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Some police shift from outreach to patrol
By DAVID KARP, Times Staff Writer TAMPA -- The firehouse cops program was supposed to change the way police officers work. Created with a grant from the federal government in the 1990s, the program was pushed by Mayor Dick Greco as a way to increase community policing. But as Greco's second term nears its end, firehouse cops took a hit Friday. Police Chief Bennie Holder reassigned 60 police officers who now work at neighborhood fire stations to patrol. Greco said the decision was part of the Police Department's regular look at how it assigns its officers. The move also came two weeks after a Tampa police lieutenant wrote the chief a memo saying staff shortages were hurting morale and cutting into officers' ability to investigate crime. The memo said patrol districts had suffered because police officers had been shifted to protect public landmarks after Sept. 11. On Friday, Holder announced that the 60 firehouse cops will now respond to calls as part of patrol districts. Forty firehouse officers, who used to work from 4 p.m. to 3:30 a.m., will now work from 1 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Another 20 officers, who work regular day hours, will be merged into patrol districts. Greco said the decision to beef up patrol units wasn't a response to the memo by Lt. Lynda Milana. Greco praised the lieutenant as a dedicated cop. He said her memo "probably was correct." But he criticized another officer who leaked the memo, which is a public record, to the press. "It is the wrong thing to do," Greco said. By leaking the memo, the officer may have made the public believe facts that aren't true, Greco said. Greco said he wasn't worried that moving firehouse cops to patrols would hurt police coverage of neighborhoods. The police officers will still work out of neighborhood fire stations. But instead of being focused on neighborhood outreach, they will also respond to police calls. Because the program was funded by a federal grant, 20 of the officers must still do primarily community outreach work, police spokeswoman Katie Hughes said. City Council member Bob Buckhorn, who is running to replace Greco as mayor in March 2003, has criticized Greco's decision to shift firehouse cops from the stations. He has promised, if elected, to return the officers to fire stations. Buckhorn, who was on vacation, could not be reached for comment Friday. "If he gets elected mayor, he can make the changes he is going to make," Greco said Friday of Buckhorn. "It is easy to say I would do this and I would do that." Since he took office in 1995, Greco said, he increased the Police Department's budget by 46 percent and added 145 police officers. Greco also campaigned in 1996 for the half-penny Community Investment Tax, which funded a new football stadium for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, because it also increased money for police. "I feel perfectly confident that you have an administration that has done more for that department than any other administration," Greco said. -- David Karp can be reached at 226-3376 or karp@sptimes.com.
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