A couple of recent observations.

During the past week I attended both the annual HCSO memorial service downtown as well as the Sykes Luncheon at the convention center. I observed some good things and not so good things about both.

First there was the annual memorial. I want to commend the HCSO Honor Guard for the job they did. The hard work that you put into this ceremony was evident and you performed as you always do, professionally and with confidence. Great job. For the deputies that attened the ceremony I'm sure that the familes appreciated your attendance. Which brings me to my first question. Why is this annual memorial ceremony attended by so few of us. The HCSO has a couple thousand sworn deputies as well as a full compliment of civilian support staff. Instead of a token showing we should be filling up that downtown square every year. Our fallen deputies deserve nothing less.

In the recent past there was always food and refreshments provided at the masonic lodge. While there was food and refreshments this year not everyone was invited as has been the case in years past. I was told only corporals and above and family members were allowed inside. No reserve or full time deputies were allowed into the lodge. While an employed deputy is being paid a reserve is not. If the food was limited at least take care of the reserve deputies. They volunteer their time and sweat to the office and deserve to be taken care of.

To the Sykes luncheon. I would first like to thank Mr. Sykes for continuing the annual luncheon and appreciate the effort that his corporation puts into it. Warrich Dunn was indeed a class act and more than deserved to be the keynote speaker at this event. He displayed a great sense of humor as well.

There however was a few things that I think need to be considered. While the Sykes luncheon was attened by a large amount of deputies the afore mentioned memorial was not. Why is this? Do we like a free lunch more than paying respect to our fellen comrades? Something to think about. Also I know that the luncheon is coordinated by Tampa Fire Rescue and they do an alright job. However the video that is displayed could be incorporated to show recognition to all the police and fire agencies in the county and not just Tampa Fire Rescue and Police Department. Also, where was the military presence this year? This community has a rich military tradition and I personally think leaving our armed forces out of this luncheon is a mistake.

Just my personnal opinion and something to think about.

Stay Safe!!!
"The Nitely Blog"

Officers and Deputies are typically not only paid to attend the Sykes Luncneon but forced to as well. The Staff wants a good attendance. Sykes intentions and the event is appreciated, but the Staff goes to great lengths to make sure it is attended well. That, in my opinion, is a big reason why.

Officers and Deputies are typically not only paid to attend the Sykes Luncneon but forced to as well. The Staff wants a good attendance. Sykes intentions and the event is appreciated, but the Staff goes to great lengths to make sure it is attended well. That, in my opinion, is a big reason why.

Yes it is true, many deputies only go because they are ordered to go by their Sgt, who is only trying to look good to the brass so they can get promoted.

Let's see, the Sykes Lunchen is:

1. A free meal.

2. On duty time.

3. A chance to socialize.

4. An opportunity not to work.

5. A free meal. Oh, I already said that.

And you want me to believe that cops have to be "forced" to go?

Laughable!

:roll: :roll: :roll:... :shock: :shock: :shock:... :D :D :D

I saw an email on the 6th that was sent out 05/03/06 saying the Sykes deal was the next day. That was the first time I had heard about it. Nothing at roll calls, nothing. I had the day off this year and would have attended.

As for the memorial, that is just shameful that more didn't attend. I was there in spirit as I was working that night, down three zones. Allowing only Cpls and above, also shameful. Do it for all or no one at all. Remember the grunts are the ones in harms way every single night trying to cover all the zones while the cpls and up are sitting at the district offices and taking 2 hour lunch breaks.

Stay safe.

It's strange that you didn't learn about the Sykes luncheon until the day before the event.

An e-mail to "everyone" was sent out TWO MONTHS before the luncheon! Here is a copy of the header of that message:

-----Original Message-----
From: STANEK, WENDY
Sent: Friday, March 10, 2006 4:32 PM
To: EVERYONE-EMAIL
Subject: Our Heroe's Luncheon

The actual message was an attachment. Perhaps you failed to open it. In any event, the word was put out - you just missed it.

:!:

Why is it that the road Deputies get paid and the jail deputies have to go on their own time?

........... mom always liked me best.

:P

............. it's because the Detention side is severely understaffed and they can't spare anyone who is on duty to let them go.

Don't you think that makes sense?

A couple years ago around 2000-2001 I was in detention and we were not understaffed at the time. The memo received stated that you had to go on your own time. When I left work on Holiday time because we has more than enough people there and then found out that the road got paid to go and I had to use my own time.

You boys are a bunch of whining little cry babies.

Don't hurt yourself while shopping in your take home car on the Sheriff's gas, getting your free to low apartment rent, and your free mobile homes at all the county parks, county locks, and other areas where all you pay for is your electric. There is more disparity here than your salary! Oh and let us not forget how you are not mico-managed like the people in the jail. In case you haven't noticed, our patches and badges say the same thing. Oh, and let us not forget how you shake and shudder in fear as you come into booking because you have to leave your gun, asp, magazines, and knives in your pretty cruiser! And while you are driving down the road talking to your spouse on your cell phone, keep in mind that your counter part in the jail face disciplinary action if he is caught with his cell phone!!! So you don't like detention deputies attitudes and whining...think about these things and give em a little more lee way, I don't think that is asking too much!

I started my law enforcement career in the jail. It wasn't long before I decided that I was unwilling to devote my life to a career there. Fortunately I moved on to the road. If I had not been able to do this I would have quit the job and moved on.

