Vines keeps his records sealed

By LEANORA MINAI

© St. Petersburg Times,
published July 14, 2001

ST. PETERSBURG -- Mack Vines, who wants to be the city's next police chief, has, for now, declined to let the public see his performance evaluations from his last job.

He was director of the police academy at St. Petersburg Junior College for eight years. But his annual contract was not renewed in 1999.

Vines turned down a request by the Times on Friday to allow a review of confidential employee evaluations from SPJC.

He said he would "more than likely" allow SPJC to release the records if he is selected as a finalist from the 116 people who applied to be St. Petersburg's 12th police chief.

"I don't have any problems with the evaluations," Vines said Friday. "The issue is that I'd rather wait."

Police officers say Vines is a likely finalist because of his connections in the community and his tenure as the city's chief from 1974 to 1980.

Vines had been asked by newly elected Mayor Rick Baker to interview community leaders about qualities in the next chief. After Vines talked with residents, he submitted his own resume.

Baker has not asked Vines for the SPJC evaluations because he is still sorting through resumes and has not come up with a list of finalists, said First Deputy Mayor Tish Elston.

"From my perspective, if I were him," Elston said of Vines, "I would be taking the same tack. I would want to make sure I was one of the serious candidates being considered."

Baker did not return several telephone messages left at City Hall on Thursday and Friday.

Vines, 62, was head of the Southeastern Public Safety Institute at SPJC from 1991 to 1999. He was in charge of the police academy and career development in law enforcement, corrections, fire science technology and emergency management.

He also directed the acquisition and implementation of more than $30-million in grants at the institute. He earned $75,689.

Vines said Friday that he wants to cooperate but does not want to release the evaluations until he makes the first cut. He said allowing the newspaper to review the evaluations now would put him in a "precarious" place.

"I wish you'd respect my position," Vines said. "It would put me in a funny position if an article comes out. It looks like I'm a (finalist) or that I made the cut."

When asked what he would do if the city requested his evaluations, Vines would not say yes or no.

"That's somewhat of a crazy question," Vines said. "Why would Baker ask me for something like that?"

Elston said the city's employee relations office will seek Vines' permission to review the evaluations if Vines makes the list of finalists. "I'd say he's got one chance out of 116," Elston said. "He's got the same chance that all of the other candidates have."

If Vines becomes a finalist, his evaluations would be reviewed by staffers during a routine background check, Elston said. She said she and Baker may not necessarily read the evaluations unless staffers bring something to their attention.

"I think a lot really depends on whether there's anything there substantive or not," Elston said.

- Leanora Minai can be reached at 727-893-8406 or minai@sptimes.com.

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