? Confused ?

[Unregistered]

COVID CONFUSED

OPEN LETTER TO THE MEMBERS OF
THE TAMPA POLICE BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION

We have all heard the dangers of COVID 19 and the unnecessary risks of spreading the illness when in big groups. It seems like none of that is in dispute. So you can imagine our confusion and disappointment with the NFL and the local NFL Host Committee when they decide to add more events, parties and gatherings after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made their way to the Super Bowl. Quite frankly, it is irresponsible and it alludes to putting dollars over officer lives and safety.

To date, we are aware of almost 90 unofficial Super Bowl events in a five day period. Many of those have national figures, celebrities and entertainers being advertised as being in attendance to help draw a crowd. That doesn’t even include the official events scattered over six parks along the Riverwalk that all need to be secured inside the Event Zone. Additionally, we still have to conduct the day-to-day operations of keeping Tampa secure.

Don’t get us wrong, we are very proud of our team and we are big supporters. We are not sure what message it sends when you ask our officers to do even more in this pandemic when they are already maxed out covering events that have been in the works for over a year. To be clear we recognize that our management have their hands tied and are doing the best they can to make sure we stay safe.

Weren’t we just asking people to cancel or limit their Thanksgiving and Holiday celebrations less than a month ago? For what it is worth, Tampa even considered canceling and ultimately postponed Gasparilla, our 100+ year tradition, because the risk was and remains too high. The Lightning were in the Stanley Cup and the NHL limited big gatherings and played to virtually empty rinks. The Rays took a similar perspective when they made it to the big show. If the risk is too high for pirates, the Rays and the Lightning, whats so different for the NFL?

We are first responders and we are absolutely used to going into harms way. This is no different, but we always learn to balance risk and safety. This seems extreme.

As your Tampa Police Benevolent Association, we just wanted to make sure you, our membership, understood that we recognize the unnecessary danger you have been put in. We understand you are overworked and undermanned out there. Additionally, we wonder who is considering the potential peril it puts our force in if officers begin to fall ill or have to quarantine because of this unnecessary exposure. If we get sick, who answers a 911 call? We are all about football, but the NFL seems to have forgotten we are about public safety first - not parties, not touchdowns and definitely not profits.

Tampa Police Benevolent Association

[Unregistered]

Thanks PBA telling us that the city staff is a complete disaster and don’t give a crap about any of us. How about telling us you plan to do your job as a labor union stand up for this bs. We have chiefs driving around more worried about us wearing our mask then if we have a relief or been on a post for 12 hours and still waiting. The climate with the officers are at a bad bad place and we need a strong union to stand up for us. That does not seem like what we have at all and this letter makes it very more confusing.

[Unregistered]

Actions not just words labor union.

[Unregistered]

Don’t worry it will be over Sunday and you will have plenty of time to take days off. Just the thing is you can only have maybe one person off at a time due to squads being short. Also be prepared for it to get canceled a few days before because you didn’t get majors approval even though it’s your day off. Suck it up and just deal with our lack of planing.

[Unregistered]

So tell us Mr. know it all what should the union do or better yet legally what can they do?

[Unregistered]

Covid is FAKE NEWS designed to get rid of the "Orange Man" so now that he is gone you'll notice they are slowly phasing it out. So don't worry it's all going to get better.

[Unregistered]

Castor the disaster has to go.

[TrumpDawg2020]

Castor the disaster has to go.

Sad that TBPD are being all complaining. The cops I saw all wore masks standing around doing nothing. Free pay day as far as I am concerned. Unions need to go away, they are pointless.

[CatsMeow]

Seems like an angry woman or some paper pusher wrote this letter. Only agreeable point is, why is everything else canceled and NFL gets to go on? They should know the answer..MONEY. Also, rona is fake stop being *****es about it. IT HAS BEEN A YEAR. LIVE YOUR LIFE MASK FREE. STOP THE LIES. STOP THE FEAR.

[Unregistered]

Actions not just words labor union.

You're so informed! What should they do? Which article of the contract is the city in violation of? Has the state of emergency been lifted? I can't wait to hear your response😗