Like many others who read the board, I am really tired of the whining of the jail deputies. The jail deputy job IS NOT equivalent to that of a road deputy in the eyes of management, the County Commission or the general public. The road deputies will always have a higher status, get more fringe benefits and have more perks than jail deputies. This is a FACT OF LIFE. It is time for jail deputies to accept this fact, get over it and either live with it or GET ANOTHER JOB.

I can say this because I faced this situation and made a commitment to move on if the only alternative was a career in the jail. And my decision had nothing to do with comparing my status with that of road deputies or feeling in any way inferior to road deputies or discriminated against because I worked in the jail. I simply found working in the jail too "confining." (No pun intended.) :D

There ARE those who are quite content to serve the public in the very honorable position of jail deputy. More power to them - it just wasn't for me. The general public may never realize how much you contribute to society but believe me, I do.

But, if the jail is the career you have selected you should face up to the FACT that it is not now, nor will it ever be, held in equivalent esteem as a career on the road. There is no amount of whining or complaining that will change that.

If you forever compare your situation to others who have things that you don't then you consign yourself to a life of discontent. It is genuine friendly advice that I offer when I say "quit whining and complaining" and get on with your life in a respected and well paid job.

Signed: Been there, done that, have the memories.

First let me say thanks for recognizing and putting out there that working in the jail is an honorable thing that goes unnoticed by the public. My earlier comments were not meant to infer that jail deputies should be held the same "status" by the command staff or the public. Long story short, though, is that all deputies should all be treated fairly. What is good for one should be good for the other. And if a road deputy is afforded the opportunity to do something like the Sykes luncheon, then a detention deputy should be allowed to do so, should staffing permit. I really don't think that that is too much to ask. :D

I agree.

The stupidest people in our entire organization are those road deputies who think they are "better than" the jail deputies.

It is not only stupid, but also a significant sign of immaturity for members of one group of employees to hold themselves to be better than another group. (Hummm, do jail deputies believe they are better than civilian employees?)

The road deputy job is admittedly more glamorous than the jail deputy job. I would compare it to the old west when the cowboy was more glamorous than the farmer. The cowboy was a rip-roaring "Knight of the Open Range" and the farmer was merely a "Sodbuster." But in the final analysis, it was the farmer (who brought families, towns, roads, and finally even the cattle ranches) to the West, and who was the real civilizing influence in the country. (Even cattle ranchers grew crops. Did you think they ate nothing but beef?)

The fact is OUR community needs both road deputies and jail deputies. Both are essential to our safety.

Whatever you do, do it with pride and do your best.

Don't hurt yourself while shopping in your take home car on the Sheriff's gas, getting your free to low apartment rent, and your free mobile homes at all the county parks, county locks, and other areas where all you pay for is your electric. There is more disparity here than your salary! Oh and let us not forget how you are not mico-managed like the people in the jail. In case you haven't noticed, our patches and badges say the same thing. Oh, and let us not forget how you shake and shudder in fear as you come into booking because you have to leave your gun, asp, magazines, and knives in your pretty cruiser! And while you are driving down the road talking to your spouse on your cell phone, keep in mind that your counter part in the jail face disciplinary action if he is caught with his cell phone!!! So you don't like detention deputies attitudes and whining...think about these things and give em a little more lee way, I don't think that is asking too much!


Just need to correct you here. Deputies that live on county parks do not get free mobile homes. In fact the deputy buys their own mobile home and pays a mortgage on it. If you haven't looked lately they are 85k and up. We DO NOT pay for electricity. So you are backwards. I don't know what a county lock is. Deputies on some areas for the state also have to pay income tax on it at the end of the year.

Don't get me wrong, it's still a great deal for us. We do however provide a necessary service by providing security at the park. Without law enforcement there, patrol would have more to deal with and the parks would get vandalized. The county spent more than 4 million dollars on my park and I'm sure you would agree paying for my electric is a drop in the bucket compared to how much is spent lighting the playing fields every night. It's a win/win situation.

One other point, I have never observed anyone shake and shutter inside booking with a bunch of unarmed inmates. I'm a whole lot more worried when I deal with the SAME people on the outside while they are armed. So that it a bunch of horse puckey there.

I have had the opportunity to attend several memorial and appreciation lunches over the past several of weeks. I personally love the law enforcement profession and still look forward to going to work each and every day. I've worked corrections as well as the street for over a 22 year time frame. Not all with HCSO. I'm a slick sleeve who just calls it as I see it.

I did not mean to start another road vs. jail debate. Like I said, I've worked both and each have there place in society. One can not function without the other. Enforcement and Detention / Prison operations need eachother to keep our society safe.

The Sykes Luncheon is a place where a private enterprise has chosen to show appreciation to us for the job that we do. I applaud them for that. Again, to Mr. Sykes, Thank You.

To the HCSO memorial. Forget about the Sykes luncheon for a moment and think about OUR annual service to honor OUR fallen brothers and sisters. Again I ask why can we not fill up the downtown square with OUR ranks. I know alot of us have to work either in the pods or on the street the night of the service but there is still alot of us that could attend that choose not to. Why is this? PLEASE don't tell me that we feel no responsibility to attend. The thought of an agency that does not care about the brothers and sisters that has fallen in the past in order to protect eachother and the citizens of this county is scarey to say the least.

Once more. Something to think about.
"The Nitely Blog"
Stay Safe!!!

This has been blown so out of proportion it isn't even funny. Stop whinning about takehome cars and cell phones. It's unfortunate to correction deputies, but remeber correction deputies choose their profession as did road deputies. Therefore if you dont like your perks, change profession i.e the police academy. GOOD LUCK