Abstract
In our extended introductory interviews with some twenty administrators, supervisors, and senior staff in St. Petersburg, we asked, as we did in the other agencies, if St. Petersburg was a police agency of integrity. As we probed their responses, eventually, every one of them gave a slightly different version of the same three related truths. The first and most direct answer was “yes.” A slightly more cautious version of the same answer often followed the good question we had come to expect in response: “What do you mean by integrity?” When we rephrased the question as “Does the administration or do the officers in this agency tolerate corruption or other misconduct?” the answer was, without exception, “No, they do not.”
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References
The officer in question was the current Chief, Goliath Davis. McRae was the godfather of Davis’s son. Curtsinger transferred Davis from the high-profile position of manager of the patrol division to manager of administrative services where he was responsible for training, research and building maintenance.
The full text of the Grand Jury Report exonerating Knight for the shooting of Lewis was published in The St. Petersburg Times. In its Report, the Grand Jury notes that subsequent investigation revealed that at the time of the shooting TyRon Lewis had three outstanding felony warrants against him, that the car he was driving was stolen, and that a container found in his pocket contained six pieces of crack cocaine. The report also notes: We are concerned that there is a certain group in St. Petersburg that continues to advocate violence as a remedy for perceived or real social problems. This group has gone so far as to publicly call for the execution of the mayor and police chief of St. Petersburg, as well as Officers Knight and Minor. As recently as last night, at a public forum, it is reported that this group proclaimed that if this Grand Jury did not do its bidding, violence would return to the city of St. Petersburg. (The St. Petersburg Times. p. 6A. Nov. 14, 1996).
Charles S. Ives, the arbitrator in the case, ruled that the department had no just cause to suspend Knight. In his ruling he declared “Despite the employer’s contention that its established policies and regulations prohibited an officer from standing in front of the vehicle during a traffic stop to apprehend the driver, it failed to produce any such rule, regulation, directive or policy in evidence. Moreover, it failed to offer any evidence that other employees ever had been disciplined for comparable behavior.” St. Petersburg Times, 24 March 1998.
Leanora Minai, “Walking a Tightrope,”St. Petersburg Times, National, p. 1A, June 14, 1998
The number has since grown to over 200. See Terence Dunworth and Gregory Mills, “National Evaluation of Weed and Seed,” Research in Brief, National Institute of Justice, June 1999.
Paulo Lima, “Compromise Ends Controversy over Weed and Seed Grant.” The Tampa Tribune, Florida Metro, p.1, 25 December 1997.
Leanora Minai, “Police Chief Accuses Sheriff of Meddling.” St. Petersburg Times, City and State, p. 1B, 13 December 1997.
Joanne B. Walker, “Chief Says His Piece at Neighborhood Meeting” St. Petersburg Times. 14 January, 1998, p.14.
A Tribune Staff Report, “Feds-St. Pete Forge Agreement,” The Tampa Tribune, 16, January 1998, p. 4.
Goliath Davis, Letter to Carl Klockars regarding his position on Weed and Seed. March 7, 2001.
Waveney Ann Moore, “Neighborhoods Team Up For Chunky Sunday Talks,” The St. Petersburg Times, Neighborhood Times, p.1, 3 May 1998.
Waveney Ann Moore, “Chunky Sunday Talks Continue,” St. Petersburg Times. Neighborhood Times, p. 1, 29 April 1998.
Waveney Ann Moore and Jon Wilson, Police Try to Keep Peace For Bartlett Residents, Partiers,” The St. Petersburg Times, Neighborhood Times, p. 15, 3 May 1998.
Waveney Ann Moore and Jon Wilson, “Move Thins Chunky Sunday Crowd,” St. Petersburg Times, City and State, p. 1B, 15 June 1998.
Klockars, field notes, Feb. 18, 2001.
Memorandum from G. J. Davis, III, Chief of Police to Maj. John Womer. Subject: Job Performance, May 19, 1998.
Memorandum from Rick Stelljes, Assistant Chief, to Goliath J. Davis, III, Chief of Police. Subject: Major John Wormer. May 4, 1998.
This incident resulted in a news story that credited the St. Petersburg Police for their preparedness and for handling a potentially difficult incident without arrests or violence. Leanora Minai, “St. Petersburg Officers Say They Were Prepared This Time.” St. Petersburg Times, p. April 25, 1998.
Mary Jo Malone, “Davis Has The Right, But Maybe He’s Wrong.” St. Petersburg Times. City and State. p. 1B, January 17, 1999.
Leanora Minai, Mike Brassfield, and Kris Mayes, “Vice Squad Rattled With Demotions, Two Firings.” St. Petersburg Times. July 10, 1998.
Leanora Minai, “Chief asks auditors to investigate payrolls.” St. Petersburg Times. 17 July 1998.
Leanora Minai and Constance Humberg, “Police timecard troubles extend past vice squad.” St. Petersburg Times. August 9, 1998.
Leanora Minai, “Police union questions time sheet reprimand.” St. Petersburg Times. February 19, 2000.
ibid.
Leanora Minai, Mike Brassfield, and Kris Mayes. “Police official blames vendetta for firing” St. Petersburg Times. July 11, 1998.
Stephen Thompson, “Sheriff Likely to Hire Fired Cop,” The Tampa Tribune. Florida/Metro. p. 1. November 19, 1998.
Kelly Ryan, “Offensive police videos to be investigated.” St. Petersburg Times. March 2, 1999.
Leanora Minai, “Police Chief, No Discipline for Videotapes.” St. Petersburg Times. March 16, 1999.
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(2006). The St. Petersburg, Florida, Police Department. In: Enhancing Police Integrity. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-36956-3_6
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