Page 4 - Florida Sentinel 12-25-20

Editorial
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Bradford forged a witness’s initials on evidence, in addi- tion to a separate occurrence where she ignored precau- tionary guidance and instead chose to alter the images in a photo pack after it was shown to a witness. Her ac- tions, not only being crimi- nal, have placed the successful prosecution of an attempted murder suspect in jeopardy.
Question: How long are newly promoted de- tectives trained and shadowed before they are released from super- vision?
Chief: Prior to promo- tion, Bradford was assigned to a three-month temporary duty status in the district de- tective division to allow for first-hand experience, in- struction, and development. Upon promotion, Bradford was teamed with a seasoned detective, with a history in homicide investigation, as her mentor. She would meet with her each day they worked together. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, train- ing was modified to on-the- job training coupled with a heavier emphasis on mentor- ing. In addition, there is training documentation that is reviewed and acknowl- edged by the newly promoted personnel throughout the training/mentorship phase.
Question: According to the CRA, Jarda Brad- ford was charged with 2 counts of tampering with evidence, why?
Chief: As outlined in the CRA, there were two separate events on different photo packs presented to different witnesses that were altered and placed as evidence after they were viewed by the wit- nesses. In one case the pho- tographs in the array were altered after the witness viewed them. In the second, the initials of the witness
were forged on the forms.
Question: She was promoted to detective in September 2020. Was she still under proba- tion, or did her supervi- sor feel that she was experienced enough to lead an investigation? If not, was another detec- tive involved?
Chief: Bradford is still in the probationary phase of her promotion. She was as- signed this case, along with an additional detective as co- lead in the investigation.
Question: If her trainer or supervisor was not available for her to consult with, then why wasn’t someone else with experience avail- able for her to consult with?
Chief: Several detectives consulted with Bradford re- garding this investigation, notably to their concerns with the evidence. It was after they spoke to her about their concerns regarding the photo array that Bradford made the conscious decision to alter the evidence before submitting it. This decision was made by Bradford alone after she failed to ad- dress the concerns of her peers.
Question: Were there other corrective meas- ures available other than termination? If so, then why weren’t any of those measures used?
Chief: Bradford’s deci- sion to tamper with the evi- dence and then submit it rises to the level of criminal activity, as agreed to by both the SAO and judge who signed the arrest warrant. Her actions removed any al- ternative, administrative, corrective measures that may have been available had she had not chosen the course of action that led directly to her
arrest.
Question: Is the su- pervisor being held ac- countable for any portion of this, rather it be training, reviewing evidence before it is sub- mitted, etc.
Chief: Once the criminal investigation is completed, a thorough review of the ad- ministrative process and any policy violations will be con- ducted.
Question: Why is it that 5 “seasoned” co- workers elected to re- port the incident as opposed to advising her of the proper procedure? Is she viewed as unap- proachable by these same co-workers?
Chief: Officers of the Tampa Police Department have a duty to intervene as well as a requirement to re- port misconduct to supervi- sion. In this case, after her peers advised her of concerns regarding the photo array, she ignored the advice given and tampered with the evi- dence. The officers were re- quired to report her actions.
The fact that her peers first brought their concerns to Bradford regarding the photo array dispels any sug- gestion that they viewed her as ‘unapproachable’. It was only after they shared their concerns that Bradford chose, independently, to tamper with the evidence.
Question: How many cases was she responsi- ble for at the time of the incident?
Chief: There are eleven (11) primary detectives and two (2) adverse detectives as- signed to the District II De- tective Squad. In the month of November 2020, 207 cases were assigned to the primary District II Detec- tives. Of those, Bradford was assigned 14.
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A Blessed Christmas 2020
We extend our well wishes for a blessed Christmas to our entire community, customers and advertisers. As we approach Christmas 2020, let us all remember the reason for the season. We have so many things in our lives to be thankful for, and so many things to be thankful for not happening to us. Sometimes, we are so focused on the things that are happening to us, until we forget to focus on the things that are NOT happening to us.
For those who have not been diagnosed with COVID- 19, cancer, Alzheimer’s, ALS, dementia or other debilitat- ing diseases, we offer a prayer of thankfulness. For those of us who have not lost a loved one, lost a job or car or lost a home we are filled with gratitude. For those of us who can see the faces of those we love, hear the soothing sounds of music, taste the bitter and the sweet, smell the sweetness of a newborn baby, and feel the touch of a ten- der caress.
We experience senses, that 285 million visually im- paired, 466 million hearing impaired, 82 million tasteless and nearly 17 million without the sense of touch (loss of sense of touch is rare) do not experience... Imagine living without the ability to see, hear, taste, smell or touch, senses we take for granted each day.
Called, the greatest gift to man, Jesus’ birth has been celebrated for at least 2,020 years. His birth is the reason for the season — a heavenly symbol of ultimate love.
We are well aware that many of us do not celebrate Christmas, as we are all free to believe and celebrate events as we so choose. However, this is a season of cele- brating joy, family, peace, love, life and gratitude — all universal states and emotions that everyone should find worth celebrating. Everyone can and should celebrate the discovery of two COVID-19 vaccines.
Indeed, 2020 has been a challenging year. We have all faced levels of stress never experienced previously. Nev- ertheless, as is true of our American history, we too shall overcome. Therefore, we bid you this Christmas season love, kindness, but most of all faith... faith in our society, faith in our God, and faith in our future. Peace be upon you all.
Merry Christmas!
PAGE 4-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2020