Gary Pruitt For Sheriif response to CC

[Unregistered]

This is the response I gave to a question as to why someone should vote for me:

The sheriff is a figure head of the department and although you elect the sheriff what you are really doing is electing the department that you want to serve you best. The men and women that serve you are a direct reflection of the sheriff, if they treat you poorly it is most likely as a reaction to them being treated poorly. I was not chosen to be the successor of the outgoing sheriff (I did not give to his campaign) and nobody asked me to run for sheriff, this is a decision I made with my family to give you, the voter, a choice. I am a complete outsider to this department and the decisions I make will be fair to everyone there. The deputy’s and civilian employee’s will be treated fairly and all will have the same equal chance to succeed, the good old boy system will end with my election. The deputy that in the past has found it’s not what you know but who you know (or are related to) will find that it is how they serve that will get them ahead. It is the citizens of this county that will run this department. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department needs a fresh look, a change and the command staff is definitely in need of some diversity which will also be a priority.

I have a long history in law enforcement, all of which was with the Tampa Police Department. I never held a command position with that department or hid in a cushy position; I have always been hands on and part of the working class law enforcement officers. I didn’t get notified after the bad has happened and the smoke settled--I was there when the fire was still blazing!

In law enforcement people usually take one of two paths: operational or administrative. It is very rare that you will find an operationally-sound administrator. If a law enforcement officer, be it a police officer or deputy, were to do exactly as he was told by an administrator, then the citizens would not be served well. Administrators usually receive the most training--let’s face it, they are expendable and have time to take classes. They have nights, weekends, and holidays off. They usually soak up as much education and training as possible on the taxpayer’s dime but use it the least to serve the taxpayer.

If you and I were friends, and you went tomorrow to get your law enforcement certification and I were sheriff, I could make you a Colonel with no experience whatsoever. I could then send you to every class available and the FBI school. You would be great...well at least on paper you would be. You could command officers and make their lives great or miserable--all depends what kind of day you were having. Nobody will question your decision because you are a Colonel, you are the commander, you are the boss!

The people that work under you will have no respect for you or the other administers because they will know how you came to power, and all the other administrators remained silent knowing your appointment was wrong, and your decisions from lack of any kind of experience will hurt the citizens. This actually happens more with the Sheriff’s Department then the police department, and it definitely happens at the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department. When law enforcement officers have a lack of respect for their commanders, they will also have lack of respect for the citizens they serve.

Cops want to be commanded by cops, so they can know they are respected, at least internally, as they serve the citizens. Currently, that is not the case with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department, the deputies are commanded by fear and other than voicing their anonymous opinions on the Leo Affairs website, they remain mute. The deputies work at the whim of the sheriff and can be terminated for any reason. This takes independent thinking away from the deputies, and I can tell you this is dangerous.

If elected I will demand that my administrators be cops. They will not only know how to do their jobs but the jobs of those they command. When you as a citizen ask a question to my administrators, you won’t get a textbook answer, you will get the truth--the two are not always the same.

Most department policies are vague by design so that a decision can be made that falls within the policy; this decision always benefits the department, most of the time at the officer’s expense. The deputies with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office are not unionized, so every decision they make could cost them their job. The deputies need to be unionized, and if elected, I will see to it that happens for them. People ask why as a Sheriff I would want a union involved. It’s quite simple, a law enforcement officer that is protected will protect at a higher level.

The reason I believe you should vote for me is because of my experience as a law enforcement officer, a “cop”. When it all starts falling apart, you want a leader that wasn’t given his job or “Anointed” to the position, you want experience and someone that will not fold under pressure--that’s what I bring to the table.

Being a cop is scary and usually without reward, bad things happen in a blink of an eye. I have served all of my adult life in law enforcement and would not choose another profession if I could do it all over again.

Serving you is what I was born to do!

