By Brian McBride
Associate Editor

Despite recent complaints and several arrests for lewd behavior at the Kissimmee lakefront, a majority of city leaders said it would not taint the world-class downtown park the city is trying to build to lure more visitors to the area.

The latest arrest was Harmony High School American government teacher Joseph Ferraro, 52, of St. Cloud, who was charged June 24 with exposure of sexual organs, unnatural and lascivious act and resisting without violence after the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office set up a sting operation.

“We received several complaints, which led to this operation, but have done similar operations in this and other areas of Osceola County based on concerns from citizens,” Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Twis Lizasuain said.

The city is in the middle of building a $28 million Kissimmee Lakefront Park project – expected to include a 30-foot cube-shaped fountain called “Rain” – to lure more visitors to the area. The feature will have water flowing over it, with the stream pausing at intervals to allow people to walk through a hidden door inside the hollow structure. It will be in a plaza on Ruby Avenue.

But Mayor Jim Swan said the recent lewd bust was not a setback, likening the park arrest to a (marijuana) grow house identified in an upscale subdivision.

“I don’t care what neighborhood, park or venue you are in, you can have the wrong kind of people get into there,” Swan said. “The challenge is to catch them and to put them in jail.”

According to Sheriff’s Office reports, at approximately 6:45 p.m. June 24, Sheriff’s Office deputies with the Community Response Team were working undercover at the lakefront, targeting lewd and lascivious behavior based on several complaints.

An undercover deputy was sitting on a bench and was approached by Ferraro. They spoke casually and Ferraro asked the deputy if he wanted to go back to his house. The deputy said no and walked to his truck. Ferraro followed him and asked if they could go for a ride. They drove a short distance before parking at the lakefront. While in the truck, Ferraro asked the deputy to expose himself. When the deputy refused, Ferraro exposed himself and began touching himself inappropriately.

Ferraro, of 2399 Sweetwater Blvd., has since been suspended by the Osceola County School District, school officials said,

Media reports about Ferraro’s arrest will act as a deterrent to any future lewd behavior at the lakefront, Commissioner Jerry Gemskie said, because those who participate in such illegal activity don’t want to get caught there by authorities.

“I think that it (being arrested) exposes them and that is not what they want,” he said.

Was this the first time the Sheriff’s Office received complaints about the lakefront area?

“No, we have done other operations in the past based on citizens’ concerns,” Lizasuain said.

The Kissimmee Police Department also has done its own undercover operations. In June of 2009, it conducted three such details targeting lewd behavior, making three arrests.

“We have received complaints about inappropriate behavior at the lakefront,” KPD spokeswoman Stacie Miller said. “Once a complaint is received, the officers that handle that beat will frequently patrol the area.”

And in 2006, the Sheriff’s Office Community Response Team was conducting an undercover operation in various parks throughout the county when an undercover deputy began talking to Bruce Foster, a Marion County School District executive director of school development and evaluation, who was in Kissimmee to attend a conference. After a casual conversation, Foster asked the deputy to go to a more secluded location, Sheriff’s Office reports said. They drove to a parking lot along Monument Drive, where Foster exposed himself to the deputy. He was arrested and charged with lewd and lascivious acts and exposure of sexual organs.

The recent lewd activity caused at least one commissioner to raise a red flag.

“I would like to address this,” Commissioner Art Otero said. “This is not the first time this has happened.”

He said that possibly more security is needed and that he might discuss it with the city manager.

Commissioner Cheryl Grieb said while it should be addressed, she wasn’t concerned that a problem would exist after the park was completed. She added that it would add much more foot traffic, lessening the chance other incidents would occur.

“I believe more eyes in the area, the safer it becomes,” she said.

In the meantime, authorities said they would remain vigilant.

“We continually look for ways to curb any illegal activity that takes place within city limits and conduct operations as needed,” Miller said.