Thank You Gulfport Businesses

If you've been at the police station recently, you might have noticed our collection of crime prevention publications has improved. We just acquired hundreds of new booklets and pamphlets containing important information on today's most crucial issues (child Internet safety, prescription drug abuse, teenage alcoholism, bicycle safety, and many more).

These publications are produced by LAW Publications, a Texas-based company that specializes in public safety handout material. In addition to making these items available in our lobby, we work with local schools and other community organizations to get them in the hands of those who need them most. Officers also keep a supply in their patrol cars so they can give them to crime victims and other who may be in need.

Such resources, of course, are not cheap, and that is where the title of this blog post comes in. You see, the production of these handouts is based entirely on donations from local businesses. Were it not for their support, this free blog might be the only publication we put out.

Thank you to the following local businesses for helping with this effort:

A-Able Locksmiths, Inc.

5116 Gulfport Blvd

Gulfport, Fl 33707

Can San's

2838 Beach Blvd

Gulfport, Fl 33707

Gulfport Garage, Inc.

2731 Beach Blvd South

Gulfport, Fl 33707

Gulfport Hardware

5006 Gulfport Blvd

Gulfport, Fl 33707

Gulfport Paint Shop, Inc.

1801 49th Street South

Gulfport, FL 33707

Gulfport Veterinarian Hospital

5621 Gulfport Blvd South

Gulfport, FL 33707

Neptune Grill LLC

5501 Shore Blvd South

Gulfport, Fl 33707

Reef Dog, Inc.

2820 Beach blvd

Gulfport, Fl 33707

The Apothecary of Gulfport

2908 Beach Blvd South

Gulfport, FL 33707

The Car Doctor

1099 49th Street

Gulfport, Fl

The Gabber

1419 49th Street South

Gulfport, Fl 33707

Tri J Towing

125-19th Street

St. Pete, Fl 33712

Cops Are Not Above the Law

A recently-published series in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel highlighted several examples of police officers driving at excessive speeds for apparently no legitimate purpose. Their measurements were based on time-over-distance calculations from toll-transponders assigned to take-home police vehicles. In many of the incidents, it appeared the officers were simply commuting to and from work. Speeds were frequently 20-30 miles per hour above the posted limits.

I applaud the police chiefs who have vowed to investigate and discipline officers found to have broken the rules. The fact is that we in law enforcement bear the responsibility of earning the trust and respect of the public; we can't do that by breaking the very rules we expect the public to abide by. Traffic rules are no exception.

To help ensure we are doing our part in Gulfport, we have some policies and procedures in place. These practices hold the police officers accountable to an even higher degree than the general public, which is--in my opinion--exactly how it should be.

1. It is the policy of the Gulfport Police Department to issue a uniform traffic citation to any officer found to be at fault in a traffic crash that meets the reporting requirements under Florida law. This is actually not a common practice among law enforcement agencies. Many defer to administrative discipline, but my position is that every other driver who is at fault in a crash will face some form of consequence other than the traffic ticket; why should cops be any different?

2. Police vehicles and operators are not exempt from our red light photo enforcement program. An officer caught running a light must either pay the violation (and face discipline) or document the circumstances that made the action lawful and justified.

3. All patrol and most other police vehicles are tracked by GPS when moving. Police commanders run periodic reports to check speeds of vehicles to determine if there are issues. Any speeds above the established enforcement thresholds (the same ones applied to the public) can result in disciplinary proceedings unless the officer can document the circumstances that made the action lawful and justified.

If you see one of my police vehicles breaking traffic laws, I want to know about it. Call 893-1030 right away and ask to speak to the supervisor on duty. If you're not satisfied with the results, contact me personally.

Red Light Camera Update

In February, Gulfport implemented an intersection safety program using photo enforcement of red light violations. The goal of the program was to reduce traffic crashes, most particularly those involving injuries.

I am happy to report after nine months of operation that the effort appears to be producing very successful results. Overall crashes have decreased over 26%, and injury crashes have decreased over 46% when compared to the same time period in 2010.

Details are available on this Power Point that was presented to the city council last night:

http://www.mediafire.com/?7ddj5m56g607dhk

Busy Busy

I noticed it has been almost two months since my last blog post. Wow, so much for once a week!

