Supporting Deasaro!!

Thank you to Mark Deasaro, the president of the Police Benevolent Association of Pinellas County, for leading this morning's protest at City Hall. You DO need more officers and you DO deserve a new/better contract. The citizens of Midtown, residents of Bartlett Park, and members of both assocaitons support you 100%!!

Please keep it up!!!

What can the residents of this city do to help out ? Who do I need to call and write ?

Quit re-electing criminals like Baker.

[Dinosaur]

To Concerned Citizen asking whom to call;

First call the St Pete Times, repeatedly, and have your friends call also complaining of the inflamatory headlines the Times constantly uses, IE "Police kill teen at party" when a similar headline would have been just as effective and less inflamatory, such as "Gunman killed at party"

Second call the Mayor and your councel person and repeatedly complain of their inability to properly protect you and your family wih their present mindset. Keep calling and demanding that you want more officers, better leadership and a good solid Police and Fire contract tht will RETAIN and BRING IN the good solid quality officers/firemen desperately NEEDED. If St Pete HAD a higher officer/resident ratio then PROACTIVE activities can prevent some of the reported crime. We have pretty much been a REACTIVE department, reacting to crimes rather than doing something to PREVENT them. This is due to the low officer/resident ratio.

Remind the MAyor and your city councel person that to the citizens "the perception IS the reality" and if they will not or can not do the things needed to change your perception you can and will change their employment.

SPPD has increased in the number of "sworn" positions since I got here but the INCREASE in Sergeants/Lieutenants/Majors have taken up the authorized increases in strength and then some. We DON"T need to meet a Nationaly accredidation standard here at SPPD we need to meet YOUR standards.

Repeatedly call the Chief of Police and complain of his inability to openly support his officers. In the immediate wake of a police shooting the chief should have the confidence in the quality of his street officer to SUPPORT them until it is proven the officer was wrong. But then again the Chief does not support his officers, he repeatedly refuses to provide anything other than the minimum state or federal requirements for training. IF you don't need training hours for minumum standards you normally will not get them.

There is a lot more you, the citizen, can do to help, these are just a few suggestions.

[Tom]

Dinosaur said:

First call the St Pete Times, repeatedly, and have your friends call also complaining of the inflammatory headlines the Times constantly uses, IE "Police kill teen at party" when a similar headline would have been just as effective and less inflammatory, such as "Gunman killed at party"

Its worth a try. We have a long way to go to get balanced coverage of this group. For two days the Times has kept the Uhurus on top of their Pinellas web page.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/pinellas/
For two days vicious accusations against a police officer are given credibility by the major newspaper.

Citing witnesses they refused to name, they said Dawson was unarmed and was shot in the back while trying to run away with his hands up...state Rep. Darryl Rouson, D-St. Petersburg, urged witnesses to come forward and assured residents that justice would be served.

"If that officer is wrong, I want him punished to the fullest extent of the law," said Rouson, a former head of the local NAACP.

A good officer is talked about as if he were a criminal and a youth committing a violent crime is talked about as a victim.
"Celebratory gunfire" is a serious crime in this neighborhood. Much less so than just a few years ago but still dangerous.
The political establishment is willing to throw a good officer under the bus to appease the Uhuru movement.

Where was Rouson's comment "And if the officer was right, we will congratulate him for protecting the community?

Wait a minute. What the hell am I thinking. Must be time for my meds!

[Tom]

"we will congratulate him for protecting the community"
We need to do this. These officers are doing a tough job keeping teens from hurting each other.
During the past few years several young black men were tragically killed by law enforcement. At the same time a hundred young black men and women were shot by criminals. Murders have been committed in front of witnesses because no one worries about a "snitch" becoming a witness.
Politicians know this but play to the newspaper by stirring up emotions and making people suspicious of those who come down here to protect us.

Until more of us support our police department violence will continue to destroy our youth.