Those are two things that come with the job for Steve Hogue, Tampa's new police chief.
By TAMARA LUSH
Published December 31, 2003
TAMPA - Tampa police Chief Steve Hogue was sitting in a downtown bagel shop with a reporter recently when an elderly man walked up.
"I just wanted to tell you that I'm from Arizona and am visiting Tampa," the man told Hogue, who was in uniform. "I feel safe here, and the streets are clean. Thank you."
Hogue beamed. Those are the kinds of words he'd like to hear more often.
He got the job three months ago, after 23 years as a Tampa police officer and a stint as Fort Walton Beach police chief, and there has been no time for a honeymoon.
Already, he has taken on office politics and a controversy involving the former chief - not to mention the drug problem in east Tampa, an area that is a priority for the new mayor.
Hogue spoke to the Times about his life in Tampa, department politics, the chase policy and even who will get his vote for sheriff.
How many hours are you working each week?
"I typically get in around seven in the morning and go home between 8 and 9 at night. ... Communications is in another building. I've been out there to see them after hours. Those folks don't get to see you unless you come out on their schedule.
"You want to be the chief of police, you are going to be out on weekends, you are going to be out at night, you're going to be working all day. And that's part of it. The mayor made that perfectly clear when I took the job."
How much sleep do you get?
"Right now, I am sleeping about six to 61/2 hours a night."
Your biggest surprise in your first three months here?
"When I was here before, we were essentially a centralized Police Department ... so now the two patrol districts are in their own buildings away from the main station and so is the communications section. ... It's not something where you can run downstairs and chitchat with someone for 15 or 20 minutes, when it's a 15 or 20 minute drive to get there, and the same to get back. ...
"Those officers in those districts need to see me. They need to realize that I am available and that they can talk to me. They don't feel comfortable coming to the 10th floor and walking into my office, as you can well imagine. They do feel comfortable if I'm walking down the hall in the district or if I'm in roll call, or they're writing a report in the station and I stop and talk to them. Plus, it's the only time I get to talk to the middle managers, the lieutenants and captains, and it's important that I have a relationship with them, too. ...
"I'm one person, and there are 1,350 other employees. It's hard to get around and give some personal attention to everybody. It's something that tears at me internally. ... It is a very, very difficult thing to accomplish."
Have you made any decisions on the chase policy?
"No. I think we have a pretty good chase policy. ... I have been reviewing that. ...
"We don't chase misdemeanors. We don't chase some felony suspects. A chase policy works when officers demonstrate self-discipline on their pursuit and supervision, at the sergeant level. ... There's a lot of difference in being in a pursuit at 2 in the afternoon or 2 in the morning. ... It's a value judgment all the time that has to continually be made by the pursuing officer and the supervision. And it's not easy, and occasionally, it doesn't work out. And that's the way it is, and that's the way it will unfortunately be."
Your thoughts on the following: Mayor Iorio?
"Extremely dynamic lady, ... a complete package. ... The quality I like about her best is that she is all business. Which is kind of the way I like to be.
"You can get in to see her, and you can get business on the table. You spend 30 minutes with her, you might spend one minute in pleasantries, and the other 29 you spend on business. ...
"She's never been a police officer, but it's amazing how quick she understands police issues."
The union?
"I'm getting along well with the union. Fortunately, Kevin Durkin, who is the union president, and I have worked together in the past. ... We have a good relationship."
(Former police Chief) Bennie Holder?
"I haven't talked much to Bennie. I feel a little sorry about some of the stuff that has been dragged up about Bennie. He's gone. I would like people to leave him alone, and let's move forward. ...
"(Being) the chief of police is not an easy job. You're always making decisions, and some people will be happy with those decisions and some people won't. ... It seems like some people who weren't happy with his decisions in the past are now coming out of the woodwork and hurling stones at him, when he can't defend himself. I find that reprehensible, personally. ...
"I think he should be remembered for the good job he did."
What about the fact that Holder posed for an ad for a private company in a magazine, in a TPD uniform and while he was chief, and later took a consulting job with that company?