Seems we've been quite busy here lately. Rather than write up a separate post on each subject, I thought I'd just give the highlights here, all in one place.

Communications Transition

Since Council approved the budget with the provision to outsource police communications, we have been working dilligently to make sure the transition is smooth and effective. Before we did anything else, we conducted a staff review of proposals from St. Petersburg and from the Pinellas County Sheriff. Although it was close, the sheriff's proposal got the staff recommendation.

I have appointed Sergeant Josh Stone to supervise the transition, and he began by attending a meeting with sheriff's command and operational staff to address important issues and establish a timeline. We are now in the process of converting GPD historical data so that it will be accessible via the new systems. Training sessions for all personnel have been scheduled, and IT folks are pouring over the hardware and software to ensure we have everything in place that we will need.

The goal is to go live on the new system on January 1, 2012.

Fitness Testing

You have likely heard that police officers will soon be tested for compliance with fitness standards. This has been a long time coming, and the process of developing the policy was very involved and meticulous. We plan to concuct the first test before the end of the year, and officers will be required to comply with the standards within nine months following that first test.

The standards consist of various exercises, including two 220-yard runs, running an obstacle course twice (climbing over a low wall, jumping hurdles of various sizes, and low-crawling for eight feet), and dragging a 150 lb. dummy 100 feet. Officers must complete the test within approximately six minutes. Since all officers must meet this standard in order to be hired in the first place, I don't think we'll have any trouble now.

New Police Cars

This is the first year in as long as I can remember that the Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor has not been an available option. Combined with that are the addition of some new models and some serious changes in a few others. The array of choices has made the selection process much more time consuming this year.

Ford replaced the CVPI with a Taurus-based vehicle in either front or all wheel drive and with an optional 365 horsepower, turborchaged engine. Chevrolet swapped the motor in its front-drive police Impala, so it now puts out over 300 horsepower as well. They also added a new car to the fleet--a police only Caprice, which is a rear-drive car with an optional 355 horsepower V-8. Then there is the Dodge Charger, which has been the GPD staple for several years now.  The V-8 Charger continues to lead the pack in terms of performance and interior room, and it cost less than the comparable alternatives. Our conclusion this year was that we will once again replace the aging cars in our fleet with new Chargers.

Professional Affiliations

In addition to the projects and cases that are specific to Gulfport, I have also become very involved in my professional organizations. I see this as very beneficial to the community, as this involvement means access to law and policy makers, funding opportunities, and many other resources to help address problems we encounter every day.

For 2011/2012, I am the chair of the Pinellas Police Standards Council, which is the body designated by the legislature to establish and maintain law enforcement standards for Pinellas County. The group consists of all police chiefs, the sheriff, and the state attorney.

In addition, I have been serving since 2010 as the secretary and treasurer of the Tampa Bay Area Chiefs of Police Association. This is a professional networking group involving law enforcement executives from all agencies in the seven counties in the Tampa Bay region. In my capacity, I vett and diseminate all correspondence between members and the board to ensure that all are kept up to date on legislation, case law, and operational issues related to the field.


So  you can see that, while crime continues to decline, we have plenty to keep us busy in providing quality service to the citizens of Gulfport. If you know of anything we may have missed, or if there is anything you'd like me to look into, please don't hesitate to let me know.

More Perspective on Outsourcing Dispatch

This week, I visited the two largest law enforcement communications centers in Pinellas County with the goal of seeking a better understanding of how calls are processed. I had last visited these facilities some 18 years ago, and although I've toured several others throughout the state in my experience as an accreditation assessor, the other local centers had escaped my attention.


In a previous post, I highlighted some areas where I felt service was likely to be reduced if Gulfport were to outsource communications to another agency. After my experiences this week, some of my concerns have been tempered, if not alleviated, so I thought it appropriate to share what I learned. Before we go there, however, I think it's important to clarify how calls are currently handled at GPD.


