FTO

Glad to see nothing has changed.

What you people don't get is that at other agencies, other states as well as local don't treat their PO's like garbage. Tormenting someone throughout the FTO program is not training. They do whatever they have to in order to get passable DOR's and then when they hit the street they, like most cops learn more from their fellow cops on how to actually do this job.

And this whole PO bullsh!t gets on my nerves. Once your out of the FTO program you shouldn't be called anything but Officer. FTO's, supervisors and fellow cops all treat each other like crap around that place. Maybe its all that frustration from not being allowed to do their jobs, I don't know.

The point is you can be professional and train at the same time. The St. Petersburg Police Department is a joke and the only reason why people go there is b/c they don't know any better (like me) or b/c the SPPD needs people so bad all the time that they still sponsor.

Most of the FTO's I saw were not professional and when I worked with them on the street they weren't even the best cops around. I came from another agency so I already knew a dipsh!t cop when I saw one and the SPPD has no shortage of them.

You want to know WHY there are FTO's with 3 years on??? Because the SPPD has two kinds of cops, those that have been there for 15+ years, know the place is crap and for various reasons don't want to FTO's, basically they know better. Then you got people that have just a few years on.

All those people in between have QUIT and gone off to better agencies and yes, the grass is much greener over here, has been for years, taste great too and the only thing I miss from the SPPD is... oh yeah thats right NOTHING!

And do me a favor, we have a budget crisis, gas is expensive, either sack up and start chasing Code 10's or don't bother at all, wasting the helicopters gas to do what you cannot do yourself is a waste of resources. Learn to PIT, box in, stop stick and pursue, that would mean you have to go to a real agency which by the way none of us are hiring b/c of Amendment 1 so good luck.

Now I welcome your comments b/c yes, we are better than you and we know it.

Well said my friend, well said!

Well said my friend, well said!

It dosen't matter what you reply back. The MOD is erasing some of the return posts. He must have something for Zak..?..??

[Mod 161]

Relax Kookoo. There have only been two posts deleted in this thread so far, both of which were personal attacks as opposed to professional criticisms. There's sometimes a fine line and this one I'm watching closely. If you have a personal problem with someone perhaps you should choose a different method to vent your frustrations. I will continue to delete posts at my discretion.

The fact of the matter is this. You can not have an FTO with four years on and expect that person to be a top notch FTO. The PO is the one that is losing out. An FTO (along with obvious other things) is there to teach a PO and that is mostly done by sharing ones experience with different calls and different cases. When you have only four years on you still learning the job yourself. There are many variables to making a good FTO but perhaps the most important is experience. The problem is the well to pick from is so dry that we are forced to use FTO's that have no business teaching someone else when they have all they can do to the the job themselves.

Glad to see nothing has changed.

What you people don't get is that at other agencies, other states as well as local don't treat their PO's like garbage. Tormenting someone throughout the FTO program is not training. They do whatever they have to in order to get passable DOR's and then when they hit the street they, like most cops learn more from their fellow cops on how to actually do this job.

And this whole PO bullsh!t gets on my nerves. Once your out of the FTO program you shouldn't be called anything but Officer. FTO's, supervisors and fellow cops all treat each other like crap around that place. Maybe its all that frustration from not being allowed to do their jobs, I don't know.

The point is you can be professional and train at the same time. The St. Petersburg Police Department is a joke and the only reason why people go there is b/c they don't know any better (like me) or b/c the SPPD needs people so bad all the time that they still sponsor.

Most of the FTO's I saw were not professional and when I worked with them on the street they weren't even the best cops around. I came from another agency so I already knew a dipsh!t cop when I saw one and the SPPD has no shortage of them.

You want to know WHY there are FTO's with 3 years on??? Because the SPPD has two kinds of cops, those that have been there for 15+ years, know the place is crap and for various reasons don't want to FTO's, basically they know better. Then you got people that have just a few years on.

All those people in between have QUIT and gone off to better agencies and yes, the grass is much greener over here, has been for years, taste great too and the only thing I miss from the SPPD is... oh yeah thats right NOTHING!

And do me a favor, we have a budget crisis, gas is expensive, either sack up and start chasing Code 10's or don't bother at all, wasting the helicopters gas to do what you cannot do yourself is a waste of resources. Learn to PIT, box in, stop stick and pursue, that would mean you have to go to a real agency which by the way none of us are hiring b/c of Amendment 1 so good luck.

Now I welcome your comments b/c yes, we are better than you and we know it.

yet you still find the time to come on this board and share

You sure is a sharp un there fellar. And hey I got some news fer ya, once ya quit they give ya yer balls back.

After reading the last two pages I have only one thing that comes to mind and it covers most of the posts I have seen not only on this topic but on the majority of this board.....GET OFF YOUR HIGH HORSE - YOU ARE NOT SUPERCOP!!!

An FTO gives his PO a little lip......hot damn, lets fire the guy....better yet, bring out a firing squad. The FTO has four years on....so what, whoop-dee-do. Good for him that he is trying to make a difference in passing on his experience to this point. Do you really think that in four months of "The Program", that all of his expertise in every area will be passed on and the PO will be able to handle every call like a pro? Of course not, thats not how it works.

