The City of Tampa needs to address the issue of covering fuel costs for the Tampa Police Department. With the current cost of fuel and the City of Tampa spending roughly $4 million each year for this benefit, it is something that cannot be just reapproved each year.

When asked by the St Pete Times about Mayor Sandy Freeman’s elimination of the benefit in 1988, Mayor Iorio was quoted, “That was one of the worst times with our police department; morale was terrible.”

I have to strongly disagree with the Mayor.

As a resident of Hillsborough County and at times the City of Tampa, I would have to refer to the killing of Detectives Randy Bell and Ricky Childers by Hank Earl Carr in 1998 as the first “low moral” point I remember as an adult living in this community.

The story to this day still brings back the memory of watching the events unfold on the news.

Not once in the last 10 years do I remember discussing with friend the low moral was due to TPD having to pay for gas.

For more true periods of low moral you can view the Tampa Police Department’s online Roll Call of Honor.