Letters to the Editors

Belleair feels safe when its officers are bored

© St. Petersburg Times, published November 22, 2000

The present status of the Belleair Police Department seems to have drawn an unusual amount of attention in the press lately.

Several letters to the editor suggest that this is a result of the slanted, heavily opinionated orientation of the reporter who wrote the initial article critical of several officers, and who suggested that inefficiency and favoritism are the order of the day in this small police agency (It's a badge and boredom in Belleair, Nov. 3).

That article was followed by an editorial that was critical of the continued existence of this Police Department and any other small police agency, adopting the reporter's view as gospel. That reporter was wrong, and the editorial was misguided.

I have been involved with law enforcement for nearly 30 years, from a police officer to a prosecutor and police legal adviser. I continue to advise police officers, police chiefs and police unions, and I have served as an expert on police-related matters.

All that doesn't mean much, though, when it comes to our Belleair Police Department. I concede that it is less sophisticated and lacks the resources of a larger agency. We have no air force, no navy, no K-9 corps, no SWAT team, no dedicated detective bureau and no juvenile or sex crimes unit. But all of those resources are available upon request through interagency agreements, which all municipalities have with neighboring agencies.

Our Police Department is essentially a guard force that we rely upon to keep us safe, secure and protected from the criminal influences that pervade larger communities. Belleair has little of that because of the professional, mature, affluent and advanced education of the great majority of its residents, as well as the pleasant locale. We choose to live here in large measure because of that.

I don't mean to underrate the Sheriff's Office, as it is a very professional and highly trained agency with which I am in frequent contact. But it isn't the Belleair Police Department, whose members we know as unique individuals and dedicated public servants. Belleair, as has been noted, is an atypical, well-to-do bedroom community with little crime and a very prominent police presence. That presence serves as a visible deterrent. Sure, it must be a relatively boring job for the officers who work there, but we citizens who live there prefer it that way. And I for one enjoy waving to an officer whose face I recognize and who knows me.

I seriously doubt that two deputy sheriffs patrolling the town would have the same dedication or citizen involvement, regardless of the cost savings. And, as has also been pointed out, cost is a relatively insignificant factor in this town. The service and response provided by our Police Department more than justify the minor tax impact.

I think I am not alone in stating that our Police Department is appreciated and will survive whatever shortsighted or short-term controversy it presently faces, the editorial board of the St. Petersburg Times and the jaundiced reporting notwithstanding.
-- Robert G. Walker Jr., Belleair

Bigger is not better for Belleair residents

Re: Belleair residents should turn to Sheriff's Office, Nov. 7 editorial.

There you go again. This editorial is frighteningly reminiscent of one that was published in the summer of 1993 after the tragic death of Officer Jeffrey Tackett.

It never ceases to amaze me how the St. Petersburg Times manages to be an authority on everything, even down to how we should think and live our lives. Bigger is not always better. That is precisely why we still have home rule and why there are still 24 municipalities in Pinellas County. Nor is bigger necessarily cheaper in the long run. Remember, you get what you pay for, whether it is in dollars and cents or in quality of life.

You mention that Officer Tackett was the only officer on duty that night and that officers had to be summoned from other Pinellas towns. You are correct. What you fail to mention is that the Sheriff's Office was the fourth to arrive on the scene -- 19 minutes after the fact. Belleair Bluffs was first. They use the same dispatch the Sheriff's Office does.

Furthermore, you failed to mention that everything the Sheriff's Office could provide us we already have through a countywide municipal aid agreement signed by the Sheriff's Office and all the municipalities in Pinellas.

Belleair has already investigated the pros and cons of contracting with the sheriff for our protection. The only thing they suggested that we did not already have in place was the requirement for having two officers on duty at all times. We agreed with this recommendation and hired additional personnel to comply -- before, I might add, the passing of the Tackett Law.

You also conveniently forgot to mention the report issued a few years ago declaring that Belleair is the safest place to live in Tampa Bay. Our Police Department is pro-active, not reactive.

Belleair is a small, quiet town boasting many desirable qualities that have been enumerated in previous letters to the editor. What sort of twisted mentality says that because our Police Department has helped us achieve this peaceful, easygoing lifestyle, that same Police Department is now superfluous and a drain on the community?

Town Commissioner Tom Murrin would be better served reviewing the ground that has already been plowed on this issue instead of wasting time and money trying to fix something that is in no way broken.
-- Connie C. Mudano, Belleair

Expansion of airpark to bring unwanted volume

Re: Clearwater Airpark.

I was employed on Calumet Street in 1991 when a small plane missed the runway and crashed through the roof of a home. Yes, we all ran out and saw them trying to keep people from seeing the man dangling into the living room of the home.

In 1993 we purchased our first home and made sure it was a good distance away and out of the flight path of the airpark. We live in Sunset Lake Estates, right next to Clearview Lake Estates, two of Clearwater's proudest neighborhoods. A lady went to all the meetings and had them change the flight path from her street, to the west, over mine. Thanks a lot.

I listen to flights landing way beyond the hour after sunset and have called the airpark to find out nothing is on the log. I asked who was in charge and was told a "rent-a-cop." I also know that keys are passed out, and pilots know that you can land even if you are not supposed to. There is no one there. They just don't talk about it.

Now the city wants to expand 800 feet of runway to the north, allowing bigger, faster, noisier, later-landing planes right over my house. I understand the airpark was there first. I picked my house accordingly. But I was here before the expansion. Get it?

We pay some of the highest taxes here, besides the residents on the beach. This is not right. This will lower my property investment, and I will expect my taxes to be lowered accordingly. How about routing these planes east of Hercules Avenue, over the industrial areas and over the rental apartments? Industries already drown out their noise, and renters come and go and do not pay taxes.
-- Lauren Hallahan, Clearwater

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