Heard Something Disturbing

[Lonewolf1]

I heard something I found particularly disturbing today. I was talking with a long time LEO from another agency who I have known for too many years to mention and he asked me, "What has happened to LPD?" I asked him what he meant by this and he went on to say that he has noticed that to him and others that LPD is no longer the pre-eminent law enforcement agency in Polk County or even in Central Florida as it once was.

His perception and apparently other's as well is that LPD has lost a lot of it's pride and reputation. One particular comment was, "I see officers that look like PCSO deputies used to look like, out of shape and sloppy." I guess when you have a COP that looks like a candidate for a major heart attack or stroke why should anyone care about fitness.

I personally have seen the decline in comraderie and low morale due in large part to an uncaring and personal agenda driven administration and their loyal families. Not to mention certain promotions that were more PC driven and placating certain demographics rather than promoting the most qualified and best street cops.

But even with the 3rd floor playing their games, and the unfair promotions, and all the other in-house garbage the cops on the street always took great pride in themselves and their squad members despite the 3rd floor. They always seem to forget or just plain miss that about street cops. Good cops take a pile of crap from their adminstration, but come back each and every day to serve. They miss it, mostly because they were never real street cops, adminstrators rarely are.

I have been retired for a while now, but I still have a great deal of pride concerning my time at LPD, and although I haven't been back since retiring and have little or no desire to socialize with anyone in the administration or their sick little families, I maintain my friendships with officers I worked with, trusted, and became friends with and I still have that same level of pride for the street cops and detectives that are really the ones doing the work.

I hope the comments I heard were just a couple of opinions and not a precursor to any decline in the pride at LPD. Keep strong and trust me when I say that sooner or later most of the problems at LPD will retire.

Sadly, its all true. Everyone is leaving as fast as they can. LPD has become a joke.

Was just talking to a Sgt. from LPD and he feels the way Grady Judd is taking over, 2 years LPD will become PCSO Lakeland.

Was just talking to a Sgt. from LPD and he feels the way Grady Judd is taking over, 2 years LPD will become PCSO Lakeland.


Lets face it, it can't be ran any worse then how it is now... Lets face it the 3RD floor consists of a bunch of F-Ing morons!

Imagine a law enforcement agency that didn't worry about what their peers and/or superiors were doing or rumored to be doing. Imagine a law enforcement agency where individual officers only were concerned with their own actions. Imagine a department where each and every officer came in and did the best they could do during their shift and let everything else work itself out. Sadly, I know that is never going to happen. However, for all those who speak ill of others on here, remember unless you can walk on water, you probably aren't perfect either.

Times have changed in the policing arena. No one wants to be the police anymore. Departments across the nation have faced a recruiting crisis in recent years. They are having to advertise special incentives to attract applicants. Additionally, as in the private sector, benefits and pay dictate the quality and experience level of your new hires. Area agencies offer competitive benefits (sometimes even better ones) so LPD has competition now. Finally, local departments are sending employees to the academy these days where as in the past, you had to put yourself through and then wait a year or two to get hired.

Times change, society changes and so do law enforcement agencies. LPD probably isn't like it use to be in the 70's or 80's or even 90's. I'm sure LPD had it's share of issues during those years as it does now. However, all agencies do and to say whether it's better or worse is like the adage of comparing apples to oranges. But from the outside looking in, LPD's excellence has progressed steadily over the years and I pray it will continue to do so.

Thank you for the kind and truthful words. Things look greener on the other side even when the green is PCSO green.

LPD's excellence has progressed steadily over the years and I pray it will continue to do so.

If you think the above quote is true, then you were not here for LPD's glory days. When criminals feared us and other agencies were envious of us. The only steady progress we have had is that we are progressively getting worse. We are now laughed at by the criminals and pitied by other agencies. There is one specific reason for this...we have no leadership. We have no one who inspires officers to follow them. No one who encourages officers to do their best. We have no one who cares about the men and women under them.

Let's start with "when criminals feared us". A hard core criminal fears no one these days so you can't blame that on LPD. Society has changed and criminals have changed. Their attitudes are the same whether it is LPD or the FBI. America has become a litigation rich society and some of the worst have taken the attitude of "how dare you make me follow the law" attitude. Next let's address "when other agencies envied us". That was due mostly because LPD got better pay, didn't drive K cars and had a better retirement system. Like it was said earlier, area agencies have caught up to LPD's so LPD now has competion in the job market. Third, sometimes leadership starts with you. Cops should be leaders by nature. You can't and shouldn't rely on administration to pave your way. It's sorta like going into Publix and not buying groceries because no one would push the shopping cart for you. It's rare these days to have a "tell it like it is" person of authority in the public eye and I agree it can create a morale boost, but don't rely on this for job satisfaction. As far as progressively getting better, you all got raises during the last contract and currently are working to get the new retirement in place. No one has lost their job in this crazy economy and your boss isn't elected. Rome wasn't built in a day and although I agree many more things could change for the better, do your best out there and don't worry about the "glory" days because times have changed and there were problems back then too.

Last I checked, your boss is elected. He's called the MAYOR. An old time police chief once told me, "A sheriff is elected every 4 years, but a chief is elected every day."

Let's start with "when criminals feared us". A hard core criminal fears no one these days so you can't blame that on LPD. Society has changed and criminals have changed. Their attitudes are the same whether it is LPD or the FBI. America has become a litigation rich society and some of the worst have taken the attitude of "how dare you make me follow the law" attitude. Next let's address "when other agencies envied us". That was due mostly because LPD got better pay, didn't drive K cars and had a better retirement system. Like it was said earlier, area agencies have caught up to LPD's so LPD now has competion in the job market. Third, sometimes leadership starts with you. Cops should be leaders by nature. You can't and shouldn't rely on administration to pave your way. It's sorta like going into Publix and not buying groceries because no one would push the shopping cart for you. It's rare these days to have a "tell it like it is" person of authority in the public eye and I agree it can create a morale boost, but don't rely on this for job satisfaction. As far as progressively getting better, you all got raises during the last contract and currently are working to get the new retirement in place. No one has lost their job in this crazy economy and your boss isn't elected. Rome wasn't built in a day and although I agree many more things could change for the better, do your best out there and don't worry about the "glory" days because times have changed and there were problems back then too.

I'm sure you're right Bill.

To the guest who offered the comment that LPD's boss is elected-do some research and you will see the CITY MANAGER is actually the "boss". And by the way, he's not elected.

LPD is a travesty. Why should the criminals fear us when we have criminals among us! Not just one time, but multiple times.....and these same "officers" are still being paid to "lead". The Lakeland Police Department has hit rock bottom and it is not going to change anytime soon. Every agency goes through it's ups and downs and maybe someday Lakeland will be back on top and all will be right with the world.

[Lonewolf1]

maybe someday Lakeland will be back on top and all will be right with the world.

Maybe someday, but not as long as any member of the current adminstration remains in any position of authority.