What needs to change in our department???

What needs to change in our department to make it a decent place to work?

I know we need more people and working short handed is stressfull. When officers leave they say they are leaving because we are understaffed.

You can't say we need a new mayor or new chief, because "it has gotten worse" for years now. I have been hearing for many years, "it can't get any worse", and that has been thru 3 chiefs.

So the question is, what needs to change in our department to make it a better place to work????

The only real change that can take place is that citizens figure it all out and get really irate and stand their ground until there is a major major overhaul of city management. Until then, we work for the bad guys, not the taxpayers.

Ok, I would like to make a motion that from this moment on that no one make reference to the "citizens" of this city. They are NOT going to get up in arms about what is going on with the PD, it's a FACT. The only "citizens" that have ever and are ever going to stand together are the ones in the "depressed" areas of the city. These "citizens" can be identified by their list of 50+ reports in the PI system and their lack of respect for anything including themselves. The "citizens" that I believe are usually referenced on this board are the ones in those parts of the city where the traffic details take place. If they were going to get "up in arms" about anything it would be that they are singled out for things like traffic details and the crappy parts of the city where SERIOUS crime occurs are not. So please, stop kidding yourselves about what they're going to get outraged over. If they really cared we'd have a better mayor.

From one Guest to another - it is not a FACT that the citizens won't do anything to support the PD. In fact the opposite is true. Everytime residents are asked about our primary concerns for the city, we say LAW ENFORCEMENT, LAW ENFORCEMENT, LAW ENFORCEMENT.

We work with our Community Police Officers, and we are active in calling in the "petty" crimes so that we can be the squeeky wheel and hopefully merit more patrols in our area. We lobby our elected officials to get you the assistance we know you need to provide the service level we desire.

You think you're frustrated? Try stalking a hooker and her John around your neighborhood for an hour - calling every 15 minutes to the non-emergency line, being told their is an "officer in the area who will be directed to your location" and never see the cop. Why? Probably because 1. the dispatcher is a liar 2. there are only 5 of you on duty and 2 of you are at Baywalk 3. Prostitution is considered serious enough to warrant a response. (Perhaps once my neighbor finally shoots one of the perverts who follow his 15 year old daughter home from her friends house - because any female walking a St. Pete street must be a hooker, right? - perhaps that will garner a response from the brass.)

We know you're understaffed and under supported, but the same brick walls you run into trying to make changes are the same ones we hit.

Did you read the Weekly Planet this week, the second article on the department, and the comments made by police leadership? Nice touch. But it's nothing new. We get the same reaction when we approach our city council reps and complain. The City Council then gets a nicely polished report from the Chief's office which "proves" our complaints are without merit. Very challenging environment to make any progress in. As you well know.

And as an FYI - I don't live on the southside of town, and my neigborhood's not depressed - the problem isn't isolated, it's everywhere.

It is true, many citizens are furious about the politics that run this city and police department. I have made several call to the sheffis office, fdle, city council, the govenors office, and all that comes out of it is a long list of what cant be done. And yes, im on the "Southside" however, I would hessitate to call it economicaly depressed, homes are now selling for over $200 in this area. A movement is forming, we need to protest, NOW!!! let this corrupt system be exposed, oust the liars and crooks! Lets all ban together, pick a time, and let our voice be heard...

Here's one more voice to the chorus of citizens. We called and written city officials. We've questioned staffing numbers that the department frabricates. We've called county and state officials. We're retained counsel. We've talked to officers and made clear that our complaints are with command and the mayor's staff, not with street officers. We've frankly been more vocal than your unions. And yes, I'm another one who has called in complaints about street crime and provided tips to CPOs. If some of us invested any more time in this, we should get benefits. Instead, I pay over thousands in property taxes.

So before you think citizens just sit and gripe, a numbe rof us are putting ourselves out there to make it better for everyone. It's too bad the gutless chief and his crew of command eunuchs does little to earn their salary or our trust.

After many years I decided that all the constructive criticism and willingness to participate in meaningful dialogues to effect change coupled with community service and numerous volunteer hours was not really making a difference. SPPD has worthy police; it's the majority of police admin and city officials who beat the town down.

I decided it was simply better for my family to move. I suggest you sell the house and invest in another community with FAR less crime, better schools, and more efficient gov't services. The Tampa Bay area has beautiful neighborhoods; pick one that does not suffer from such incurable maladies. You will be happier, more prosperous, and your family safer. Sad but true! Life is too short to live/work in St. Pete.

After reading the above posts, I think the citizens ARE, in fact, trying to make the PD more responsive to those residents and neighborhoods that do not threaten violence every time a physical arrest is made. It is similar, believe it or not, to the global situation in addressing terrorism. Some countries, formerly staunch allies of the US are folding, because they KNOW the US will not attack them, plant bombs or hijack their planes. It is a similar situation in SP. The City admin KNOWS that the CONA is not going to assemble violent people in the street who would do you harm. They KNOW that the neighborhood associations are not going to make up lies and make inflammatory statements in hopes to incite violence. When was the last time you saw tires burning in the streets of Allendale?

Given that, it is continually obvious that the City admin is not going to agressively enforce the law, every law, in certain areas simply because they KNOW if they do, violence could erupt. Therefore, rather than do what they swore to do when they took office, they focus on redevelopment, empowering those who threaten them and appease them when they raise an issue, whether they are right or wrong.

So, it seems to me that those of us who want things to change need to do something that will cause the impotent admin to pay attention. Not violence or any thing illegal, certainly, but something that will nonetheless get their attention. For example, boycott Baywalk. I hate to see businesses suffer, but I won't go there. Don't show up at the First Night celebration, in fact, encourage residents to go elsewhere on New Years Eve. Don't patronize ANY City sponsored events. Find a City you enjoy in Pinellas and shop, dine and recreate there. Contact elected officials on a weekly basis and demand change, it costs nothing to send emails to them all, just do it over and over again. We need to do something they will pay attention to. Any other ideas? What can we do that will have a significant economic and political impact on the City admin? There are plenty of bright people out there, have any ideas?

Protest in the public right of way in front of Harmon's house. Circulate a petition for more police in Mayor Baker's neighborhood.

Or better, approach Chief Harmon's wife (or the mayor's) and ask if she's working and what she'll do for a 20. Then they'll know what it's like to live in a neighborhood with prostitution.

Perhaps that'll provide some motivation.

If not we can offer their children narcotics as they walk to school. Why shouldn't they experience the impact of their policies just like we do?