An online forum for Tampa Bay area authorities is looking to go statewide.
By SHANNON COLAVECCHIO-VAN SICKLER
Published January 18, 2004
TAMPA - Hillsborough County Sheriff Cal Henderson insists he only logs on if he needs a good laugh, and State Attorney Mark Ober says he never looks at it.
Tampa police Chief Steve Hogue knows it exists but hasn't logged on.
And Hillsborough Chief Deputy David Gee thinks the Web site is too negative and anonymous for his taste.
Still, in the 15 months since two Tampa police officers launched LeoAffairs.com, it has grown from a little-known, bare-bones site to a talked-about cyberspace forum for and about Tampa Bay police officers and deputies.
Recent chatter on the site's message boards ran the gamut from candidates running in a county commission race to Hillsborough deputies' supporting an effort to unionize:
"I heard Capt. (James) Tagliarini is supposedly gonna run against Ronda Storms. Anyone know if it's true?"
"Much deserved thanks to the 520 deputies who voted for the union. You guys MADE HISTORY in this county. You guys are awesome. Thank you very much."
Now the site's operators, Tampa Detective Chip DeBlock and retired Sgt. Jim Preston, are looking to take LeoAffairs beyond the Tampa Bay area. With the help of SRT Supply Inc., a St. Petersburg law enforcement supply company that has signed on as a major sponsor, they hope to make LeoAffairs a statewide site.
"It's going to get a lot bigger, and it's going to get a lot more interesting," said John Wier, owner of SRT. "The guys in Hillsborough will be able to see what the guys in Pinellas are thinking, and vice versa."
LeoAffairs.com began as a convenient place for officers to get information on the Policeman's Bill of Rights, whistle-blower laws and their rights during internal affairs investigations. But the site's message boards and live chat room have taken on a life of their own, giving local officers an open platform for give-and-take.
On Dec. 31, a Tampa police officer posted the message: "Just wondering. Has the new Chief made it to anyones roll call yet? I have never seen him in mine."
The responses came fast, from officers who wondered why "Scared Officer" was so busy worrying about Hogue's schedule.
"Were you sleeping at roll call? Chief comes and then rides two man (patrol), even puts people in jail. Stay out of Krispy Kreme and you will see lots."
Current and former officers air their thoughts on bulletproof vests, pensions and Hillsborough's next sheriff. For insiders, the boards are a chance to debate inside baseball. For outsiders, the postings offer a glimpse into local law enforcement.
Traffic on the site now averages more than 2,500 hits a day, up from 1,100 in March. The message boards typically receive close to 300 postings every two weeks, with participation from officers from the Tampa and Lakeland police departments, the Florida Highway Patrol and the Hillsborough Sheriff's Office.
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DeBlock got the idea for LeoAffairs as he dealt with problems at work. In 1999, when he became the subject of an internal affairs investigation, he quickly realized he had little knowledge of his rights.
In October 1999, the State Attorney's Office demanded an internal affairs investigation after they learned DeBlock had covertly taped the phone conversations of two prosecutors, one of whom he suspected was giving breaks to the owner of an adult business.
Then-Chief Bennie Holder asked for a separate criminal investigation, which was referred to the State Attorney's Office in Bradenton to avoid conflicts. DeBlock was cleared of any criminal or internal policy violations.
DeBlock has sued the police department and the city, saying he was transferred from the criminal intelligence bureau to the less prestigious sex crimes unit after he alleged wrongdoing by a Hillsborough prosecutor. The case is pending.
Last spring, DeBlock filed a defamation suit against State Attorney Mark Ober, alleging he was demoted because of comments by Ober that questioned DeBlock's credibility.
Throughout that process, DeBlock said, he got guidance and advice from Preston, who worked briefly in internal affairs and attended several workshops on dealing with internal affairs investigations.
The two launched LeoAffairs in 2002. At first, the site was skeletal: a Q&A on the internal affairs process, some information about Florida whistle-blower statutes and a link to the Policeman's Bill of Rights.
A single message board, set up in February for Tampa officers facing pension and contract negotiations, spawned boards for the Sheriff's Office, Lakeland officers and the Florida Highway Patrol.
A few weeks ago, DeBlock created a board that he hopes will be a sort of political forum for the upcoming Hillsborough sheriff's race. No anonymous postings are allowed on that board.
Candidate Kevin Fitzpatrick, a retired sheriff's deputy, has posted a message. Gee, the race's front-runner, said he doesn't plan to participate any time soon.
Last week, DeBlock posted a petition supporters can sign in favor of State Attorney candidate Robin Fuson, who is running against Ober, the incumbent.
Even the site's creators and fans admit LeoAffairs doesn't speak for everyone.
"I don't think you can gauge the morale of the agency off of it, because it's a few vocal people among hundreds of officers," Preston said. "But to the people who use it, it's very important."
Tampa police Capt. Brenda Murray used LeoAffairs' message boards last year during a debate on proposed changes to Tampa officers' pensions.
"My opinions and beliefs were very strong on the issues, and I liked the site because it was a chance for me to educate people and to gauge what the other side was thinking," said Murphy, who thinks she is one of the few high-ranking officers to use the site - with her real name.
"There have been things I felt shouldn't have been dealt with in that manner on that site, but I think it can be good when it's used in the right way."
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Not everyone who expresses an opinion comes clean. Many site users spout off under fake names such as "Blue," "Midnight Rider," "Boot Licker" and "Doc Holiday."
It's easy to rip the administration or complain about the new police chief under a nickname, critics of the site say.
DeBlock said the frequency of anonymous chat board users has gotten too high, and he's cracking down on what officers can post anonymously and how often they can do it.
Four site moderators have the power to delete inappropriate messages, including anonymous postings that are accusatory or "just not constructive," DeBlock said.
"Some people get into the habit of posting anonymous names on issues when it's not necessary," DeBlock said. "Then again, I know some people really fear repercussions. So it's a balance, and we have to be careful."
Few used their real names in a recent message board discussion railing against Henderson's public statements against unionization.
"Oh, I think it's funny," Henderson said. "I only read it once in a while for entertainment. Some of it's interesting; some of it's just such total fiction. It's the noisy wheel syndrome. There's no more than 50 on there all the time, and we've got 1,000 officers."
Even DeBlock gets frustrated by a few regular users who seem to do nothing but complain. He recently blocked access for a user who goes by "Dusty Streets."
"He was just abusive," DeBlock said. "There's a small number of disgruntled officers who will always find something to be unhappy about. If the police chief came in and promoted every one of them, they'd find something to complain about."
