Call to SLOW DOWN

[Unregistered]

City of Tampa officers who read this please help spread the word. ANTI POLICE RHETORIC HAS DEADLY CONSEQUENCES FOR POLICE OFFICERS. The same false narrative spread after Ferguson is what got 5 officers gunned down in Dallas and others elsewhere.

We are under attack. A false narrative that demonizes police officers has run rampant and unchecked and now front line officers are the target. The public is being lied to, you are being lied to by your leaders. Systemic racism in law enforcement does not exist, read "The War on Cops". Do the research the media doesn't want to talk about, which is that the data proves that unarmed black men aren't being unfairly targeted, in fact more unarmed white men were killed by police last year than black even though black males disproportionately commit more of the crime. Black Americans make up 13% of the population yet commit 53% of all of the homicides and 60% of all of the robberies in America. There is little protest or outrage for black on black crime that contributes to majority of black deaths.

In 2016 for example there were 2,870 african americans murdered. In 2,570 of those cases the offender was another black person. 90% of the time a black citizen is dying at the hand of another black citizen. Unarmed black males killed by police represent less than 1/10 of a percent (.1%) of the black citizens murdered in America. According to FBI data black americans make up of 40% of the offenders who kill the police. So the average unarmed black male is killed by the police .1% of the time but a police officer is killed by a black person 40% of the time. The real truth is they are killing us disproportionately, not the other way around.

I don't mention this data to reflect poorly on african americans. I mention it because the media, the misinformed public and your leadership are leading everyone to believe that there is a systemic racism problem in police, that you are the bad guy and because of this, your life is in even more danger than before.

The Chief made it very clear today "If an officer does not want to wear a body camera, he can turn in his badge". They are viewing videos now more than ever looking for any infractions to get officers in trouble for. You are being hunted by your leadership and by a small percentage of the public that seeks you to be harmed because they have been led to believe you are the bad guy.

Most of us became cops to help people. To put bad guys in jail. If you can do so safely I encourage you to continue doing so, however, if there is any risk or possible liability to you I recommend you slow down. If we don't get assurances from the PBA and the administration about protecting officers from the random and unregulated audits of body cameras I am calling for a SLOW DOWN. WE have heard everyone's protests, now it is time for them to hear ours.

Chief, Mayor, City Council. You have failed your officers. You have made them targets and you seek to contribute to witch hunts based off of a false narrative. The majority of citizens support us but the loudest of them don't. You don't listen to those who support us, only to those who yell loudly about how much they hate us. If you continue to take further action to punish us, hunt us, isolate us with no support WE WILL SLOW DOWN and you will only hurt the innocent citizens, the good citizens who truly need our help, who truly need us to do what we do.

How many more officers have to be killed because of this false narrative. Please don't let it be you. Take your delayed calls, write your reports, and go home safely to your families. If you can help those truly good and innocent citizens do so but please don't expose yourself to risk in doing so because you have no support.

To the citizens out there who support us, bring us food, buy us gift cards, say thank for your service, I call on you to do more. Forget the gift cards, we make decent money, we need you to write a letter to your councilman, we need you to be just as loud as the small percentage of population who is currently out there on the streets protesting against us, causing change that will ultimately only hurt you. Pick up a sign and protest in defense of police, we need your support because our leaders have caved to appease only that small group who is currently louder than you are.

I know there will be haters to this, but to those of you who agree and relate please spread the word to your fellow officers, if we don't get our voices heard with the creation of the this body cam policy, if we don't get certain protections from the witch hunts we will unify to slow down. SPREAD THE WORD, SLOW DOWN.

[Unregistered]

Too much info

[Unregistered]

Very well written and true. Now, more than any time in history, you brothers and sisters in blue need to watch each other’s backs. Stay safe out there

[Unregistered]

Everyone should know by now that the Mayor and City Council have no confidence in us as Officers. EVERYONE should do what is required in this job. That means respond to calls and write reports. If a call is a 2 man call then it should only be taken when 2 officers are available. Once all the calls and reports are handled, I'm sure there will be little time or incentive to do proactive police work. Remember, these body cameras are coming to placate the anti police mob and to cover city halls ass. Cameras will not benefit you as an officer. The city is going to spend 7.5 million $$$$$ over 5yrs on the cameras and recordings. Anyone who places themself at risk doing anything beyond answering calls will be aggressively disciplined and made an example out of. Please protect your fellow officer and yourself first. In all of my time here we need to come together now more than ever and stand in solidarity. We need to demand 2 officers per zone, per shift, per cycle starting in July when the next year deployment is developed. Please be safe and look after one another because no one else cares.

[Unregistered]

Absolutely. A slow down is needed to send a message to command. We cannot work and produce in an environment where we have zero support from them. Look around us, in every city there is some officer during these protests that are immediately fired or suspended for doing their job, and doing it well. Gone are the days of being real police officers. This career is dying. Your life and your family is what is most important and at the end of the day going home to them is all that matters. When the chief makes the statement I should turn in my badge if I don’t want a camera... that speaks volumes to me.

[Unregistered]

I would normally disagree with this Slow down, but today is the day I have to agree. When I watch the Mayor give a press conference that she is sending us all thru a three level implied bias course, she is telling the mob she agrees with their opinions of us being racist. When they order has been giving to collect all the non lethal shot guns that we are not allowed to use them anymore says I don’t have your back and won’t give you the tools you need. She likes to brag about her 30 year cop career, but not once did she or the chief stand up for the force. No one has your back. The city leadership won’t support you now they wont when you need it. If they give in to the mob so easily what’s going to happen anytime you use force? Do the minimum to keep your job, but don’t go the extra yard. If East Tampa wants to shoot each other every night so be it. The community only cares if you shoot them. Someone resist and its a petty crime let them go and file the paperwork because if they die your done as an officer. You are going to be fired without due process and maybe arrested. Steve Hogue said no officer is worth the reputation of the department and Castor shares that sentiment. Today made me sick as an officer and it had nothing to do with protesters it was our leadership. Thank about you, your families and fellow officer.

[Unregistered]

I agree. The city ran us over with a bus and then backed up over us. Do as little as you can. The less you do, the less chance of you to get in trouble. Since Castor is at the top, I'm sure she will institute some productivity number. Remember "2 a day" formula when she was the chief? This will only drive an even bigger wedge between us and the community.

Also, no more discretion. In any instance you have to take police action, you cite or arrest. This way no one can accuse you of giving preferential treatment. If the public wants body cams, then they must live with the consequences of having robo cops.

[Unregistered]

City council is feeling the pressure of the “squeaky wheel” constituents and would love to serve them a cops head on a platter to appease them and get their vote. Be smart, make yourself a small target by doing less.

[Unregistered]

Take it a step further. No more going call to call and writing paper at the end of the night. You go to a call and you write the report right then and there. You write the report while its fresh in your mind and so you can put statements in verbatim from the body camera video, so you don't get jammed up later misquoting someone. Let the calls hold. T14 for back up if needed, but then go back to your call to finish paper. Don't go t58, because the dispatch will try to send you a call.

When your sergeant calls you to ask why you have been on that burglary call for 3 hours, tell the pops its not a 1990s police department anymore. Welcome to 2020.

[Unregistered]

The Mayor has went full liberal. She has goals beyond Tampa and she has just sold us on a river raft heading for the water fall. Sad to see this happen. This is no different now then Chicago 15 years ago. Large deficits, increase in crime and lack of accountability. Every day there is multiple shootings and the crime is down? Wow. No way. This is most violent I have ever seen this city. Do what you are able to but do not be a cop. Take calls, write good reports and move on.