Put a Muzzle on Him!!

Will you shut your trap already! Your making us all look bad. This is politics and the facts are going to get twisted for self gain just as your doing for self preservation. You just took thrid hand information to publicly denounce a mayor candidate who used third hand information. Let it go.

By the way what do you think fueled the dispute between the gang members that resulted in the gunfire. A schoolyard argument over spilled milk?? No you idiot. They were part of 8 Hype a well known "gang" that is heavily involved in guns and drugs. The same group that just posessed Major Donnie Williams firearm (but didn't harm anyone) and who are still using his department issued cellphone to set up more deals.

Please just go away quietly!!!

St. Petersburg police chief tangles with mayoral candidate over girl's killing
By Jamal Thalji, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Thursday, August 27, 2009


ST. PETERSBURG — Police Chief Chuck Harmon fired back at a second mayoral candidate on Wednesday for this offense: "intentionally spreading misinformation."

This time he tangled with former City Council member Kathleen Ford. The chief thought that at Tuesday night's mayoral forum Ford was blaming his officers for not doing enough to prevent the April shooting death of 8-year-old Paris Whitehead-Hamilton.

"As I think we've moved along in this campaign, people are becoming more flamboyant with their comments and less responsible with them," Harmon said Wednesday. "I'm upset about it. I know they want to win an election but they need to do it responsibly."

The mayoral candidates at the previous night's Harbordale YMCA forum were asked about vacant homes fueling crime in Bartlett Park — where Paris lived and died. Ford brought up the girl's death.

"We need a visible police presence," Ford told Tuesday's crowd. "There's no reason Paris should have died."

Ford then told the crowd that a Bartlett Park resident told her crack cocaine was being sold from the Preston Avenue house where Paris lived with her aunt.

"This was not just an innocent home if you will," Ford said. "There was drug activity."

Harmon said Wednesday that's just not true.

"Frankly, I'm a little offended," the chief said. "I think she has no knowledge of this case other than what she's heard third- or fourth-hand. We've never had any indication that drugs were being sold there."

The chief wasn't at the forum. But he said he was briefed on Ford's comments by members of his command staff who were there.

"That's the impression they got," Harmon said. "That (Ford) was basically blaming us somehow for this little girl's death, and they were offended."

Ford said Wednesday that's not what she meant.

"I'm not blaming the police for Paris' death," she said. "I'm blaming the shooters for Paris' death."

But she also reiterated a common critique of Harmon made by many candidates: that his police force isn't doing enough to target the city's drug trade.

"What I'm saying is that we need to be more proactive about closing down these known drug houses," Ford said.

The chief's tenure, policies and leadership have all been under the microscope during the long mayoral campaign.

At last week's council meeting, Harmon finally fired back at the candidates. His harshest words were for a candidate whose mailer compared Tampa's drop in crime to St. Petersburg's rising crime rate.

The mailing was from candidate Scott Wagman. The chief said it was unfair to compare a six-year drop in Tampa crime to a six-month rise in St. Petersburg's.

On Wednesday he turned his ire toward Ford.

"There were no drugs," Harmon said of Paris' home. "We searched. None of the witnesses from the homicide investigation indicated that drugs were being sold.

"I think (Ford) is misinformed at the very least, and I think she's preying on emotions here that she shouldn't be."

Paris died April 5 when her home was raked by more than 50 semiautomatic rifle rounds. She was in bed when the shooting started early that morning, then cut down as she ran for cover. Though drugs have never been officially linked to her death, local gangs have been. The bullets fired at Paris' home were meant for a rival gang member inside — the end result of an escalating gang feud, police said. Paris's aunt allowed people to come and go from the house, including young men associated with local gangs. Nine people were in the home that morning.

Three men, all age 19, were charged with first-degree murder in connection with the girl's death. A fourth young man is also under investigation.

Days after Paris' death, police raided two drug houses in Bartlett Park and made several arrests.

Jamal Thalji can be reached at thalji@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8472.



[Last modified: Aug 27, 2009 12:17 AM]

The chief wasn't at the forum. But he said he was briefed on Ford's comments by members of his command staff who were there.