"I don't know all the facts. I don't know if Bennie spoke with the mayor (then-Mayor Dick Greco). ... So I'm not too quick to throw stones.
"Yes, in retrospect and in the light it was presented, would I do it? No ... but there's nothing illegal about what he did, nothing immoral or unethical. A lot of police chiefs do that kind of thing. You can see that in all the police trade magazines."
(Hillsborough County sheriff's Chief Deputy and sheriff candidate) David Gee?
"I think David Gee is, by far, from what I have seen, the most qualified candidate. He is definitely a man of the future. I haven't met the other candidates, but I have met David Gee. ... I can tell you he is going to get my vote."
What's the biggest issue you have had to deal with?
"I think the issue from the internal part of the Police Department that I have found the most troubling is we have police officers here who are angry at the organization. They call the media, and they try to give the media all the bad news they can possibly think about on the Police Department. Ninety percent of the time, it's half-truths or old, old issues that occurred here or their perception. ...
"If there is an issue, somebody did something wrong, I'm the first one to say, "Hey, we made a mistake.' I'm not talking about covering up. I want to make that perfectly clear. It's about having some sort of inner anger that they want to lash out ... and I cannot understand that mentality.
"I have an absolute sense of pride, always have, about working for this Police Department. ... There are very good people here. And they are treated very, very well. They are paid well. They have an excellent union representation. The mayor is committed to the Police Department. She's made that clear. You don't find that in a lot of cities.
"The other thing that's troubled me is that Tampa has a high crime rate. ... It's much more complicated than just arresting people. We've arrested tens of thousands of people over the years. But crime is something that we are charged with reducing."
Do you need more police officers?
"I've got plenty of police officers. I need to redeploy them a little bit, and that's what we are looking to do. No, we have about three police officers per 1,000 population, and that's pretty generous. I think nationally, it's 2.5 officers per 1,000 population. Now, if somebody wants to give me another 100 police officers, I would take them. ... You can always do more with more people."
Is there one area or one type of crime you are particularly concerned about?
"East Tampa has a higher crime rate than the rest of the city does per capita. ... The folks that live there deserve not to live in a criminal element. ...
"Street-level drug sales - they ruin neighborhoods. ... There is an absolute misconception on a lot of people's part that street-level drug dealers are just poor, disadvantaged youths who don't want to flip hamburgers in some restaurant and they're out selling drugs just to make a living. Other than that, they are benign individuals who are experiencing the entrepreneurship of America.
"That's not it at all. They're robbers. They're thieves. They're car burglars. They're criminals. A lot of them have lengthy criminal records, in addition to the narcotics sales. It causes a whole deteriorization of a neighborhood."
What can residents expect from the Police Department in 2004?
"They can expect a Police Department that is going to be more responsive, instituting community policing, ... putting the services that the Police Department provides at the neighborhood level.
"I plan on beefing up our QUAD squads, which are our street-level narcotics squads. Getting more resources to the grass-roots levels in the neighborhoods."
What's going on with the reorganization of the department?
"It's in the draft stage, ... all subject to change. We don't want to unfold this thing until we get a finished product. It will be big. It will be a different way of doing business. ...
"The first preview was eliminating one layer of administration, when we eliminated the deputy chief positions. Now we have one chief, two assistant chiefs, no deputy chiefs and our five majors. That facilitates communication because there aren't more layers of bureaucracy.
"Our main mission is going to be to reduce crime. How we do that is going to be through community policing and providing better service. I know those are just words ... until somebody sees some action. Well, they're going to see some action.
"Is it going to take a while? Yes. In order to get community policing fully implemented, to really start affecting the crime rate, getting the street-level dealers understanding that Tampa is not the place to do business, that is going to take a couple of years. ... But once it does get moving, I think it's going to have a momentum of its own. ...
"I'm not under any illusions that I'm going to end crime in Tampa or end street-level drug sales, but we are going to drastically reduce those things and make this a better place to live."
What are you doing for New Year's Eve?
"My wife will be gone, and I will be riding the street with the officers."
