Article
and Video Courtesy of Channel 9, WFTV
By Kathi Belich
Published
September 21, 2015
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VIDEO
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Orange County sheriff's officials told county
commissioners Tuesday that the troubled Blossom Park condominium complex
is one of the county's worst areas for drug overdoses.
Commissioners got a briefing on crime
statistics for the area and heard what the Sheriff's
Office is doing about it.
About 40 people are living at the complex, most of those
with families have moved out.
Officials said about half of those in the complex don't
belong there, but, they told commissioners getting the
squatters out of the complex isn't an easy task. |
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Sheriff's officials said deputies made 21 prostitution arrests in June
and 13 in July. They said there have been no prostitution arrests this
month.
They said that 194 people were arrested in the complex from August 2014
to August 2015.
Officials said the Sheriff's Office used about
$48,000 worth of resources in eight days last month. They
said they had to take tactical units from other details and
assign them to Blossom Park.
"The operation continues. To go on, we still have manpower
involved in it. We still have undercover operations going
on. We're not going to give up on our end," Maj. Michael
Doby, of the Sheriff's Office, said. |
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One of the six buildings on the property is vacant,
and the stairwells were fenced off so no one can get in.
The complex has racked up about $1 million in fines.
Commissioners also heard that to repair the roofs, stairs and walkways
could be at least $5 million.
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