To the Media Regarding the Recent Events in the Jails

To the Media,

This last year over 75,000 people were booked into the Hillsborough County Jail, yet just in the last few weeks you have managed to portray the Hillsborough County Jails as Tampa’s Abu Gray Prison. You have portrayed it as if it’s some kind of dungeon and the personnel who work there as executioners of torture and pain.

Now we all know one sustained case of abuse is one case to many, however as long as we have human beings working and interacting with other human beings in these environments we will always have issues to deal with. Sheriff Gee has demonstrated from the handling of these few incidents, he is swiftly dealing with every case that comes to light. He has admonished with criminal charges those that are wrong and is standing behind those that are right.

I know ratings are important for you but is it worth the cost of harming the reputation of all the great men and woman who work inside these jails handling thousand of inmates every single day with minimal problems. You are creating insurmountable stress upon all of them who work in each institution and do an outstanding job everyday. Your frenzied cut and paste negative reporting to produce ratings is an injustice to those men and woman as well as the reputation of yourselves.

You know as one of the largest media markets in the country we also have had a pretty good reputation with a few exceptions compared to other markets. Why damage that by reporting only the negative. Soon these stories will pass and all you bread and butter reporters that make your 7-8 am daily calls looking for stories will no longer have anyone who wants to talk to you.

Here’s a suggestion, find out how many deputies are assaulted or injured in the jail each year. Find out how many inmates are cared for and protected from the assault and or injury from other inmates every day. I think your finding will be far more rewarding than you realize. These deputies are caring for the worst of the worst that we as citizens demand to be removed from our communities and cared for until they wind through the criminal justice system.

These are real life men and woman that go in 24/7 and are doing the best job they can. Yes we have faults and yes we make mistakes but please try producing your story with a little more equality.

I’m not asking you to stop pointing out our errors when were wrong you have every right to, but PLEAE report it fair and balanced by at least occasionally reporting positive information or the dangers these deputies face every single day. I know this will go along way in establishing creditability in your story, but even more importantly it will present the TRUE picture of how many great professional men and woman are working inside the Hillsborough County Jails.

Respectfully,

Larry McKinnon

To the Media,

This last year over 75,000 people were booked into the Hillsborough County Jail, yet just in the last few weeks you have managed to portray the Hillsborough County Jails as Tampa’s Abu Gray Prison. You have portrayed it as if it’s some kind of dungeon and the personnel who work there as executioners of torture and pain.

Now we all know one sustained case of abuse is one case to many, however as long as we have human beings working and interacting with other human beings in these environments we will always have issues to deal with. Sheriff Gee has demonstrated from the handling of these few incidents, he is swiftly dealing with every case that comes to light. He has admonished with criminal charges those that are wrong and is standing behind those that are right.

I know ratings are important for you but is it worth the cost of harming the reputation of all the great men and woman who work inside these jails handling thousand of inmates every single day with minimal problems. You are creating insurmountable stress upon all of them who work in each institution and do an outstanding job everyday. Your frenzied cut and paste negative reporting to produce ratings is an injustice to those men and woman as well as the reputation of yourselves.

You know as one of the largest media markets in the country we also have had a pretty good reputation with a few exceptions compared to other markets. Why damage that by reporting only the negative. Soon these stories will pass and all you bread and butter reporters that make your 7-8 am daily calls looking for stories will no longer have anyone who wants to talk to you.

Here’s a suggestion, find out how many deputies are assaulted or injured in the jail each year. Find out how many inmates are cared for and protected from the assault and or injury from other inmates every day. I think your finding will be far more rewarding than you realize. These deputies are caring for the worst of the worst that we as citizens demand to be removed from our communities and cared for until they wind through the criminal justice system.

These are real life men and woman that go in 24/7 and are doing the best job they can. Yes we have faults and yes we make mistakes but please try producing your story with a little more equality.

I’m not asking you to stop pointing out our errors when were wrong you have every right to, but PLEAE report it fair and balanced by at least occasionally reporting positive information or the dangers these deputies face every single day. I know this will go along way in establishing creditability in your story, but even more importantly it will present the TRUE picture of how many great professional men and woman are working inside the Hillsborough County Jails.

Respectfully,

Larry McKinnon

When you say, "These deputies are caring for the worst of the worst" are you including the list of law enforcement officers that have been booked into their own jail these past few years?

