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Probe Ends With Police Officers' Firing, Retirements

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By JOSH POLTILOVE

The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 19, 2008

TAMPA - A 22-month internal affairs investigation using GPS technology has resulted in the departure of four Tampa police officers accused of billing the department for hours they didn't work.

Three veteran officers retired; the fourth has been fired.

In addition to GPS devices, Assistant Chief Bob Guidara said, investigators reviewed detectives' timecards, gas mileage receipts and surveillance records from the Criminal Intelligence Bureau.

The now-retired officers are Detectives David Rochelle, Donna Noblitt and Vince Bush, who had been with the department for 22 to 29 years.

Bush declined to comment. Rochelle and Noblitt could not be reached.

Detective Theresa Dennis, who has been with the department about nine years, was fired.

Guidara said 40 detectives were investigated and only the four were found to be consistently not working proper hours.

"We don't believe that the problem is any deeper," he said. "We don't think that this activity permeates the soul of this department."

According to the investigation report, Rochelle, Nesbitt, Bush and Dennis had a pattern of leaving headquarters "early in the afternoon prior to finishing their assigned tour of duty or else arrived to work after their scheduled reporting time."

Reporters Valerie Kalfrin and D'Ann White contributed to this report. Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at (813) 259-7691 or jpoltilove@tampatrib.com.

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