Tampa police pilot suspended for misuse of helicopter

David Dennison flew from Tampa International Airport to St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport to drop off a friend's fishing net.

There's only one catch - the Tampa police helicopter pilot made the April trip while on the job.

It wasn't the first time Dennison misused the department's chopper, investigators said.

In 2008 and 2009, he regularly flew outside Tampa police jurisdiction without permission, according to internal affairs reports provided today to The Tampa Tribune. Police believed Dennison - who owns a charter fishing business - might have been looking for fishing spots.

Dennison, a 10-year veteran who earns about $35 an hour, was suspended without pay for a total of five days.

He acknowledged using the Bell helicopter April 28 to fly to St. Petersburg-Clearwater International, a flight that lasted "only a few minutes," the reports state. The control tower was not expecting the helicopter's arrival.

Marc Hamlin, the department's assistant chief, said Dennison spent a few minutes dropping off the fishing net to his friend, who works for the airport.

A 10-minute helicopter flight would cost taxpayers about $60, including fuel, staff salary and maintenance, police said.

Dennison, 32, was suspended one day without pay over the April incident.

"No one was put in jeopardy or anything - thank God," Hamlin said.

A follow-up investigation led to questions about some of Dennison's flights in 2008 and 2009.

Dennison told investigators those flights were part of training and search patrol for distressed boaters and other hazards, but investigators determined "the department did not sanction random patrols of these areas."

Flying times "have been strictly regulated due to cost cutting measures and random flying has been discontinued for several years," the reports state.

In December, Dennison was suspended for four days without pay.

Dennison joined the department in October 2000, became a flight observer in March 2002 and was promoted to pilot in September 2008. He has no prior disciplinary problems.

According to his August 2009 evaluation, Dennison "is an excellent representative of the Aviation Unit, as well as the Tampa Police Department." He received the department's lifesaving award in August 2005 after he and another officer helped save three people from a house fire.

"He has a lot of value to the police department, but we didn't take this lightly, which is why he was disciplined so harshly and so swiftly," Hamlin said.