. "The joint efforts give us a chance to learn what's happening both on the Temple Terrace and Tampa side."

Law enforcement officials from both cities are also getting in on the action, according to a story in the Tampa Bay Times.

The problems don't recognize boundaries on a map, Buckhorn said. Both communities are affected by the crime and code violations that happen between 50th and 56th streets.

"Let's go get it done," Buckhorn said at the end of the press conference. "Let's go get some code violators."

What do you think of the joint code enforcement sweep? Tell us in the comments.

See also:

• Why Temple Terrace is Teaming Up With Tampa to Keep Your Community Clean