The Gulfport communications center is staffed 24/7 by one person. This one person is responsible for every aspect of police communications, including answering all incoming calls, entering and maintaining the computer aided dispatch (CAD) logs for all officer activity, as well as conducting wants/warrants checks, driver license status checks, and criminal history inquiries. In most larger agencies, these functions are handled by different people. In a typical arrangement, a call-taker answers the phone and collects the information from callers. As the call-taker inputs this information into the computer, it is sent to another person--a dispatcher--who then sends the police officers to the calls. Yet another person is responsible for conducting the database inquiries.


Some of the things I learned during my trips this week:

• Both Sheriff Coats and Chief Deputy Gualtieri have verbally agreed to offer employment to all four communications dispatchers who would lose their Gulfport jobs in the transition. Previously, this had only been a likely possibility. Should somebody other than Gualtieri be appointed to replace Coats when he retires, I will seek the same commitment from that individual.
• Calls made to 893-1030 (GPD's non-emergency number) would be forwarded to an internal administrative phone that is answered by an individual switchboard operator or call-taker. Previously, I had assumed Gulfport callers would be directed to the automated phone system.
• Previously, I had suggested that the lack of geographic familiarity might cause a delayed response. This was based on the assumption that a call-taker could not create a call ticket without knowing the location of the incident. Without a call-ticket, the dispatcher would not even be aware of the call. I learned that the physical proximity of call-takers and dispatchers is actually such that information can be exchanged face to face when necessary. This means that, even without an address, a call-taker can tell a dispatcher to send officers to "a prowler at the red brick church" for example.
• I also expressed concern that Gulfport calls might be delayed as dispatchers prioritize them in a queue with calls from other locations in south Pinellas County. While this still holds true, my concerns were mitigated by the fact that the computer system allows field officers to see pending calls even before they are dispatched. This means that the officers will be able to initiate a response even if the dispatcher hasn't gotten to sending them yet.

As a result of my visits to these other facilities, I am comfortable that the above issues no longer merit concern. Also since my last post, I have reported to elected officials that there are several benefits associated with local outsourcing of communications. I felt it would be appropriate to include them here as well:

• GPD officers would have direct and immediate communications access to officers or deputies working in adjoining areas. This means that any information transmitted via radio would instantly be received by all those working on that designated channel.
• GPD officers would have direct and immediate access to the other agency’s records database. Currently, checking this data requires additional, time-consuming steps.
• There would be increased interaction and familiarity between GPD officers and those working in surrounding jurisdictions. This would enhance our ability to use eachother’s resources for problem-oriented policing initiatives.

Alleviated concerns and benefits aside, there are still three negative impacts that are unavoidable should outsourcing come to pass.

1. We will no longer be able to use the holding facility. In the last twelve months, we detained 131 people in our holding cells. The reasons are many and varied, but most often it is because a more in-depth interview is required. In such a case, the officer will secure the prisoner in a holding cell, and while the dispatcher monitors the video feed, the officer will prepare for the interview. These interviews are complicated matters which require careful planning, including reviewing reports and criminal history, preparing forms, setting up recording devices, etc. If we cannot use the holding facility, then it will take two officers each and every time an interview is needed. One will have to wait with the prisoner in the patrol car (which is much less safe and secure) while the investigating officer takes time to prepare for the interview. The only alternative would be for the investigating officer to drive 40 minutes each way to conduct his or her interview at the county jail, where the prisoner will have had time to consult with others about his or her case.
2. We will no longer be able to let people into the building during after hours emergencies. Although we don't keep logs on how often this happens, I can assure you that it does happen. People, especially crime victims, do not feel safe standing outside the building waiting for an officer to respond. Some have said that people can go to the fire station in such situations, but that is not a realistic alternative. When they are on a call, the station is empty. At night, the firefighters are asleep in a bunk-room where they may not be likely to hear a knock on the door. Even then, it takes time to wake up, get to the door, and figure out what's going on before deciding to let somebody in. For their own safety, we can't expect firefighters to let just anybody into their building in the middle of the night.
3. When it comes to quality control, we will become customers instead of bosses. In the event of questionable conduct on the part of communications staff, my role will be limited. Instead of making a decision and taking corrective action, I will have to contact a supervisor at the other agency and make a complaint. At that point, the matter will be out of my hands.

