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Detective cashes in his career
By JAMIE JONES, Times Staff Writer
NEW PORT RICHEY -- Several times a year, the sheriff's detective sees a glittering world through his tinted glasses. He combs his white hair, puts on a black suit. He walks into a Las Vegas casino, samples the Alaskan king crab, and sits down at a blackjack table. Lou Garcia, cop and gambler, placed fourth in a $100,000 blackjack tournament in Las Vegas in 2001. Soon, he'll have more time to work on his game. The local gambling expert is retiring from the Pasco County Sheriff's Office on April 24, his 72nd birthday, after almost 47 years in law enforcement. He has worked for Pasco County since 1987. Garcia oversees the county's $10-million bingo industry, keeping tabs on the county's 68 licensed bingo establishments. He's an expert on state gambling laws, helped write the county's bingo ordinance and is a faithful resource for law enforcement officers and lawmakers across the state. "He's going to leave a huge void, because all that knowledge is retiring with him," Lt. Robert Sullivan said. State Rep. Heather Fiorentino said she consults Garcia on all gambling-related issues. She said he's always looking out for people, paying attention to whether gambling operations will take unfair advantage of those who play. "He's like a dog with a bone when it comes to an issue," Fiorentino said. "He's not going to let go." Garcia isn't coasting into retirement. For the past few weeks, he's been speaking out against a pair of bills that would make it easier for residents of Florida's nursing homes and assisted living facilities -- including Alzheimer's patients -- to play bingo and bet money on the games. Garcia has written letters to lawmakers, reminding them that it's a felony to allow mentally impaired people to wager their own money. A Senate bill was recently amended; a similar bill is pending in the House. "He's a good man, and we're going to miss him," state Sen. Mike Fasano said. "We're hoping that even though he's retiring, he will still be there to give his advice and help us on issues." Sheriff's detectives say they will miss Garcia, who starts work every morning at 5 a.m. He sits at his corner desk, reads two newspapers, and brews a pot of coffee before the other intelligence detectives arrive. They describe Garcia as assertive but quiet, frequently seen sitting alone, working. At moments, he is playful, a favorite of the younger detectives on the staff. He doesn't mind reminding them that he started his career before their fathers finished junior high. "The younger guys, they don't call him 'Pops,' " Lt. Sullivan said. "When he walks into the room, you can feel it. They respect him." They're also impressed by his fitness. "He can keep up with anyone in this unit," Lt. Sullivan said. "He's just incredibly energetic. He doesn't run like a 70-year-old. He runs like a 40-year-old." Garcia joined the Cleveland Police Department in 1956 when he was 25 years old, driving around town in a 1952 Ford, investigating sex crimes, working on the armed robbery squad. In 1982, he left the force and joined MAGLOCLEN, a federally funded regional intelligence gathering agency, where he worked for about two years. Garcia and his wife, Dolores, have five children. He took second jobs to support the family, working as a diesel mechanic, making cabinets, repairing cars. In 1984, Garcia and Dolores moved to Pasco County. Garcia missed law enforcement, and in 1987, he joined the Sheriff's Office. He's not ready to retire. "I'm going to miss it," Garcia said. But he'll keep himself busy with other tasks. He plans to put together a documentary of the Cleveland race riot in July 1968, which occurred while Garcia was on duty. Garcia has collected all evidence in the case, including 7,000 pages of court documents and nine hours of police radio conversations during the riot. And in October, he plans to return to the invitation-only blackjack tournament at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. This year, he hopes to win first prize, $50,000. "Maybe it will be my year," he said. -- Jamie Jones covers crime in Pasco County. She can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6245, or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6245. Her e-mail address is jjones@sptimes.com.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
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