Become part of the movement for unbiased, accessible election information. Donate today.
Police hiring, training, and disciplinary requirements in Tampa, Florida
| Police hiring, training, and discipline |
|---|
|
| • Police collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) • Ballotpedia CBA dashboard •Reform proposals •CBA areas of inquiry and disagreement •Arguments about police collective bargaining • Index of articles about criminal justice policy |
| Click here for more analysis of police hiring, training, and disciplinary requirements by state and city on Ballotpedia |
This page provides an overview of policies related to the hiring, training, and discipline of police officers in Tampa, Fla. It is part of an analysis of police union collective bargaining agreements and related arrangements with police unions concerning hiring, training, and disciplinary requirements in the 50 states and top 100 cities by population.
Background
Through the lens of 40 research questions related to police hiring, training, and discipline, Ballotpedia examined the collective bargaining agreements, statutes, and regulatory codes governing the 50 states and the top 100 US cities by population.
Some of the hiring, training, and discipline standards for police officers not established by statutes or regulations arise from negotiations with police unions. Those negotiations are often codified in collective bargaining agreements (CBAs). Those agreements are the contracts that states and cities sign following negotiations with police unions. Some states and cities restrict collective bargaining, but may still negotiate with police unions using other methods. After negotiating with the unions, those jurisdictions sometimes establish police standards through documents including memoranda of understanding or meet and confer agreements.
Results
The tables below link to each question Ballotpedia used to analyze the states and cities and indicates how Tampa handles police hiring, training, and discipline. To see the provisions Ballotpedia used to support these results, click here.
CBA basics
| CBA basics | Results |
|---|---|
| Is there a CBA with the police union? | YES |
| Is the current CBA publicly available online? | YES |
Discipline and accountability
| Discipline and accountability | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA forbid the transfer or reassignment of an officer as a form of discipline? | NO |
| Do officers have a right to request third-party arbitration for grievances, including over disciplinary actions? | NO |
| Does the CBA contain provisions related to discipline for misconduct? | YES |
Primary discipline authority: City of Tampa, Police Department; Types: Oral admonishment, letter of counseling, written reprimand, suspension, demotion, dismissal, payment for lost equipment, training; Restricted aspects: N/A; Challenge/appeal process: Union grievance procedureEmployees must be notified in writing of disciplinary action resulting in loss of pay or benefits. Any officer who is being interrogated where the officer could be disciplined has a right to union or legal representation. | |
| Does the CBA explicitly allow for a state ombudsman outside particular police departments to hold law enforcement officers accountable for misconduct? | NO |
Legal limitations or provisions
| Legal limitations or provisions | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the city CBA prohibit felons from becoming law enforcement officers? | NO |
| Are there any statutes or regulations that prohibit collective bargaining with police unions? | NO |
Training and counseling
Community relations and oversight
| Community relations and oversight | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA reference citizen review boards? | NO |
| Does the CBA have provisions related to community policing? | NO |
Investigations
| Investigations | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA contain provisions related to misconduct investigations? | YES |
Investigation procedure, including procedure and how the department shall resolve. Investigation of allegation must be concluded within 180 days. Employees have right to appeal to Complaint Review Board. Disciplinary action. | |
| Does the CBA require notice to officers of investigations? | YES |
Conditions: N/A; Timeline: N/A; Content: Must include "the nature of the charge which is under investigation and the rank, name and command of the officer in charge of the investigation, the interrogation officer, and all persons present during the interrogation." | |
| Does the CBA determine a timeline for investigations? | YES |
Timeline to launch: N/A; Timeline to conclude: 180 days | |
| Does the CBA contain provisions related to compensation during misconduct investigations? | NO |
Evidence and records
| Evidence and records | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA have provisions related to the use of body-worn cameras or body-worn camera video evidence? | NO |
| Does the CBA regulate processes for retaining officer disciplinary records? | YES |
Record storage: City-specific database; Storage authority: N/A; Types of records: Letter of counseling, written reprimand, suspension or dismissal; Timeline: Letter of counseling will be removed after 1 year; written reprimand, suspension or dismissal are void after 3 years; Access and use: N/A; Use in decisions: N/A | |
Qualifications and evaluation
| Qualifications and evaluation | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA require performance evaluations? | YES |
Referenced in relation to promotions | |
| Does the CBA restrict licensing procedures for law enforcement officers or departments? | NO |
Union authority
| Union authority | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA limit union authority to pay and benefits issues? | NO |
| Does the CBA give the union the power to approve or disapprove new training programs for law enforcement officers? | NO |
| Does the CBA have provisions involving the union in the process for promotions, unit assignments, and transfers? | NO |
City retains right to hire, promote, transfer, assign | |
See also
Footnotes
| |||||||||||||||||