So there you have it, a thorough and up-to-date analysis of the pros and cons associated with local outsourcing of police communications. As this issue has been debated in recent weeks, I have done by best to maintain a neutral role. My job as a professional is to provide factual information to the elected officials and the public. To the extent that I have an opinion, it would be inappropriate to allow it to affect any decisions that are made. Those of you who have concerns are invited to contact your elected representatives before they vote at the upcoming budget hearings.

On Discretion and Enforcement

Scenario: you are sitting at a red light next to a police officer in a marked cruiser. As your light turns green, a car on the cross street drives in front of you, clearly running the red light. You look at the police officer, expecting him to pull over the offending motorist, but instead, he drives on and appears to ignore the violation.

Most of us have seen this or something similar, and the natural impression is that the officer is not doing his job. While that may be the case once in a while, I would like to assure you that in the vast majority of such incidents, there is a valid reason.

Consider a day in the life of your typical police officer on patrol. He starts the twelve-hour shift with one or two unwritten reports from the day before. As he logs onto his computer, he receives a half dozen messages with requests for extra patrol, BOLO (be on the lookout) notices for wanted persons, and a list of recently-stolen vehicles. On top of that, he knows he is responsible for the resolution of at least one problem-oriented-patrol case as well as follow up investigation on any number of criminal offense reports. This sets the tone for a long work day.

Throughout the day, the officer will be dispatched eight to ten times in response to calls for service, and he will be flagged down two to three times by people requesting assistance or information. About four times per day, the officer will be required to start a new police report, each of which can take up to an hour to complete. Amongst all of this, the officer will find time to initiate his own activity either as a preventive measure (foot patrols and citizen contacts) or in an effort to enforce an observed violation (traffic stops, etc). These officer-initiated actions will occur ten to twelve times in a typical shift.

As the officer is going about his work, he is likely to observe dozens, if not hundreds, of technical violations of the law. Examples include moving traffic violations, vehicle equipment violations, parking violations, littering, animal violations, bicycle violations, as well as city code violations. Unfortunately, there simply is not enough time for the officer to intervene every time he sees something amiss. To help decide, the officer will follow an unofficial prioritization list that goes something like this:

1. In progress felonies involving personal injury or likely death
2. Accidents involving serious injuries
3. In progress crimes against persons
4. In progress crimes against property
5. Violations related to an ongoing problem-oriented patrol
6. Non-violent, vice and drug related crimes
7. Moving traffic violations
8. Non-moving traffic violations
9. Incident specific code violations, such as fires or dogs on the beach, parking, etc.
10. Nuisance code violations, such as noise or false alarms
11. Other code violations, such as unkempt properties

So you can see that the higher the risk, the more likely it is that the officer will intervene. Of course, this does not apply to an officer who is responding to a specific call for service. If you call police to report a person walking a dog without a leash, for example, the responding officer should intervene if he witnesses the violation.

Now, what the officer does when he makes contact with the violator is another subject entirely. Every police officer is given the authority to use his best judgment in making decisions on how to resolve incidents. Sometimes this means an arrest or citation. Sometimes it means a warning. There are even times when the appropriate response is to take no action at all. What the officer decides to do is dependent upon a vast multitude of factors, some of which I will attempt to describe:

1. Is this violation part of a larger problem that is contributing to crime or fear of crime? Is there empirical evidence of that problem, or is it just an issue that has garnered the attention of a vocal minority of the population?
2. What is the history of the individual and/or location involved? Have there been prior warnings or enforcement action for similar violations? Is he or she somebody who is relied upon to provide information or assistance in other, higher-priority investigations, and could enforcement action jeopardize that resource?
3. What is the attitude of the violator? Does he or she appear to be willing to voluntarily correct the behavior? Was he or she aware of the law prohibiting the conduct?
4. Are there circumstances that lawfully justify the conduct?
5. What is the motivation of the complaint? Is it an independent and concerned citizen or a jealous ex-spouse?
6. Are the law and department policies clear on this subject? Any vagaries or doubts could be costly down the road.
7. Is the enforcement action worth the required commitment of time (both now and perhaps in court later), or does the officer have the proverbial "more important things to do"?

