TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Police Records Supervisor Suspended

ADVERTISEMENT

By STEPHEN THOMPSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 30, 2007

ST. PETERSBURG - The records supervisor at the St. Petersburg Police Department has been suspended for ten days after a St. Petersburg Times employee complained he made disparaging remarks about the newspaper in a private conversation, according to police documents.

The supervisor, Bill Wilson, was at a Palmetto Park neighborhood association meeting on July 10 as part of a department-wide effort to strengthen relationships with different neighborhoods, the documents say.

Also at the meeting was Brendan Watson, who works for TampaBay.com, the newspaper's web site. Watson lives in the neighborhood and is part of the neighborhood crime watch, the documents say.

In a complaint Watson sent to Police Chief Chuck Harmon – and also emailed to Mayor Rick Baker -- Watson said he approached Wilson after the meeting to discuss improving the exchange of information between the department and the crime watch.

In the complaint, Watson said Wilson asked him where he worked. Once Watson responded, Wilson admitted to crossing his index fingers, holding his hands up in front of Watson, taking a step back, and saying, "Not the St. Pete Times," the documents say.

He then proceeded to tell Watson of the difficulties he had had dealing with employees of the newspaper. Wilson, for instance, said he was delighted that Leonora Minai, a former police reporter, had left the paper to work at Duke University, rather than Wilson's alma mater, the University of North Carolina, the documents say.

Wilson characterized his remarks as ''lighthearted banter" designed to create a rapport with Watson, not offend him, the documents say. He said he answered all of Watson's questions, told Watson he could call him any time, and left the meeting with "a very positive feeling," the records say.

That apparently was not the type of feeling Watson had.

"I found Mr. Wilson's conduct abrasive, rude and extremely unprofessional and unbecoming of someone representing the police department at a public meeting at the community's invitation," he said in his complaint.

In hindsight, Wilson said he realized his approach to Watson was too casual for someone with whom he doesn't have an existing relationship, the documents say.

The matter was investigated by Wilson's supervisor, Michael L. McDonald, the assistant director of the department's administrative services bureau. In his report, McDonald says Wilson also didn't immediately replace or remove a mat after an employee tripped over it and sprained her ankle, but Wilson indicates in emails that he didn't learn about the fall for days.

McDonald also said Wilson was insensitive to the employee, Cynthia Mays.

Wilson said to her, "(Of) the thousands of people that have walked back and forth over that mat, yours is the first accidental tripping that has been reported to me,'' according to a copy of his email to her.

Wilson's 10-day suspension began Aug. 20 and ends Aug. 31. He was disciplined for conduct unbecoming an employee.

Reporter Stephen Thompson can be reached at (727) 451-2336 or spthompson@tampatrib.com

Share this:

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT