Maintaining a State of Security

By Mitch Traphagen

mitch@observernews.net

TAMPA - Homeland Security Department Secretary Tom Ridge raises the national threat level to the second highest possible and the public thinks about duct tape but beyond that can do little else. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, meanwhile, has specific instructions to increase security at the ports and other key sites.

Across the nation, state governors talk of tough times, tightened budgets and difficult decisions. Some states and towns talk of layoffs in law enforcement. The economy is weak, the money isn't there.

The public watches the evening news as another military reserve troop is called up to support a possible war in the Middle East. Beyond showing the men and women hugging children and spouses, little thought is paid to where these men and women come from, the lives they left when they were called up for service.

At a time when the public expects more than ever from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, some of those men and women were taken from their ranks.

"We've had 27 called up and that's pretty significant," said HCSO Chief Deputy David Gee. "A lot of those people were in key roles, detectives and auto theft."

Law enforcement agencies across the country are facing a "triple whammy." Their responsibilities have increased, the budgets are tightening and the threat of war is pulling reservists from their duties. For these agencies, there is no easy answer. They cannot simply hire people off the streets and give them a badge and a gun. That's not how it works.

"For us, the budget isn't a problem right now. We've been funded pretty well," said Gee. "We won't see that until the next fiscal year. Our biggest problem is that we're short of people."

The reserve call-ups are only the tip of the iceberg for the HCSO. A five year program known as DROP, the Deferred Retirement Options Program, is just now coming to fruition. "Forty-some people may be going this year to early retirement," Gee said.

Another immediate problem is the threat of war. Overall, there are roughly 100 reservists in the department. If war comes, they may all go on very short notice.

According to Gee, the department is doing all they can to maintain their staffing levels. "We hired 25 people last week," he said. "But from the time they are hired and then are trained, they won't be out for almost a year."

On the plus side, recruitment hasn't been a serious problem. "We receive about 75 applications for each open position," Gee said. "A lot of people want to work for us."

The problem, of course, is the leadtime. No one wants a poorly trained officer on the streets. They understand their responsibility and there is no way to fast-track the process.

Impact on South Hillsborough

According to HCSO Sergeant Ira Arman, the biggest problem here is growth. "We've not been impacted by call-ups," Arman said. "We have full staffing but we also have more cases than last year."

The problem, however, does trickle down to the south end of the county. "There aren't people to replenish if someone is out," said Arman. "Also, DROP is going to be a problem. We're losing colonels, majors, corporals, everybody. This is not just us, this is a problem across the state."

In the seemingly quiet, more rural south county, Arman's detectives are facing problems no one would've imagined a few years ago. "We've seen an increase in white collar crimes, credit card fraud and internet fraud," he said. "We've had a lot of problems with things like eBay."

For Arman, his responsibilites go beyond his district. "We had a case where someone in Luxembourg bought property from a man in Riverview, he never received it," he said. Just as if the call had come from someone in Sun City Center, the detectives had to investigate the complaint. The detectives brought the case to a successful resolution, the people got their money back.

The case reveals just one small aspect of how the world of law enforcement and their responsibilities have changed. "It's not local, it's not federal, it's global now," said Arman.

Shades of Mayberry, Realities of the City

South Hillsborough is an area in transition. On a weekday afternoon at the HCSO Ruskin service office on Shell Point Road, Community Resource Deputy Jeff Service takes the time to listen as citizens come in to tell about problems with everything from neighborhood kids to trash being dumped along the road. Sometimes, the people just want to talk.

Service, a native of Ruskin, knows many of them and he listens to their stories and follows up on their complaints.

In many ways it's a scene out of the 1960s television show Mayberry RFD. In that show, however, Andy Griffith didn't even carry a gun and Otis the town drunk didn't provide a compelling reason for a Kevlar bulletproof vest.

According to Service, the problems facing the HCSO haven't impacted south county yet - but he can see it coming. "We haven't felt the effects - we're getting the deputies out for calls of service just as we always have," he said.

Like Sgt. Arman, Service sees growth as his main concern. "The growth of the area is a problem and we need manpower for that," he said. The need for manpower, of course, is the root of the problem.

Service, along with Sun City Center CRD Joe Burt, however, are looking for solutions closer to home through the HCSO reserve deputy program. The reserve program allows citizens to receive training and become a Reserve II Deputy with duties including riding with patrol deputies, stakeouts, rendering aid during disasters and joining search parties.

According to the HCSO, "Reserve II Deputies are not paid for their work. Members serve with no other compensation than the deep sense of pride one attains from participating in the law enforcement process and the sincere appreciation from other members of the Sheriff's Office."

Deputies Service and Burt are hoping that residents of south Hillsborough will answer that call. "We've been having trouble getting reserves down here so Joe Burt and I set up an introductory meeting," said Service. "If enough people lined up, we could provide their training down here."

Reserve II Deputies must receive 120 hours of training in everything from law to firearms. Additionally, 24 hours of training are required in the Sheriff's Communications Center. Reserve II Deputies are then assigned to work with a regular deputy for 200 hours of field training. All of the work of a Reserve II Deputy is done under the supervision of a regular officer. Uniforms are provided, but like regular deputies, Reserve II personnel must provide their own footwear and service firearms in compliance with HCSO standards.

In the meantime, the calls keep coming in and the HCSO adapts to the new roles demanded by a new world. Some public perceptions, however, remain despite the evidence to the contrary. "I know that some people think that we sit around drinking coffee and eating donuts," said Sgt. Arman. "But these guys are really putting in the overtime to get through their cases."

Given the attrition through military demands and retirements, the growth of the county and the leadtime required for new deputies, time is all they have.

For information about joining the HCSO Reserve II Deputy program call 247-8614 or 247-8615.