On this I don't see where the cop did anything wrong!

Officer investigated
for speaking his
mind on St. Pete
crime!


ST. PETERSBURG, Florida - A veteran
officer with a clean record is being
investigated by the St. Petersburg Police
Department (SPPD) after he warned the
father of a robbery victim about a
dangerous part of town.

Officer Thad "Stu" Crisco, who was recently
in headlines for honoring his fallen partner
David Crawford, allegedly warned St.
Petersburg father Bob Esposito about
letting his 16-year-old daughter hang
around the Northshore Pool at night.
Esposito's daughter was one of five teens
robbed by a group of armed men there
about 10:30 p.m. on a recent weeknight.

"I wouldn't come down here at night,"
Esposito said of the Northshore Pool area




and Downtown, where he admits he used
to loiter as a teen. "And I was told by one
of the police officers not to come down
here either."

That comment, made by Crisco the night of
the robbery, was inadvertently relayed to
his superior when Esposito was following
up with SPPD. The department then
launched an investigation into "disparaging
comments against the city."

"I'm shocked," Esposito said. "His job is to
serve and protect, and as far as I'm
concerned, he gave me information. I think
he did his job. I think he did it very well."

Esposito said Crisco cited the city's violent
crime stats - the worst in the state. He
faces a possible suspension, even if his
comments were true, although his
exemplary record with SPPD could help him
avoid serious discipline.

Mayor Bill Foster acknowledged the incident
and said he holds SPPD to the highest
standard.








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Written by
Noah Pransky
FILED UNDER
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COMMUNITIES
Saint Petersburg





"I always want to know my officers are
representing this city in a very positive
light," Foster said.

While St. Petersburg's violent crime stats
are high (more than 1% of residents will be
a victim in any given year), the numbers
have dropped every year since 2007.

"(SPPD) is performing at a very high level,"
Foster said. "Do I tout statistics when I'm
out in the public? No, because we have too
many victims."

Through the first five months of 2011, the
city has seen a drop in every single crime
stat except murder. Earlier this month,
following a secret summit on crime, Chief
Chuck Harmon admitted his biggest
concern was youths with guns.

Violent crimes per 100 residents, 2010:

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[VCURamFan]

Dude, I love you & I appreciate all the articles you post, but you have GOT to fix all the formatting issues! It makes it really tough to read something that's got random advertisements & extraneous gobbledy-gook in the middle of it.

[Llamafighter]

Here ya go, Ben

Officer investigated for speaking his mind on St. Pete crime!

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida - A veteran officer with a clean record is being
investigated by the St. Petersburg Police Department (SPPD) after he warned the father of a robbery victim about a dangerous part of town.

Officer Thad "Stu" Crisco, who was recently in headlines for honoring his fallen partner David Crawford, allegedly warned St.Petersburg father Bob Esposito about letting his 16-year-old daughter hang around the Northshore Pool at night. Esposito's daughter was one of five teens robbed by a group of armed men there about 10:30 p.m. on a recent weeknight. "I wouldn't come down here at night," Esposito said of the Northshore Pool area and Downtown, where he admits he used to loiter as a teen. "And I was told by one
of the police officers not to come down here either." That comment, made by Crisco the night of the robbery, was inadvertently relayed to his superior when Esposito was following up with SPPD. The department then launched an investigation into "disparaging comments against the city."

"I'm shocked," Esposito said. "His job is to serve and protect, and as far as I'm
concerned, he gave me information. I think he did his job. I think he did it very well." Esposito said Crisco cited the city's violent crime stats - the worst in the state. He faces a possible suspension, even if his comments were true, although his exemplary record with SPPD could help him avoid serious discipline.

Mayor Bill Foster acknowledged the incident and said he holds SPPD to the highest standard.

"I always want to know my officers are representing this city in a very positive light," Foster said.

While St. Petersburg's violent crime stats are high (more than 1% of residents will be a victim in any given year), the numbers have dropped every year since 2007. "(SPPD) is performing at a very high level," Foster said. "Do I tout statistics when I'm out in the public? No, because we have too many victims."

Through the first five months of 2011, the city has seen a drop in every single crime stat except murder. Earlier this month, following a secret summit on crime, Chief Chuck Harmon admitted his biggest concern was youths with guns.

Violent crimes per 100 residents, 2010: