Officers flash beer, badges

By CHRIS GOFFARD & TAMARA LUSH
© St. Petersburg Times
published September 26, 2002

What happens when you start a night of partying at Club Hedo in Ybor City?

Ask Tampa police Officers D.K. Duncan, D.B. Peck and K.P. Schoolmeersters.

On April 1, 2001, the trio met at the aforementioned club and had a few beers. According to a recently released internal affairs report, the three then moved on to Bar Tampa on Seventh Avenue.

There, the officers went to the DJ booth and talked to DJ Shaun Smith (a.k.a. DJ Structure). A photographer walked over with a camera.

The three officers -- who were wearing civilian clothes -- proceeded to strike a pose. In one of the two photos, Officer Duncan was holding a beer.

All of the officers also displayed something else: their badges.

The men covered their badge numbers with their fingers, the report said.

To make matters worse, the photo was taken by a man named Cedric Brown, who operates www.partybor.com, a Web site that features information and snapshots of the club scene in Tampa. Brown put the photos on his Web site, according to the report.

A lieutenant in the department saw the photos, and an internal investigation ensued.

"Officer Peck stated that he was not sure whose idea it was to take the badges out, but commented that he might have done it first and the others followed," the IA report said. "Officer Peck stated that displaying the badges and covering up the numbers/emblems were 'set up as a gag.' "

Needless to say, the three officers didn't expect the photos to be on the Web.

Internal Affairs detectives said the officers "confirmed that their police badge was not used for official purposes in the capacity for which it was intended."

The trio was found to be in violation of the department's standard of conduct policy and the abuse of position/identification policy. Disciplinary action will be taken soon, police officials said.

COPS AND COMPUTERS: Officers from Tampa police and the Hillsborough Sheriff's Office are about to open the first-ever community computer lab in the county.

The grand opening of the Palm River Computer Center will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at 7444 River Road.

The lab will give computer access to high school dropouts, teenagers suspended from school and other troubled kids, helping them to continue their studies. They can work on their GEDs, obtain training credit or type their resumes at the center. Basic computer skills also will be taught.

A group called Cops and Computers for the Community has been instrumental in getting the lab up and running. The group is composed of police officers and firefighters who refurbish and put donated computers into the homes of at-risk children. A second organization, Computer Acquisition and Placement Program Inc., builds community computer labs.

If you want to help out, or make a donation of computers or cash, call Tampa Master Police Officer Gene King at 244-8704, or go to his Web site, http://www.cappinc.org/. Another contact is Hillsborough Sheriff's Deputy Steve McDermott, who can be reached at 918-8388 or on his Web site at http://www.ccftc.org/.

A WOMAN'S PLACE IS IN THE COURTROOM: Want a female perspective on the law? The Stetson University College of Law will present "Women in the Law," a seminar that will examine the unique experiences of females in the justice system.

The seminar, which will be held Friday, will include a panel discussion featuring prominent female judges, attorneys and legal scholars.

Held at Stetson's Gulfport campus, the seminar is sponsored by the school's office for Continuing Legal Education and the Center for Excellence in Advocacy. For more information, call (727) 562-7830.

By the way: In recent years, female law students at Stetson have outnumbered male law students.

KUDOS TO . . . : Six Hillsborough County Sheriff's employees recently received awards at the 18th annual Hispanic Law Enforcement Appreciation Dinner. Cpl. Carlos Collado of District 3 was named the outstanding law enforcement deputy of the year.

Flora Gonzales was named the outstanding Hispanic civilian employee of the year, Deputy Myra Bonilla Godwin was the outstanding Hispanic bailiff of the year and Cpl. Michael Gonzalez was named the outstanding detention deputy of the year.

CSO Gaspar Jeffery Rodriguez received a Star scholarship, as did Carlos Santanna Lima of the Pinellas County Academy. Deputy Leigh DiChiara received a SHAC scholarship.

Linda Thorpe, district supervisor of the U.S. Probation Office, was given the Raymond E. Fernandez Award for outstanding contributions by a Hispanic to the criminal justice system.