For those of you on here bashing the FTOs with only a few years on let me ask you this?

*Have you stepped up to the plate with your numerous years of experience?

*Is there a reason why you are still in patrol after 10 years?

*When you pass judgement on a fellow officer's competency of the job is it because you were with him on every single call and evaluated every report that he has written recently or is your decision based soley on the fact that he only has a few years on or from what someone else told you about him?

To answer the question in your mind at this point, No, I am not an FTO and do not have any plans on going to that unit. I personally don't like riding ***** and repeating myself every 10 minutes. I don't have the patience.

Ever since I have been at SPPD there seems to be an attitude of one upping each other as to who is the real SUPER COP. The talk is always about how many calls were cleared, how I am more tactical than you, I would have done this or that and monday morning quarterbacking each other. Sometimes I think we forget what this job is really about. That is saving lives, helping others, and solving problems. As long as you go home at the end of your shift, you tried your best at helping someone in need or solving a problem, then you did a good job. I know that this city, the chief, the mayor, and a good portion of the citizens don't really give two shits about me, but I didn't take this job for their moral support or the great wages. I took the job because being a cop is in my blood and I don't know what else I would do. Its kind of like the Lt. Grossman sheep story....I am good at being a protector and I like to beat the bad guy. Some guys are good at being teachers or mentors....to that, keep up the good work TAZ, we need some more like you.

What we should be talking about on these posts is why the city is dragging its feet on giving us a pay raise, getting a new proactive administration, and taking back our streets by any means possible. This administration has accomplished its goal of separating the brotherhood from within this department and turning us against each other at every corner. Things need to change soon. Maybe next time your out on a call with a new PO, or your come across an officer you have not met before, introduce yourself and make it a point to learn who your brothers are and support them. It would be nice to see some summer squad parties. Beer and brotherhood go hand in hand you know.

After reading the last two pages I have only one thing that comes to mind and it covers most of the posts I have seen not only on this topic but on the majority of this board.....GET OFF YOUR HIGH HORSE - YOU ARE NOT SUPERCOP!!!

An FTO gives his PO a little lip......hot darn, lets fire the guy....better yet, bring out a firing squad. The FTO has four years on....so what, whoop-dee-do. Good for him that he is trying to make a difference in passing on his experience to this point. Do you really think that in four months of "The Program", that all of his expertise in every area will be passed on and the PO will be able to handle every call like a pro? Of course not, thats not how it works.

For those of you on here bashing the FTOs with only a few years on let me ask you this?

*Have you stepped up to the plate with your numerous years of experience?

*Is there a reason why you are still in patrol after 10 years?

*When you pass judgement on a fellow officer's competency of the job is it because you were with him on every single call and evaluated every report that he has written recently or is your decision based soley on the fact that he only has a few years on or from what someone else told you about him?

To answer the question in your mind at this point, No, I am not an FTO and do not have any plans on going to that unit. I personally don't like riding ***** and repeating myself every 10 minutes. I don't have the patience.

Ever since I have been at SPPD there seems to be an attitude of one upping each other as to who is the real SUPER COP. The talk is always about how many calls were cleared, how I am more tactical than you, I would have done this or that and monday morning quarterbacking each other. Sometimes I think we forget what this job is really about. That is saving lives, helping others, and solving problems. As long as you go home at the end of your shift, you tried your best at helping someone in need or solving a problem, then you did a good job. I know that this city, the chief, the mayor, and a good portion of the citizens don't really give two shits about me, but I didn't take this job for their moral support or the great wages. I took the job because being a cop is in my blood and I don't know what else I would do. Its kind of like the Lt. Grossman sheep story....I am good at being a protector and I like to beat the bad guy. Some guys are good at being teachers or mentors....to that, keep up the good work TAZ, we need some more like you.

What we should be talking about on these posts is why the city is dragging its feet on giving us a pay raise, getting a new proactive administration, and taking back our streets by any means possible. This administration has accomplished its goal of separating the brotherhood from within this department and turning us against each other at every corner. Things need to change soon. Maybe next time your out on a call with a new PO, or your come across an officer you have not met before, introduce yourself and make it a point to learn who your brothers are and support them. It would be nice to see some summer squad parties. Beer and brotherhood go hand in hand you know.

Very well said Super Cop....Bravo!!!! Stop by and say hi sometime, I'd love to shake your hand.

I wasn't there, so I'm not sure exactly what happened other than what I was told.

But it's all about respect. And the PO should not address the FTO by his first name unless they are alone, which is the way I was (and I'm sure others were) taught. In that regard, Taz had every right to correct the PO.

He could have addressed him as Officer Taz, as he may not be able to pronounce Taz's last name. I've heard people that have known Taz for awhile butcher the pronunciation when they have said his proper last name. Hell, I know of only one person in the department (other than Big Taz) that can spell it without looking. And that person has been Taz'z running buddy in the 40's for 4 years. He must have been a Spelling Bee champ in a previous life!