Valerie Smith, Author at Creative Loafing Tampa

Close-up of Axon police body cameras in a charging dock as a person places one unit into the station, highlighting law enforcement video and audio recording equipment.

Hillsborough sheriff deputies can now use controversial Axon AI for some reports

Electronic Frontier Foundation says ‘Axon’s Draft One Is Designed to Defy Transparency.’

by Valerie Smith February 26, 2026February 27, 2026

Deputies are now allowed to use Axon Draft One AI to generate some preliminary police reports, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday. Critics of the software say that police contractor company Axon designed the tool to prevent anyone—including media, defense attorneys and civil liberties organizations—from telling exactly which parts of a report were composed by […]

A pair of partygoers at a Her Way event. Two people pose arm-in-arm at a dimly lit party illuminated by purple club lights. The person on the left wears a white bandana and a blue Edmonton Oilers hockey jersey. The person on the right wears red rectangular sunglasses, a blue Denver Nuggets basketball jersey, and a white pleated skirt. Their blonde locs are styled with colorful hair clips. Other patrons and part of a hookah pipe are visible in the blurred background.

Arts & Entertainment

Her Way celebrates Tampa Bay’s Black millennial sapphics

And they’re throwing a sexy Galentine’s R&B party in Tampa this weekend.

by Valerie Smith and The Sapphic Sun February 24, 2026February 24, 2026

Pinellas County law enforcement monitoring a public protest outside a U.S. Customs and Border Protection recruitment event in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Pinellas police chiefs signed ICE agreements following sheriff’s ‘removal’ warning, records show

PCSO’s Bob Gualtieri told all Pinellas police chiefs, ‘the consequences for not doing so include removal from office by the Governor, including his power to remove police chiefs.’

by Valerie Smith February 17, 2026February 17, 2026

A person with long brown hair stands at a street corner, speaking into a handheld microphone while wearing sunglasses and a tan cardigan. They are surrounded by several other people holding protest signs that read "RATE HIKES AREN'T INEVITABLE," "TAKE BACK THE GRID," and "PUBLIC POWER CAN'T BE BEAT." The background shows a sunny city street with palm trees and a red emergency vehicle in the distance.

Dump Duke says public power is cheaper, more reliable, than what St. Pete is getting now

The group held a Jan. 28 press conference alongside other community action groups.

by Valerie Smith February 4, 2026February 4, 2026

In Pinellas, a dark money-funded ‘Energy Alliance’ is working against the push for publicly-owned electricity

Incorporation paperwork for Pinellas Energy Alliance says the group is organized to represent the interests of electric utility companies

by Valerie Smith February 4, 2026February 4, 2026

A person with curly brown hair and glasses sits in a blue chair, speaking into a black handheld microphone. They are wearing a dark navy blazer over a white patterned button-down shirt, captured in a candid moment during a panel or presentation with a white wall and a blue television screen in the background.

Public defender to bring services directly to Tampa residents with ‘PD13 Street Legal’

Lisa McLean, will bring her office and more to the University Community Resource Center from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on Feb. 21.

by Valerie Smith January 31, 2026January 31, 2026

n a crowded parking lot at night, an individual with long curly hair and a black shirt speaks with a law enforcement officer wearing a white uniform and a "Hillsborough County Sheriff" patch. In the foreground, another person stands with their back to the camera wearing a grey t-shirt featuring a graphic of the Dome of the Rock and the word "PALESTINE."

Vigil for Tampa man killed in West Bank interrupted by Christian content creators [PHOTOS]

One content creator who heckled families created a fundraiser for himself.

by Valerie Smith January 20, 2026January 20, 2026

A crowd of people hold protest signs and a large banner reading “MICRO PENIS” during an outdoor demonstration, with a law enforcement officer standing nearby.

Photos: Protestors picket Border Patrol recruitment at St. Pete Carillon Hilton

About 100 protestors chanted and held signs to air their grievances with the agency and the hotel hosting the event.

by Valerie Smith January 16, 2026January 16, 2026

Law enforcement officers wearing tactical vests stand near a Hilton Carillon Park sign during an outdoor event, with people and protest signage visible in the background.

