Maybe the town really should be known as Tompa Bay.
Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady has become the highest-profile resident on Tampa, and that profile has been elevated by his decision to rent Derek Jeter’s mega-mansion on the edge of the waters of Hillsborough Bay. The house has become a target for boaters who pull up and hang out in what essentially is Brady’s backyard. With Memorial Day weekend upon us, things could get even worse.
As a result, JoeBucsFan.com reports that off-duty police presence has been purchased from the Tampa Police Department, via a so-called “extra duty” arrangement. Each year, the TPD schedules 200,000 in extra work for officers, and some of the 2020 extra hours will be associated with keeping people away from Brady’s house.
The off-duty patrol will continue indefinitely. It’s unclear whether Brady or the Buccaneers are paying for the police presence; if it’s the Buccaneers, it presumably would (or at least could) count toward the team’s salary cap.
It’s no surprise. Brady is the biggest free agent to ever sign with the Buccaneers in their 44-year history, and he has brought instant excitement and cachet to Tampa. With a house that is so large and so prominent -- and so public -- people will be congregating in boats all weekend long, all summer long, and maybe all year long.
So here’s hoping that the boaters generally behave, and that they keep the Dean Martin music to a minimum.