St. Petersburg police chief fires back at mayoral candidates

ST. PETERSBURG — The city’s top cop is done taking shots from mayoral candidates. This week, Police Chief Chuck Harmon decided to fire back.

Well, sort of. Compared to Harmon’s usually blasé public statements, his comments to the St. Petersburg Times on Thursday were positively racy.

The subject was a Times poll that showed that 60 percent of city voters have a favorable view of the St. Petersburg Police Department.

“It’s not surprising to me that the poll showed that we’re doing a good job working with our community and doing things the right way,” Harmon said. “I would hope that the political candidates get the opportunity to see the poll and understand that crime is a complex issue.”

The chief then went on to his usual spiel about how it takes more than just a police department to defeat crime. Schools, the economy and especially the community all play a role in fighting crime, not just cops.

But the chief then accused certain candidates of deliberately misleading the public about crime and his department.

“I’m quite concerned about some of the candidates using misinformation,” Harmon said, “and some of it quite frankly is intentional misinformation and some of that bothers me.

“I’m not going to get into the details, but I’m concerned that some people are trying to take misinformation and spin it for their agenda and they’re playing on people’s emotions as it relates to crime and not giving factual information.”

He especially took issue with certain vows to, as Harmon put it, “clean house” at SPPD.

“They say crime is the No. 1 issue and rightfully so,” Harmon said. “But many of them are politicians and business people. They’re not criminologists, they’re not practitioners.

“Some of the candidates have done a good job of understanding there’s a lot of institutional knowledge here. But to take a tact that they’re going to clean house to me doesn’t make sense. Any politician is going to fail if they don’t understand the issues.”

But Harmon would not name names or give specific examples of which candidates have been misleading the public or what statements he takes issue with. Nor would he say whether he’ll endorse a candidate.

But if he does back a candidate, the chief said, he’ll name those he believes are misleading voters.

“When I endorse a candidate you will hear from me on that issue,” he said.

Mayoral hopeful Scott Wagman has been the most critical of Harmon and said he would hire a new chief if elected. Would Harmon resign immediately if Wagman wins? 

“I think Mr. Wagman’s already made his intentions clear,” the chief said.

Harmon did say he would be willing to stay on for a while to smooth the transition to a new police chief. He has six years left before retirement, but doesn’t envision staying any longer than that.

He also doesn't favor going outside the department to find his replacement. He said it hasn’t worked in the past, and that there are qualified people already in the department who could be the next chief of police.

“History speaks for itself,” he said. “There’s a lot of good people in this organization that can do the job.”

Jamal Thalji, Times staff writer

Comments

[Blazin]

“institutional knowledge” is the new useless political incumbent’s “please don’t fire me” line. Given the state of our current government “institutions”, one would think they’d come up with a new one.
Harmon sounds a tad naive here, with respect to politics and public safety; although that’s not necessarily a bad thing. But the tactic’s been used to scare people into voting one way or another for decades; hell, Bush/Rove mastered it on a massive scale… and these 10 little Indians shooting arrows at each other and others in St. Pete…are no different.

If you have hard (unquestionable) data… bring it. If they’re wrong… say it, and w/w/w&w. A leader doesn’t jerk weeds with the political hacks… they lead; with confidence, conviction, and the data to backup them up… something we’re not replete with these days... if you hadn't noticed.

But what do I know; “Mongo only pawn in game of life.”

[True Blue]

Chuck knows he's toast unless the voters are fools enough to vote for Bennett/Gibbons

[Police Chief Endorsing]

The audacity. A police chief endorsing a mayoral candidate. That is as crazy as slashing tents.

[shuturyap]

They say crime is the No. 1 issue and rightfully so,” Harmon said. “But many of them are politicians and business people. They’re not criminologists, they’re not practitioners."
Harmon went on to add that he did not receive any baseball tickets and he ordered his officers to take it easy on the guy that doesn't drive well.

[josh]

If crime is a big issue, what the Chief says is important. Hard to disagree with that.

Guess that spells trouble for Wagman and Ford.

[jack]

Did anyone else catch Scott Wagman telling St Pete residents our water is too cheap then going to Lealman and promising to lower their water rates while asking for campaign donations?

Why is that not news?

[Don't know Jack]

You don't know Jack, Jack. Every member of Tampa Bay Water, including St. Pete, will see water rate increases due to the cost of new water supply facilities. But by all means, keeping making it up as you go, Jack.

[George]

Wagman is an idiot for promising to fire Harmon without spending time at the department and talking to him about the issues. I am not a fan of Harmon, however, I think a major decision requires some research and analysis.

Harmon has the right and obligation to defend his department, however, he should stay out of the mayoral race.

[Go Slash a Tent]

George,
How many times did George W. Bush have to lie to you before you decided not to trust what he said? Or are you one of the right wing idiots who didn't care? Non idiots knew that after the WMD affair the Texas moron was a disaster. You didn't have to know anything else to realize he had to go.
Sadly, we had to wait until '08.

We've waited long enough here in St. Pete. The Tent Slashing Incident is our local version of disastrously inept leadership. It was a complete failure on so many levels, and it was obvious Harmon should have been fired right away.

[Work with Harmon]

Geezz... come on guys. Can't we just give him some better leadership training?

[STEVE SPRAT]

Curtsinger cleaned uP St. Petersburg. Goliath Davis and the negro's did not like it, called Curtsinger a racist . Fisher became mayor, killed Tyron , burned the city two times and Harmon is the answer, appointed by Baker.
GOD HELP US ALL.

[True Blue]

Who really runs the S. P. Police Dept.?? Goliath. Why do you think the drug dealers, car thiefs, and killers run wild in St. Pete.

[grohl]

I guess the chief is saying we all need to be criminologists in order to see that he and the dept are effective. Us uneducated folk must not be able to realize that they really are catching the bad guys. What a moron....all the way down to his incompetent douchebags like Chris Sessions. Who do they have that can lead the department??? NOBODY there represents Integrity, Respect, or Accountablility.

[BobC]

Lets not forget that the city councel with their ineptness should follow with Harmon, If he goes so should they all.
Why just clean part of the problem, clean out the whole problem. Government has run amuck. No Questions.
I don't get how Harmon has 60% popular vote, when I speak to business, the population at large they all seem to have the same belief. City of St. Petersburg,Fl is gone into the toilet.