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Facing A Place Far Removed From Mayberry

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By STEVE OTTO

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 18, 2008

Like tens of thousands of us in Hillsborough County, David Gee woke up Sunday morning a week ago to celebrate Mother's Day and the bonds of a strong family.

He had no way of knowing the unspeakable horror that was taking place that morning at another family's home, at the edge of Lutz.

Unlike most of us, it was a tragedy he would have to personally confront a couple of days later. He's the sheriff. That's what we pay him to do.

But Hillsborough County is not the Mayberry of the old Andy Griffith TV show, where about all Sheriff Andy Taylor had to worry about was keeping his deputy out of trouble and making sure the town drunk, Otis, had a warm bed waiting for him.

It isn't even the same Hillsborough County most of us grew up in. It's probably not any better or any worse than the rest of America, but it does reflect a society that is more than a little ragged around the edges.

Gee has his hands full enough as it is running one of the nation's larger law enforcement programs. There are union problems and heavy-duty budget cuts to deal with.

'A Heck Of A Week'

And then there is a week like this past one. As ghastly as that slaying was in Lutz, it was only one of a series of crimes, any one of which could have dominated the news. There were shootings and rapes. There were assaults and in general a society that seemed to be going nuts.

Caught up in the middle of the week came the devastating news that Gee's pastor and close friend, Forrest Pollock, had gone down in a plane crash somewhere in the North Carolina mountains, along with his 13-year-old son, Preston.

"It has been a heck of a week," Gee said in the understatement of someone who hasn't had the time to soak it all in, although he admitted on this afternoon he was just driving around by himself, reflecting a little on the magnitude of things.

Gee is a good guy. He grew up in Brandon and graduated from the University of Tampa. This is his home. But he doesn't like some of the things he sees.

"It has changed," he says. "I've been down here 31 years and the faces I see get younger and younger. The crimes they commit are more violent. It used to be we would see something horrific every week or so. Now there are challenges every day."

On The Edge

"I don't think the public realizes sometimes how much we are on the edge; how close we come sometimes to anarchy. I don't think they realize how dangerous society has become."

He knows he is going to feel the loss of his friend and pastor more deeply in the coming weeks. The two had a lot in common. "We both loved airplanes and flying. We both enjoyed families and going outdoors. He was about the smartest man I knew."

Gee didn't say it, but both had their own flocks. Pollock ministered to several thousand from his pulpit at Bell Shoals Baptist Church and its branches. Gee has 4,000 or so employees and a greater congregation of more than a million citizens.

You know, it might not be a bad idea to give an extra nod to law enforcement officers this week if you happen to come in contact with one. They need our support more than ever.

Keyword: Otto Graphs, to read and comment on Steve Otto's blog.

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