In the end, I believe our officers mostly make the right decisions when they deal with these situations every day. We hire educated, well-rounded, moral people to serve Gulfport as police officers, and I trust their judgment in almost every case. Of course, there are occasions when even good people make bad choices, and it's my job to step in when that happens. I will always be open to hear concerns from anybody who feels an officer acted improperly, and I will always respond.

Barney Doesn't Work Here

Despite perceptions to the contrary, Gulfport is not Mayberry. And while I could do worse than to be compared to Andy Griffith, I’m not exactly Sheriff Taylor material either. While we in Gulfport like to celebrate characteristics like being unique and quaint, our similarities to the fictional small town police department end there.

The Gulfport Police Department in 2011 is, quite honestly, among the most professional law enforcement organizations in the world. How can I make such a claim? Consider these facts:

·         Accredited by the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation in 2000, the agency has been reaccredited three times. Of the over 350 law enforcement agencies in Florida, only 68 have achieved this level of recognition for consistently providing exemplary law enforcement service. The accreditation process mandates frequent review and updating of policies and procedures to ensure that they are always in line with the industry’s best practices.

·         Minimum education standards for police officers specify a high school diploma or GED. Gulfport requires college education of at least 60 credit hours from an accredited institution. In fact, over one-third of our officers have at least a bachelor’s degree, and twenty percent have a master’s degree.

·         The Florida Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission requires that officers complete forty hours of advanced training every four years. In Gulfport, the average officer receives four to five times that amount. We go above and beyond to ensure that officers receive frequent refresher training in all high-liability areas (firearms, intermediate weapons, vehicle operations) as well as timely updates on changes in statutes or case law. In addition, those officers assigned to special investigations or operations are provided advanced training commensurate with their positions. Sex crimes investigators, for example, receive forty hours of instruction exclusive to that subject alone.

·         Six of the thirty sworn officers working in Gulfport are certified as professional instructors in various subjects. This means they are recognized and authorized to train recruits and in-service law enforcement personnel throughout the state on topics ranging from use of force to emergency vehicle operations.

·         The officers working this community are provided with the latest and most effective technology and equipment in order to facilitate their mission. Some examples:

o   Mobile dispatch system allowing officers to access call and records information, as well as limitless web-based resources from their patrol cars.

o   Radio system allowing interagency communication at all levels.

o   Audio/video recording devices for each patrol car or patrol officer.

o   Each officer is issued or has access to a .40 caliber primary handgun (they get more than one bullet—sorry Barney), .38 or .40 caliber backup handgun, .223 caliber rifle, 12 gauge shotgun with less-lethal ammunition, Taser electronic control device, expandable steel baton, and OC chemical weapon.

o   Laser and Radar speed measuring and range-finding equipment.

o   Automatic license plate recognition cameras on a patrol vehicle.

o   Biometric security devices for all mobile computers.

o   Low-light enhanced vision monoculars.

o   Covert video surveillance cameras and monitoring equipment.

These professional, highly-trained, and well-equipped officers stay very busy in Gulfport. In a typical year, they respond to 12,000 calls for service, document 3,000 incidents, investigate 600 serious criminal offenses, and work 160 traffic crash scenes. This workload is among the highest, per officer, among agencies in the Tampa Bay area.

Many of the investigations and operations conducted by Gulfport officers are done in conjunction with their colleagues in surrounding communities. The level of cooperation enjoyed among the Pinellas law enforcement agencies is envied by those in other regions. As we go about the business of finding and arresting criminals, we are constantly reminded that Gulfport is but a neighborhood in a large and densely-populated metropolitan area. The transient nature that is so characteristic of the criminal element does not recognize the unique and quaint nature that many of our residents have come to love.

Dealing with these transient criminals while recognizing and prioritizing the Gulfport way of life is a constant challenge for our police officers. I do my best to pick good ones, then I give them the right tools to do the job. Personally, I think they’re doing pretty well, even without Sheriff Taylor in charge.

What do you think?

Disclaimer:  No offense is intended to the Mt. Airy, North Carolina Police Department, which is in fact a modern and professional police organization (Mt. Airy being the town that served as the inspiration for the Andy Griffith show).