You know your neighborhood is bad when recipients of a new house from Habitat for Humanity refuse to move in.

That’s what Barbara Inman, executive director of Pinellas County’s chapter of Habitat for Humanity, told a group of St. Petersburg city and police officials today at a public safety committee meeting.

“What we’re finding is people are willing to wait until we’re building in Clearwater or somewhere else, because they perceive it as a better neighborhood,” she said. “The criminal activity [in Bartlett Park] seems to be so much worse than it has been.”

Inman is referring to two families who did not feel safe moving into homes located on 15th Avenue South between Fourth Street and Martin Luther King Boulevard.

Tom Tito, Bartlett Park’s neighborhood association president, called the crime situation “a crisis.” While holding up a map detailing a series of murders in the neighborhood throughout 2006, Tito and other residents said intimidation of those involved in crime watch is hindering their ability to organize their neighbors. They called on the committee to pressure police into concentrating more on Bartlett Park.

But the police response to the neighborhood’s residents followed a similar refrain heard at other meetings involving police officials and neighborhood leaders: Crime is going down in the city and the police department’s new structure should solve any lingering problems.

Assistant Chief Luke Williams called it a perception issue.

“It depends on how Bartlett Park is portrayed to [potential homeowners],” he explained. “Bartlett Park is no different than any where else in the city … As far as buying in the area, would I discourage one of my family members from [moving there]? I would disagree.”

To which Councilman Jeff Danner replied: “Whether it’s reality or perception, it’s certainly affecting their quality of life.”

Why does that sound familiar?

This article appears in Feb 7-13, 2007.