Re: Death Threat Against FHP Trooper - FHP Not Willing To In
I believe that chipdeblock did a great job reporting this incident and looking after us! I wish that FHP would do the same but I guess going after troopers for petty Bull-S is more important. I'm honestly not surprised that FHP gave him the run-around. It's pathetic what our agency has turned into.
Re: Death Threat Against FHP Trooper - FHP Not Willing To In
Quote:
Originally Posted by chipdeblock
Yesterday I was interviewed by our local FOX affiliate, FOX 13, here in Tampa Bay. The interview centered on the story involving a death threat to Trooper Dan Cole and my belief that the author should be arrested. In fact, there was excitement and hope that the FOX 13 interview (or its pending airing) would motivate the powers that be to authorize a subpoena and ultimately an arrest in this case. Some in this forum have accused me of overreacting and others talk about the freedom of speech. I make no apologies for my position and it is shared by other LEOs whom I respect as well as by the PBA and I believe FHP. My bio on this website should speak for itself, in that I've had an incredible amount of experience over a 30 year career while working some of the most complicated and sensitive investigations my department has seen. There is plenty of justification for the issuance of a subpoena in this case and enough probable cause for an arrest. As for filing of charges by the SAO and conviction in court, those are separate issues not dependent on the first two. Freedom of speech is something I've built this website on and I understand it better than most. You are, however, ultimately responsible for what you say and the poster in this case is not immune from accountability because he chose to use this medium.
I have an update and conclusion for you.
On 02/25/14 I posted in this forum about a Death Threat against an FHP Trooper received by LEOAFFAIRS.COM and problems we experienced with FHP conducting an investigation. After PBA Representative (and trooper) Bill Smith and the Florida PBA got involved, I was contacted by FHP Major Joe Lopez that same day and I submitted all investigative leads to him. When I became aware on 02/27/14 that FHP was having issues with getting authorization for a subpoena, I made good on my promise to publish the threat we received as well as applicable statutes and similar cases. On 03/04/14 I was interviewed by FOX 13 about this story and it aired on 03/05/14. I was also hopeful that exposure of this story would help create public awareness and support on the issue. As stated in my post on 02/26/14, I felt we should give FHP a chance to show they can complete this investigation in a timely manner and I am making this update because FHP has done just that.
According to the investigative report, the Pinellas County State Attorney’s Office authorized and issued a subpoena against the ISP. Through investigative efforts made by FHP, it was determined that the IP address attached to the threat belonged to an out-of-state residential customer. Thus, an out-of-state law enforcement agency was brought into this investigation and assisted by responding to this residence and interviewing a very cooperative subject. As a result of this interview and other investigative measures, it was determined that the originator of the threat used spoofing software to attach a fake IP address to the threatening post and the subject in question was not the offender. As such, all investigative efforts have been exhausted at this time and I am very satisfied with the work that FHP put forth on this case (as you should be).
I believe we need to give credit where credit is due. I want to acknowledge and thank Florida PBA Executive Director Matt Puckett, Florida PBA Representative and FHP Trooper Bill Smith, FHP Major Joe Lopez, Pinellas & Pasco County State Attorney Bernie McCabe and the 6th Judicial Circuit for taking this threat seriously and working to achieve a successful conclusion.
Re: Death Threat Against FHP Trooper - FHP Not Willing To In
You really need to put on your big boy pants. Are you going to go after everyone who posts something like that? I read them every day on different web pages in the comments sections.
Maybe it is time law enforcement took a long had look into a mirror because the behavior many of todays officers are why the public has such feelings about police officers.
People are blowing off steam. You had better be very careful about your tactic Chip, because in my opinion the politically correct BS where no one is allowed to blow off steam is why so many people act out in random acts of violence. It hurts no one when someone makes a post and in this case it was someone from out of state who it is doubtful they will ever encounter a trooper in their life.
The public is getting very fed up with how police officers act these days Chip. The thin blue line that everyone knows about where police officers cover up for other police officers is no longer acceptable not that it really ever was in the first place.