Please compare the number of deputies booked into the jail per capita compared to the general population and get back with me. If you are that obtuse you may wish to seek psychological counseling or have your "caretakers" (mommy and daddy) push the confusing buttons on the telephone to call a mental health professional. Good luck, Rainman.

[Carl Shawver]

Great post, Larry!

You would do well to make it a letter to the editor and send it to the Tribune to see if they would print it.

Even if they don't print it, it might cause someone to stop and think before publishing more of their one-sided stories.



:!:

How about a little coverage on this arrest- :cop:

Name: RODA,DANIELLE MARIE
DOB: 06/13/80
Booking #: 08013135
Arrest Date: 02/28/08
Employer: Fox 13 Producer

Musta been a rough night after producing the Fox 13 news !! :devil:

Look it up, it's on the HCSO website.

Word of advice ok.
Dont ever let Peter Bernard behind the Great Wall of Gee.
Before you know it, a doctored photo of Gee will be on channel 8 where he is drinking from a bottle of tequila at the Bunny Ranch.
Im just sayin.
Watch your back.

[Hcso Deputy]

How about a little coverage on this arrest- :cop:

Name: RODA,DANIELLE MARIE
DOB: 06/13/80
Booking #: 08013135
Arrest Date: 02/28/08
Employer: Fox 13 Producer

Musta been a rough night after producing the Fox 13 news !! :devil:

Look it up, it's on the HCSO website.

Go ahead fox put it on the news. If she worked for us it would be on there.

http://www.sptimes.com/2002/01/21/Tampa ... iefs.shtml

http://blogs.tampabay.com/media/2007/12 ... al-tv.html

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/11/22/Hills ... DUI_.shtml

"let he who is without sin cast the first stone"

Great post, Larry!

You would do well to make it a letter to the editor and send it to the Tribune to see if they would print it.

Even if they don't print it, it might cause someone to stop and think before publishing more of their one-sided stories.



:!:

Thanks Carl, I took your advice and sent it to all the media.

Larry

To the Media,

This last year over 75,000 people were booked into the Hillsborough County Jail, yet just in the last few weeks you have managed to portray the Hillsborough County Jails as Tampa’s Abu Gray Prison. You have portrayed it as if it’s some kind of dungeon and the personnel who work there as executioners of torture and pain.

Now we all know one sustained case of abuse is one case to many, however as long as we have human beings working and interacting with other human beings in these environments we will always have issues to deal with. Sheriff Gee has demonstrated from the handling of these few incidents, he is swiftly dealing with every case that comes to light. He has admonished with criminal charges those that are wrong and is standing behind those that are right.

I know ratings are important for you but is it worth the cost of harming the reputation of all the great men and woman who work inside these jails handling thousand of inmates every single day with minimal problems. You are creating insurmountable stress upon all of them who work in each institution and do an outstanding job everyday. Your frenzied cut and paste negative reporting to produce ratings is an injustice to those men and woman as well as the reputation of yourselves.

You know as one of the largest media markets in the country we also have had a pretty good reputation with a few exceptions compared to other markets. Why damage that by reporting only the negative. Soon these stories will pass and all you bread and butter reporters that make your 7-8 am daily calls looking for stories will no longer have anyone who wants to talk to you.

Here’s a suggestion, find out how many deputies are assaulted or injured in the jail each year. Find out how many inmates are cared for and protected from the assault and or injury from other inmates every day. I think your finding will be far more rewarding than you realize. These deputies are caring for the worst of the worst that we as citizens demand to be removed from our communities and cared for until they wind through the criminal justice system.

These are real life men and woman that go in 24/7 and are doing the best job they can. Yes we have faults and yes we make mistakes but please try producing your story with a little more equality.

I’m not asking you to stop pointing out our errors when were wrong you have every right to, but PLEAE report it fair and balanced by at least occasionally reporting positive information or the dangers these deputies face every single day. I know this will go along way in establishing creditability in your story, but even more importantly it will present the TRUE picture of how many great professional men and woman are working inside the Hillsborough County Jails.

Respectfully,

Larry McKinnon

Larry,

Nice post, other than the line that gee is "standing behind those that are right." There are still Deputies out on leave who had nothing to do with the first incident, and still Deputies who are catching pure hell from the media and nut jobs in the free world because ch. 10 pasted a video together and Docobo threw them under the bus from the steps of headquarters. No one from your office has come forward to let the world know that those deputies had nothing to do with the incident. These Deputies have had death threats and been harassed by the media because of the first altered video and docobo throwing them to the sharks.