At St. Pete recruitment event, Border Patrol rep touts qualified immunity and early retirement

Inside the Jan. 13 event at the Carillon Park Hilton.

by Valerie Smith January 16, 2026January 19, 2026

A high-contrast shot of law enforcement at a public doorway. Agent Greg Bovino is the central focus, looking toward the side with a serious expression, equipped with a body camera and tactical gear. The scene includes a "Circle K" storefront sign in the background and a person in a camo face mask.

Border Patrol to hold recruiting event at St. Pete Hilton, despite activist pressure

The event is part of a nationwide effort to add agents for CPB, a group with a reputation for aggressive and violent immigration enforcement tactics.

by Valerie Smith January 12, 2026January 12, 2026

A professional portrait of an individual with a bald head and a full beard, wearing square-rimmed tortoiseshell glasses and teal-colored medical scrubs. The person is smiling and looking directly at the camera.

Hillsborough County Commission candidate Neil Manimala talks transit, compassion, bipartisanship and Wawa coffee

He’s hoping to block Donna Cameron Cepeda, a Republican elected in 2022, from re-election in District 5.

by Valerie Smith December 6, 2025December 6, 2025

In Tampa, Ruth’s List trains the next wave of women candidates

Naya Young’s big win could be a sign of more to come, the organization hopes.

by Valerie Smith December 2, 2025December 2, 2025

At USF Tampa, Christian supremacist content creators mock, spit, and wave bacon at praying Muslim students

In Florida, maliciously disturbing a religious gathering is a first-degree misdemeanor, or a third-degree felony with hate crime enhancement.

by Valerie Smith November 20, 2025November 20, 2025

Close-up of the top of the Choices community pantry, displaying a stack of 'Access Press' magazines, a framed sign, and a framed QR code linking to the 'Choices' website.

St. Pete’s new Choices All Options Pantry provides free abortion care and pregnancy support

The self-serve pantry provides valuable resources without judgement, giving people a free alternative to crisis pregnancy centers.

by Valerie Smith November 19, 2025November 19, 2025

Close-up of a protest sign made from a brown paper bag, held by a person whose shoulder is visible. The handwritten sign reads: "287(g) Strains Local Resources."

Tampa police gets $430K for additional immigration enforcement

Most of the additional funding goes to overtime for police officers to engage in undefined ‘immigration enforcement efforts.’

by Valerie Smith November 14, 2025November 14, 2025

A woman (Suzy Lopez, left) wearing a dark navy shirt stands at a wooden podium speaking into a microphone, flanked by a man in a suit and a seated police officer to the right.

Hillsborough state attorney backs out of criminal justice panel after organizer declined to provide questions in advance

Suzy Lopez’s office called the situation a ‘miscommunication’ and said questions are usually offered to panel participants in advance.

by Valerie Smith November 14, 2025November 14, 2025

Police officers gather near a damaged silver car crashed into a storefront. The scene is marked off by yellow police tape in the foreground.

FHP didn’t stop chasing vehicle until seconds before fatal Ybor City crash, video shows

Bradley’s on 7th was about 1,000 feet from where the chase was discontinued by the primary pursuing vehicle.

by Valerie Smith November 9, 2025November 9, 2025

The entrance sign for Williams Park in St. Petersburg, Florida, is visible under large oak trees, with people walking through a market area and a modern skyscraper towering in the sunlit background.

Judge says SPLC cannot intervene in lawsuit over homeless people in Williams Park

In an unusual move for a hotly contested suit, the plaintiff and the defense filed a joint motion against SPLC’s intervention.

by Valerie Smith November 4, 2025November 4, 2025

A woman with long brown hair and blue-framed glasses smiles brightly while sitting in front of a broadcast microphone inside a radio studio. A bulletin board is visible to her right, and another person is partially visible next to her.

Tampa Ethics Commission change could define neighborhood association representatives as lobbyists

A city spokesperson told CL the change was not intended to obstruct communication between neighborhood associations and the city.

by Valerie Smith October 23, 2025October 24, 2025

Side-by-side photo of two speakers at an event. On the left, a man in a dark suit and tie speaks into a microphone. On the right, a woman in an orange dress also speaks into a microphone while seated. Both appear engaged in discussion against a dark backdrop.

Here’s what the money says in the special election for Tampa City Council District 5

Thomas Scott raised more than twice as much, with most of the difference coming from Realtors and developers.

by Valerie Smith October 13, 2025October 16, 2025