THIS IS YOUR PBA - TAKE IT BACK!

My name is Greg Stout. I am a detective in the Criminal Intelligence Bureau and have been with the Tampa Police Department seventeen years. I am the former Second Vice-President of the West Central Florida Police Benevolent Association, Tampa Police Chapter.
I recently learned through Corporal Pat Lynch’s post on LEO Affairs that an idea was floated to the Charter Board of Directors of the PBA at the last meeting. As I understand it, Kevin Durkin plans to retire from the police department, but will receive a five year contract, (at an undisclosed salary), to become the Executive Director of the PBA. In addition, several board members, past and present were voted in as “Life Members.” That designation will allow them free dues and the ability to hold office as a retiree.
I am against this idea, all of it. What ever capacity Kevin Durkin is in, it should end when he retires or is voted out of office, whichever comes first. I cannot find one Tampa Police Officer who believes this is a good idea.
If you don’t like this idea but believe you are powerless to stop it, don’t worry, I have a plan. You alone can stop this idea from becoming reality and the plan is a simple one.
I believe that an immediate e-mail sent to the entire Tampa Police Chapter and PBA Charter Board of Directors will get their attention, but you will have to do your part. You will need to state your name, your real name, (I. P. Nightly won’t cut it). You need to state that you are a Tampa Police Officer and a PBA member. You can say that you are against this Executive Director proposal and want it stopped in a single sentence or write as much as you like, that’s up to you. You can CC: me at gstout01@tampabay.rr.com. I will keep a running total of e-mails sent to them, and I will update you each day on the total number of e-mails sent.
I believe it will take two-thirds of us to fully stop them. That means over 667 of us must send a valid e-mail to them. The next Charter Board Meeting is set for Wednesday, June 27th at 18:00. They plan to vote on this proposal and put their plan into action on that date. We do not have much time.
I also want everyone reading this letter to know that in my view it would be a great mistake to withdraw your membership, or switch to some other bargaining unit. THIS IS YOUR PBA. You and all Tampa Police Officers who stood together over twenty years ago to form this union deserve to have this union managed effeciently, operated well and you have the ultimate right to choose your leadership. You can fight for change.

Who will help me?

Thank you,

Greg

p.s. This is the list of all chapter and charter board members who must receive your e-mail. Please feel free to cut and paste:

Lt Rocky Ratliff
Roosevelt.ratliff@tampagov.net

Sgt Jeff Wilks
kick771@verizon.net

Vinny Gericitano
vjg596@yahoo.com

Cpl P J Gray
PJinFL@aol.com

Det Brian Bridgmon
bbridgmon@earthlink.com

Bob Tamboe
rjt112233@aol.com

Det Mark Sutkoff
Mark.Sutkoff@ci.tampa.fl.us

Cpl Kevin Ferguson
kevin.ferguson@verizon.net

Cpl Johnny Adkins
adkinscars774@aol.com

Sgt John Swope
jswope@wcfpba.org

Lt Ron McMullen
ronald.mcmullen@tampagov.net

Cpl Pat Lynch
patricklynchtpd@yahoo.com

Det Kevin Durkin
kdurkin@wcfpba.org

Cpl Mike Niemi
michael.niemi@tampagov.net

Al Lepine
alepine@hcso.tampa.fl.us

Gary McLin
bpd214s@yahoo.com

Greg Permuy
gperm@tampabay.rr.com

Jeff Stull
jstull@jeffreystullpa.com

Jim Diamond
jdiamond@wcfpba.org

Mark Molins
mlm3313@tampabay.rr.com

Michael Rouleau
pbafirst@aol.com

Mike Flora
mflora@auburndale.fl.com

Nick Marolda
nicholas.marolda@lakelandgov.net

Phil Acaba
pacaba2@tampabay.rr.com

Shane Burton
sburton1034@tampabay.rr.com

Steve ****ey
topbassman1@aol.com

Anthony Cesiro
acesiro@tampaairport.com

Stephanie Crookston
scrook@admin.usf.edu

You can cut and paste this grouping:

Roosevelt.ratliff@tampagov.net, kick771@verizon.net, vjg596@yahoo.com, PJinFL@aol.com, bbridgmon@earthlink.com, rjt112233@aol.com, Mark.Sutkoff@ci.tampa.fl.us, kevin.ferguson@verizon.net, adkinscars774@aol.com, jswope@wcfpba.org, ronald.mcmullen@tampagov.net, patricklynchtpd@yahoo.com, kdurkin@wcfpba.org, michael.niemi@tampagov.net, alepine@hcso.tampa.fl.us, bpd214s@yahoo.com, gperm@tampabay.rr.com, jstull@jeffreystullpa.com, jdiamond@wcfpba.org, mlm3313@tampabay.rr.com, pbafirst@aol.com, mflora@auburndale.fl.com, nicholas.marolda@lakelandgov.net, pacaba2@tampabay.rr.com, sburton1034@tampabay.rr.com, topbassman1@aol.com, acesiro@tampaairport.com, scrook@admin.usf.edu

good for you! glad to see you have some direction on the attempted hijacking! everyone get on board! it is important

Greg
E-mail sent - Done
Thanks
Joe

Because I am interested in seeing the response to Greg's request, I wanted to make sure I get the emails.

My correct email address is PJinFL@aol.com

Cpl P.J. Gray
Tampa Police Department

Because I am interested in seeing the response to Greg's request, I wanted to make sure I get the emails.

My correct email address is PJinFL@aol.com

Cpl P.J. Gray
Tampa Police Department

Bob Dylan once said "You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows". Nobody likes this plan. It benefits only the handful that came up with it.

Also, some of the other email addresses may be incorrect as a few got kicked back.

Bump

E-mail sent, Thank you Greg.

email sent

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Good morning to all TPD Officers:

As of this morning I have thirteen responses from Tampa Police Officers who have stood up with me to shine a light on the PBA Chapter/Charter Board. I also have one negative response from a representative of HCSO. He is certainly entitled to his opinion and I appreciate his candor by responding to me directly. I am a former deputy sheriff from Manatee County and I truly know the sacrifice one makes to stand up to a sheriff and unionize. I applaud him for that. As of right now, my LEOAFFAIRS post has been viewed 364 times. If all viewers have been TPD officers then we are well over one-third there in alerting the police department.

I know it is not an easy thing to stand up to someone based on your principles and beliefs, but that is the very core of what we do each day as a police officer. We stand up for what is right and we do every thing we can to stop what is wrong. It is that simple.

I am in no way taking a scientific poll here, but as I have spoken to dozens of TPD Officers the past few days, I cannot find one officer who thinks this Executive Director Proposal is a good idea. Take that poll yourself. If you can find even one officer who is for that proposal, (Other than this current PBA board), then please let me know.

This is an uphill fight. I knew it from the moment I made the initial post here to you. Please get involved for just a moment to tell them to stop what is wrong here. Ask your brother and sister officers to get involved. We do not have much time.

Don’t let them win.

TAKE BACK YOUR PBA!

Thanks,

Greg

I have been a member of the PBA since 1981, I was also a former Board of Director and former 2nd Vice President of the W.C.F.P.B.A.
I too concur with Greg Stout's post.
Tom Singleton