By SHANNON COLAVECCHIO-VAN SICKLER and CHRISTOPHER GOFFARD
Published January 20, 2005
His predecessor was sometimes criticized as being too lenient and hands-off when it came to punishing deputies who did wrong. But Hillsborough Sheriff David Gee is setting out to run a more disciplined ship.
During a swearing-in ceremony Saturday for 1,000 deputies, Gee told the group to expect harsh discipline in cases where they were guilty of drunken driving, spousal abuse or other offenses.
"I made very clear my expectations," Gee said this week, his second in office. "We are growing as an agency, and we will continue to be an agency that others look to."
Gee said he won't tolerate deputies who fail to set a good example, or who shirk their duties - even in seemingly mundane situations.
"If you drive right by that woman whose car is broken down on the side of the road," Gee said, "that's one more person whose trust and confidence you've lost."
The promise of strict discipline comes as Gee raises the hiring standards for new deputies and schedules training for existing supervisors. He plans to send entry- and mid-level managers through a 40-hour training course. His command staff will meet each year for a workshop to discuss the previous year's failures and successes.
The minimum hiring age is now 21, up from 19. And newly hired deputies must have an associate's degree, 60 hours of college coursework or three years experience in law enforcement or the military.
ACADEMY GETS STARTED: Sheriff's officials recently hired 32 aspiring deputies to be part of the first sheriff's sponsored law enforcement academy in more than a decade.
Chief Deputy Jose Docobo said the $400,000 investment - which covers academy tuition, uniforms and a $2,000 monthly stipend for each recruit - is a worthy one, considering the diversity and education level of the class.
More than 90 percent have bachelor's, master's or associate's degrees, and more than half are minorities - several of them Spanish-speaking, a skill the agency needs, Docobo said.
Gee announced plans for the academy late last year, saying it would help the department recruit minorities. He initially planned to have a class of 25 recruits for the academy.
"But I just didn't want to turn away such qualified people," Docobo said, "so we took 32. We're very excited."
Class members are guaranteed jobs with the Sheriff's Office after they complete the four-month academy.