Thank You,
Gary Pruitt

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/10/08/Hi...kill_gun.shtml

Hillsborough: Tampa police kill gunman, hostage
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Tampa Bay's news, shopping and information source brought to you by the St. Petersburg Times and tbt*.


http://www.sptimes.com/2002/06/30/Ta...crosses_.shtml

Tampabay: Mystery game crosses into reality play
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Mystery game crosses into reality play After a 911 call, Tampa police arrest an actor and a patron still confused about what is real. By TAMARA LUSH and RON MATUS


http://www.sptimes.com/News/050200/H...er_car_f.shtml

Hillsborough: Teens die after car flips during police chase
www.sptimes.com
Teens die after car flips during police chase. Tampa officers pursued a Dodge Intrepid after learning it had been stolen. The car took off and later hit a tree and ...


http://www.tbo.com/south-tampa/solar...dumpers-350505

[Unregistered]

Outstanding Gary !
When I read that I think of all the deputies who have been raked over the coals by non cops running this agency. All the monday morning quarterbacks who run the show now and in the past like JR Burton. The Chief who in my 10 years here have never seen him make a traffic stop or interact w the troops.
But the most important thing I read from Gary’s statement is that he is going to allow us to vote for a union.
Look at all the bs discipline that s been handed out over the last year. How many lives and careers that have been destroyed that with representation would have been sqaushed. You have no rights when u go to IA folks. It s a done deal even if it comes out that your accuser committed perjury. Guess that doesnt matter when ur a command staff member. Someone said it perfectly in another post when they said this place is run by a bunch of frat boys.

[Unregistered]

The spelling and punctuation errors are disturbing to me. Even more disturbing is the fact you call it the Sheriff’s Department. It’s been the Sheriff’s Office for decades.

[Unregistered]

The Chief who in my 10 years here have never seen him make a traffic stop or interact w the troops.

Now wait a second, he did do a traffic stop last year..... His assigned vehicle was struck by another vehicle and he stopped...Bingo, traffic stop.... I do believe that the other vehicle fled the scene though... So maybe it wasn't a true traffic stop.

[Unregistered]

You got miy vote. I will be telling all my family and friends to vote the same! Talking to the squad this morning, 80% plan on doing the same! Our agency is in very bad shape!

[advice]

Gary Pruitt, 50, Democrat
Education: GED
Experience: 25 years with the Tampa Police Department, retired as corporal in 2015; currently director of security for Westfield Citrus Park mall.


Advice: You own a coat? or a suit? Start wearing it so I do not confuse you for a Verizon representative. Add the tie so you have some semblence of authority.

NO command staff experience, budgets, personnel, equipment handling on a large scale. Not real good. I'm sure you're a fine person but there seem to be limits to your abilities. (ps i CANNOT STAND ,the current Sheriff.)

[Unregistered]

I know several individuals that have successful companies that do not have college level degrees. The degree does not make the person more intelligent.

Wearing a tie does not indicate authority.

[Unregistered]

Gary Pruitt, 50, Democrat
Education: GED
Experience: 25 years with the Tampa Police Department, retired as corporal in 2015; currently director of security for Westfield Citrus Park mall.


Advice: You own a coat? or a suit? Start wearing it so I do not confuse you for a Verizon representative. Add the tie so you have some semblence of authority.

NO command staff experience, budgets, personnel, equipment handling on a large scale. Not real good. I'm sure you're a fine person but there seem to be limits to your abilities. (ps i CANNOT STAND ,the current Sheriff.)

Because of this, he has my vote, and I will campaign for him!

Drain the swamp! This can definitely be to his benefit.

He can always hire consultants who have some command staff experience. However, we can't blame him for the exact same things many deputies come to this board to ***** about. And, that is not being given a chance.

"He has no command staff experience, but was he given a chance to have any?"

I love posing this exact same question when I, or another deputy is questioned about lack of experience in other areas. "Was he/she given a chance to excel in (fill in the blank) position? No? Then it's not his/her fault." Let's evaluate him/her on what they did with the only opportunities they had.

Besides, a fresh commander who will not run the office as usual, is what we need.

[Unregistered]

Because he has no command staff experience, is exactly why I will be voting for him. So far all the past and present command staff with all their command staff experience are just running this agency and moral into the ground.

[Unregistered]

Gary Pruitt, 50, Democrat
Education: GED
Experience: 25 years with the Tampa Police Department, retired as corporal in 2015; currently director of security for Westfield Citrus Park mall.


Advice: You own a coat? or a suit? Start wearing it so I do not confuse you for a Verizon representative. Add the tie so you have some semblence of authority.

NO command staff experience, budgets, personnel, equipment handling on a large scale. Not real good. I'm sure you're a fine person but there seem to be limits to your abilities. (ps i CANNOT STAND ,the current Sheriff.)

The position of sheriff has always been political. This is why the sheriff has a chief and colonels and a staff. As long as he has a vision that benefits his employees and the community he can find the right men and women to implement it for him. He has my vote.