In my opinion the officer who turns their head when a bad officer does something is just a bad and guilty as the bad officer. It is long past time of allowing police departments investigate themselves, that has not worked out real well over the years. It is time for an independent agency that has no ties to law enforcement agencies to conduct investigations of police wrong doing.
Further what proof is there that the person they did get in contact with was not the poster? He could be a very nice guy who was just blowing off steam at the poor behavior of said trooper. You see Chip the public is getting real tired of police hiding behind statutes to protect them as well as the above mentioned thin blue line of corruption that has so severely infected police across this country.
To many police departments when a member of the public files a complaint send the party who filed the complaint a threatening letter worded in such a way as to intimidate them so they will not follow through with the complain. When it is your word against the officers that intimidating letter works wonders to squash the complaint. After all when a member of the public files a complaint then receives a intimidating letter threatening to file charges on you, well lets just say that is just another misuse of police powers. So who does the public go to in those cases? They are pretty much out of luck.
The fact is Chip police departments are full of corruption these days. Just read these forums of different departments. You can tell the departments that are fearful of being exposed because they are the ones who ban people left and right and delete posts and threads. Collier County is a perfect example. Sarasota County officers have exposed many cases corruption and it is well known that Sheriff Knight has a woman assigned to monitor LEO affairs.
FHP has many threads deleted as well as posts when certain members are exposed for their corruption. The funny thing is others are bashed endlessly in LEO affairs with out right lies that falsely accuse criminal conduct and those threads and post remain on LEO affairs to this day.
Re: Death Threat Against FHP Trooper - FHP Not Willing To In
Quote:
Originally Posted by Guest
You really need to put on your big boy pants. Are you going to go after everyone who posts something like that? I read them every day on different web pages in the comments sections.
Maybe it is time law enforcement took a long had look into a mirror because the behavior many of todays officers are why the public has such feelings about police officers.
People are blowing off steam. You had better be very careful about your tactic Chip, because in my opinion the politically correct BS where no one is allowed to blow off steam is why so many people act out in random acts of violence. It hurts no one when someone makes a post and in this case it was someone from out of state who it is doubtful they will ever encounter a trooper in their life.
The public is getting very fed up with how police officers act these days Chip. The thin blue line that everyone knows about where police officers cover up for other police officers is no longer acceptable not that it really ever was in the first place.
In my opinion the officer who turns their head when a bad officer does something is just a bad and guilty as the bad officer. It is long past time of allowing police departments investigate themselves, that has not worked out real well over the years. It is time for an independent agency that has no ties to law enforcement agencies to conduct investigations of police wrong doing.
Further what proof is there that the person they did get in contact with was not the poster? He could be a very nice guy who was just blowing off steam at the poor behavior of said trooper. You see Chip the public is getting real tired of police hiding behind statutes to protect them as well as the above mentioned thin blue line of corruption that has so severely infected police across this country.
To many police departments when a member of the public files a complaint send the party who filed the complaint a threatening letter worded in such a way as to intimidate them so they will not follow through with the complain. When it is your word against the officers that intimidating letter works wonders to squash the complaint. After all when a member of the public files a complaint then receives a intimidating letter threatening to file charges on you, well lets just say that is just another misuse of police powers. So who does the public go to in those cases? They are pretty much out of luck.
The fact is Chip police departments are full of corruption these days. Just read these forums of different departments. You can tell the departments that are fearful of being exposed because they are the ones who ban people left and right and delete posts and threads. Collier County is a perfect example. Sarasota County officers have exposed many cases corruption and it is well known that Sheriff Knight has a woman assigned to monitor LEO affairs.
FHP has many threads deleted as well as posts when certain members are exposed for their corruption. The funny thing is others are bashed endlessly in LEO affairs with out right lies that falsely accuse criminal conduct and those threads and post remain on LEO affairs to this day.
Do you have an example of one of these threatening letters? If you do please post it because I have been in supervision for 12 years in a large department in FL and have yet to see one of these letters you speak of. Does this letter refer to the officer bill of rights regarding false complaints against an officer and his rights once the allegation is proved false?