TAMPA - Tampa police are supposed to crack down on businesses that attract drug dealers. The city even established a special nuisance abatement board to shut such places down.

But it's not happening, and we wanted to know why.

When 28 Investigates went undercover at the Blue Note Bar on Nebraska Avenue, two people offered to sell us drugs- within 10 minutes, in broad daylight.

So what are police doing about it? Nothing.

In the past, one Tampa police officer has worked closely with board members. But now, abatement board member Marilyn Durst says she doesn't believe that is happening.

"My understanding is no one is conducting investigations for the purpose of abatement," Durst explained.

Police officials won't say if they even have an officer doing that anymore. 28 Investigates asked Chief Bennie Holder why no cases have been brought before the abatement board in the last two years.

"If you got certain cases you're saying we should've brought before the abatement board, bring them to me and we will certainly look into it," the chief said.

But 28 Investigates did find cases. Last year, officers made 13 drug arrests at Club Atlanta. At the Blue Note Bar, officers made five arrests for drugs and prostitution last year.

Under the abatement board guidelines, police should've reported these businesses to Tampa's nuisance abatement board, which could've shut them down. But they never did.

Retired police officer Karen Pullaro says her supervisor has protected clubs instead. She remembers being called to Club Atlanta every week in 1999.

"There was fighting. We had stabbings there," Pullaro recalled.

Pullaro says when she went there, her supervisor ordered her to protect the club and its owner, Joe Capitano.

"Club Atlanta had a real big problem and the politics of that club, of who owns the building and supposedly he's friends with the mayor and, you know, all that. That was a real problem down there because we couldn't stop it," Pullaro explained.

Another police corporal, still active on the force, said the same thing. He didn't want to go on camera, but claims he was even harassed by his supervisor when he tried to cite club patrons who broke the law. He also believes it was because the club owner, Joe Captitano, was being protected.

28 Investigates asked Capitano about these allegations.

"Bring that S.O.B. Let me hear him say that in front of me..." replied Capitano.

Mayor Dick Greco says his friendship with Capitano never affected how the club was treated.

"Absolutely it's no, I mean that's ridiculous," Greco said.

City attorney Jim Palermo claims it's not easy to shut down a business.

Two years ago, the nuisance abatement board voted to close Tampa's Blue Note Bar after an officer made eight drug arrests there. Palermo overturned that decision, saying state statute requires police to prove someone sold drugs near a business "on more than two occasions within a six-month period."

Since all of the drug deals at the Blue Note happened on the same day, Palermo considered it one occasion and he dropped the case.

28 Investigates found the owner of the Blue Note Bar is Eugene O'Steen, who admits being longtime friends with Dick Greco and Jim Palermo. Palermo was adamant that would not affect his decisions, however.

"No, it couldn't. There's no way it could," Palermo said.

But Durst says there's still a major problem at the Blue Note Bar today.

"I get calls three to four times per month that there has to be something done about this place," continued Durst.

Unfortunately, the clubs are thriving and the abatement board is the one that's out of business.