Lt V trying to tangle with PCSO??

So how's that internal email coming along explaining it was just a magazine article he wrote???? Anyone seen it yet?

Yup....and it made perfect sense. Totally thwarted your attempts at causing trouble. Better luck next time.....heeeeheeeeeee!!!!!!!

You have to admit, it's nice to have a boss that means what he says. He says he's gonna write an email explaining the situation and then he does it. The email seemed to explain the whole thing

SORRY POT STIRRER...MAYBE NEXT TIME!!!

I am the guy who checks sex offenders in and around Gulfport. I've read the "Magazine article" and the response from PCSO and feel the need to respond to this thread.

1st and foremost, I am writing this for no one other than myself. I am a 20 year vet who has no aspirations to rise above the rank of pee-on. I would like to take issue with a few sections of the "article". The biggest problem, in my opinion, is that it wasn't just an "article". It was presented at the Pinellas Police Standards Council Meeting, attended by many high ranking Pinellas LEO-s, including Chiefs of Police. Under item 6. New business: Sex Offender Tracking (Chief Willocks)- see attachment. (The attachment was the "article" about a page and a third, attributed to Lt. Robert Vincent.)

For the record, I have never met the man. I've tried on several occasions, especially after this "article". Each time I tried to either speak to him by telephone or show up at the PD I was told he was unavailable. I even tried a few times to meet with other folks who might have some dealings with offenders. Every time I went to the PD I felt like a total outsider. I was never even brought back into the offices, only met in the lobby. I've never felt so uncomfortable inside an agency. Det. Matt Parks was great to me, and we've shared info several times over the last year. Outside of the patrol folks I've met, Matt was the high point of my GPD experience. Except of course for DT Instructor school with Big Howard C!

Back to the "article". One of the points made is that there is "no clear delineation of responsibilities" because "nearly one million people reside in 24 municipalities operating under 14 different LE agencies." The article basically, in my opinion, after reading it several times, speaks heavily of an absence of responsibility for the wherabouts of offenders and predators based on too many agencies not communicating with each other.

The article has many other, in my opinion, totally inaccurate points, many of which were rebutted by the Sgt in charge of the SPOT Unit. One of the points made was that in June 2005 PCSO SPOT was formed and tasked with the tracking of offenders COUNTYWIDE. City PD-s need not track or monitor them. We actually track 1,254 registered predators and offenders.

The "article" relies heavily on pointing out that absconded offenders could be "doing who knows what, who knows where" for "several months". It goes on to say that each agency should designate a person responsible for generating reports and sharing them with all the other agencies so they can compare data and find the absconded offenders. I believe some stats are in order. Pinellas County is ranked #6 in the entire state of Florida for numbers of offenders and predators. Of those top 6 agencies, Pinellas SO has the fewest percentage of absconded offenders. Of all our offenders, only 1.36% or 17 out of 1,254 are absconded. Miami Dade has nearly 5% of their offenders missing.

In addition to these numbers, we had a 50% reduction in absconded offenders after PCSO started the SPOT unit. The "article" also speaks of mail out address verifications sent by FDLE. We actually make face to face contact with each offender, several times a year, to verify the address. We then report that information directly to FDLE and also update an in house database with any and all contacts, including telephone calls, registrations, re-registrations, criminal cases etc.

This database is available to every Deputy and agency in the county. In August of 2006 your Sgt. Lehr was granted access. We have also tried several times to have your agency report your address verifications directly to FDLE but it has yet to be done. I believe you folks check on offenders monthly which is commendable but what a shame that no other agency, including the agency tasked with tracking offenders, has any idea of these checks. I'm aware only because I get cursed at by offenders in Gulfport until they realize I'm not a GPD Officer. They then usually apologize and say they were just visited recently by you folks.

In conclusion, I think you guys and gals have a fine agency, I hope you continue to have a fine agency for many years to come. I personally feel that the "article" was way out of line and totally inaccurate. If your fine Lt. had bothered to ask, or was around to meet with me the many times I've tried, he might have been better informed and able to write a better "article". I also feel it was completely foolish to present the article at a Chiefs meeting. That was a complete slap in the face to me and the men and women in my unit and was totally uncalled for. I heard of a phone call from him apologizing for the confusion. I completely respect him if he did that without a direct order from the Chief. I will continue to track offenders in your fine city, and will be there if you need backup.

Stay safe! Semper Fi,

Rich

Lt V stand up and tell us your side of the story, oh wait you are standing up.

As a GPD officer, I feel ashamed that you had such an experience when you came by the PD and you felt like an outsider. I've had the opportunity to speak with other agency members before and they are always taken into the PD, our ISD office or other areas immediately to talk business or share information.

If you had interactions with some of the patrol officers, understand that most for some reason or another don't know to let other agency members in the police department or their too scared to think for themselves and just do it.

I'm glad Matt was there to help you out. He's a good guy. Hope all furture interactions with our agency are better.

Have a safe new year

GPD Guy, thanks for your comments brother. Now a bit of positive news. After my post I fully expected a bit of backlash. I pointed out the post to my boss so she wouldn't be blindsided if the phone calls started coming in. To her credit, she liked the post and didn't have any problem with it. Only one call came in, from Lt. Rob himself. He was looking for my cell phone number. He called me, told me he wasn't upset about the post, and invited me to the PD. Told me he wanted our agencies to be able to work together and wanted me to feel comfortable coming to the PD. I look forward to the meeting, probably happen later this week.

In my opinion Lt. Rob had a few options after the post. He could have ignored it and hoped the whole situation would go away. He could have picked up the phone and tried to cause problems well above my rank. Or he could have done the honorable thing, pick up the phone, speak to the source, and face the situation. He did the honorable thing, and before I even meet him, he already has my respect.

Have a Happy and Safe New Year.

Semper Fi,

Rich

Gulfport stopped doing their own sex offender checks ?

Dear Borg Deputy:

You obviously have no idea what you're talking about! Our chief roasted Go Davis not Chief Harmon. Get a clue!!!!!!

Go Davis was a deputy mayor by then, not chief. Your chief came on this board and posted his "letter" saying how ashamed he was that SPPD didnt back PCSO on the cleared shooting and all that. But I know for a fact that he told every officer at GPPD that if shot someone under the same circumstances that there would be hell to pay. Double talk. BS. Two faced. Need I go on?

Dear Borg Deputy:

You obviously have no idea what you're talking about! Our chief roasted Go Davis not Chief Harmon. Get a clue!!!!!!

Go Davis was a deputy mayor by then, not chief. Your chief came on this board and posted his "letter" saying how ashamed he was that SPPD didnt back PCSO on the cleared shooting and all that. But I know for a fact that he told every officer at GPPD that if shot someone under the same circumstances that there would be hell to pay. Double talk. BS. Two faced. Need I go on?

Hey idiot--he meant that there would be hell to pay from ST. PETE P.D. if it had been a Gulfport officer who shot somebody in St. Petersburg under those circumstances.