EX-OFFICER TELLS HOW GOOD COPS GO BAD

As a Manatee County resident and a 33-year veteran of local law
enforcement, I appreciate the opportunity to be able to respond to
the recent articles on rogue cops. I feel it's important to be able
to do so since I am acquainted with many of the fine officers who
have gotten a black eye as a result of the infamous Delta fiasco and
now the current Cleopatra's investigation.

First, I would like to say that Manatee Sheriff Charlie Wells has
done an excellent job with his department, together with upper
echelon officers such as Col. Brad Steube and Chuck Hagaman, plus a
variety of old-line officers he inherited with his term. Wells
clearly instilled in all of them a type of leadership that has served
the MSO very well. That's quite an accomplishment considering that
the Department employs approximately 1,300 staff members.

Frequently I am asked why every several years we read about officers
going bad and why it happens. In my experience, I can't say that I've
ever known a new officer who came into the department and planned to
be a "rogue" cop. Most know that they have entered into a low-paying,
sometimes thankless job and still do so with great pride and
determination. In their initial training, new officers are taught,
and begin to realize, the tremendous power tht they hold- a power
which, when used with the best intentions, can dictate the successful
path of their career.

Unfortunately, the second thing that they learn is that they can get
free drinks from most of the convenience stores, and that many of the
food establishments will give them free or half-price meals. This is
a very considerate offer and one that the officers more than deserve.
However, what isn't always mentioned is the "cheap security" that
these businesses receive as a result of the officers' presence.

Fortunately, few officers really take advantage of the undue powers
of their position, but a perfect example of another misconduct case
occurred in late 1970, prior to Sheriff Wells taking office. At that
time, several officers were hired by a major hotel chain for the
security of their cocktail lounge and grounds. During that time, I
was in charge of the narcotics unit, which was investigating drug use
and prostitution at the same hotel, along with the involvement of
several attorneys and professional baseball players. On several
occasions we made attempts to infiltrate the bar, as the staff were
well known for being major drug suppliers. Our efforts continually
failed, however, as by some means they always seemed to know when we
were there.

Coincidentally, we found that, in addition to the usual perks, the
security officers were also being provided with rooms for their
personal use. That information was passed on to the sheriff in office
at that time but both a Florida Department of Law Enforcement officer
and I were instructed to "leave it alone." Six months later, I chose
to leave the MSO.

Thanks in part to the election of Sheriff Wells, the officers in
question no longer work for the department; however, this is still an
example of how an incident could have been controlled by confronting
it when information first became available.

In the case of after-hours entertainment, it was clearly stated in a
memo by the sheriff that no officer could participate in working off
duty at any type of establishment that served alcohol. Unfortunately,
wagging tongues are as common within the Sheriff's Department as they
are in any other working environment, which leads me to believe that
someone, up to and including the shift supervisors, had to know what
was going on. A law enforcement officer has the right to demand
entrance to any licensed liquor establishment if someone is on the
premises, which means that, with cars in the parking lot at 3 a.m.,
someone should have been doing a walk-through. In my career, I have
done so many times, always accompanied by a fellow officer. Trust me
when I say that any off-duty deputy behind a bar would have been
reported immediately.

Law enforcement officers in Manatee County are top-notch men and
women, but it only takes a few who succumb to temptation to soil
their reputation. Please support these officers as they are doing an
important job that few would undertake. Remember that there's good
and bad in everyone but law enforcement is held to a higher, more
public standard than most.

In conclusion, it's my feeling that, in order to provide the most
viable and honest law enforcement, several critical elements should
be considered: Intensive background checks of candidates, strong,
reliable supervision and service by individuals who exemplify true
dedication to their oath, community, faith and family.

Ed Hoss, of Bradenton, i