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Sheriff's new rule prohibits adultery

Citing a moral image to uphold, the Pinellas law enforcement chief gets pretty specific in banning infidelity.

By JACOB H. FRIES
Published February 8, 2006

LARGO - To his agency's list of policies and procedures, Pinellas County Sheriff Jim Coats has added one of the Ten Commandments.

Thou shalt not commit adultery.

At least, not with another sheriff's employee.

The policy, the first of its kind among Tampa Bay's large law enforcement agencies, bans the sheriff's 3,000 employees from having adulterous relationships with their colleagues. It applies both to single and married employees.

"I felt it was necessary to make it clear to the members of our agency that we have a moral image and obligation to the public," Coats said in an interview Tuesday. "If we openly allow it, what kind of example does that set?"

Coats, who has been married for 32 years, said he is not on a crusade. He is not out to find adulterers; in fact, since the policy took effect in October, no one has been investigated for cheating.

But because such affairs can have perilous effects in the workplace, Coats said it was important that he be able to respond to complaints. For similar reasons, the Sheriff's Office and other law enforcement agencies already bar relationships between a supervisor and subordinate or two members of the same squad.

"It's very disruptive," he said. "It creates an adversarial working environment."

Violating the policy is comparable to associating with criminals or accepting gratuities, with punishments ranging from written reprimands to three-day suspensions.

Such workplace regulations have become increasingly common as employers try to shape the private lives of employees, said Wayne A. Hochwarter, associate director of Florida State University's Center for Human Resource Management.

"In the next five years, there's going to be a lot more intrusive kind of things happening," Hochwarter said.

He cited examples of companies pressuring their employees to quit smoking or exercise more. Relationships between colleagues in particular have come under increased scrutiny for many reasons, Hochwarter said.

For one, organizations want to avoid any liability for relationships that turn sour and lead to harassment, Hochwarter said. Plus, businesses are trying to clean up their image after the series of corporate scandals.

Other law enforcement agencies across Tampa Bay, however, say they have no plans of developing their own bans on adultery. Their codes of conduct are sufficient, demanding that officers live in a way that would not discredit the agency, they say.

The Clearwater Police Department's code of ethics, which all officers sign, contains the line, "I will keep my private life unsullied as an example to all."

"Yes, that is a subjective phrase, but I believe every officer that signs it understands its scope," said Clearwater police spokesman Wayne Shelor. "But that's not to mean that the Police Department becomes Big Brother. If your private life adversely or negatively impacts this profession, you're probably committing an ethical transgression."

Clearwater's code came into play last fall when two sergeants were found to have had an affair with a female officer. That officer, in fact, was married to another Clearwater police officer, though the couple were separated at the time. Both sergeants received 30-day suspensions.

Tampa police spokesman Joe Durkin said the department reflects society and as such has its share of affairs. But unless they affect the work environment or people's performances, the department isn't interested in navigating them.

"It's a moral issue and it's up to the individuals involved," he said.

[Last modified February 8, 2006, 01:14:12]