I'm wondering just Which 'COMMAND STAFF MEMBERS' where present?
But I bet I can guess WHO ~ They want as Mayor !!!!!!!

There were no drugs in the house for two reasons:

1. The same reason there were no drugs in the house of the latest home invasion robbery in district 2.

2. The chief's head is so far up GO's a$$, he has no idea what is happening on the streets.

There may have been no indication that there were drugs in the house at the time of the homicide investigation (not that they wouldn't have cleaned the place out before the police arrived). The truth is, however, that 771 Preston was a known trap that was being actively worked for months prior to this shooting. While we are not authorized to release records to the media or anyone else, if anyone decided to do even a LITTLE research they would find plenty of fleeing and eluding and NDL arrest reports originating from that address in the months before the shooting. I'm sure from his statements that Chief Harmon was not aware of that and why would he be? The troops and street level supervisors were all over it. The shooting was not the fault of the police department and there is plenty of documentation to show that the problem was being worked aggressively. We can no more control unhinged murdering gangsters than the Chief can control Ford's tongue. The day we are allowed to shoot dopers and criminal gangs down on sight is the day we can stop these things before they happen. The day the SAO starts prosecuting is the day we can stop it. The day the UNACCOUNTABLE judges stop releasing violent drug offenders on parole after 5% of their GENEROUS and LIGHT sentence is served is the day we can stop it.

The chief wasn't at the forum. But he said he was briefed on Ford's comments by members of his command staff who were there.

"That's the impression they got," Harmon said. "That (Ford) was basically blaming us somehow for this little girl's death, and they were offended

Gee, this isn't hard to figure out. Chuck is attacking any candidate of whom he is afraid will fire him. He's grasping at straws in an effort to save his job. And failing at that. And those "command staff" members naturally reported back what they wanted the chief to hear. The "command staff" is afraid that a new mayor will cut into their share of the profits, so they are trying to stop that before it has a chance to occur. And we all know that what they "report" isn't necessarily the facts. The only report the "facts" as they see them that will help further their causes. And their causes are corruption and greed. Pure and simple.

He better put out another press release...Wagman sent out a mailer that says he will replace the police chief with a new chief with urban experience.

http://blogs.tampabay.com/.a/6a00d83...9e32970b-popup

http://blogs.tampabay.com/.a/6a00d83...7179970c-popup

Chief Chuck Harmon 8/27/09 St. Pete Times: "We've never had any indication that drugs were being sold there." Referring to the known hang out for gang members where Paris Hilton was killed.

Chief Chuck Harmon 8/21/09 St. Pete Times: "Sometimes we're criticized as not being very aggressive. I think that's the furthest thing from the truth." Referring to SPPD policing policies and tactics.

Chief Chuck Harmon 8/16/09 Tampa Tribune: Tampa's policy gives officers more leeway to stop fleeing vehicles using techniques such as spinning a vehicle off the road with their cruisers, blowing out tires with spiked sticks or boxing-in a fleeing driver. Harmon said specialized units in St. Petersburg can use those tactics.

Chief Chuck Harmon any given week: Some variation of "We don't have a morale problem at SPPD."

Loyalty, Integrity, Fidelity-SPPD

[Tom]

I was at that forum. I was surprised that a candidate would be so honest with us. In this case the truth is painful to accept but we need to know. Too many residents blame the police department for not protecting us when we look the other way at crime that inevitably leads to violence.

After Ford made that statement I turned to a district 1 officer and asked if it were true. He nodded his head and said yes.

You can't give our policies all the blame for the lack of aggression and the fact that criminals aren't scared of seeing a cruiser coming anymore. We hire some idiots that do not belong anywhere as police officers. We have too many officers that are afraid or lack the confidence to take action on flagrant issues that are right in front of them -- so they drive by. We need to reform our hiring process to include an INTERVIEW (WHAT AN UNCONVENTIONAL IDEA FOR A HIRING PROCESS!!!) as much as we need to change the pursuit policy or tactics like boxing and PIT. After all, you actually have to attempt to STOP a criminal before you can use those tactics.

Just another statement (lie) Kathleen pulled out of her head just what we need for mayor.