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Tampa's assistant police chief prepares to depart after 30 years

 
Assistant Tampa police Chief John Bennett listens to protesters at a rally during the 2012 Republican National Convention.
Assistant Tampa police Chief John Bennett listens to protesters at a rally during the 2012 Republican National Convention.
Published Feb. 1, 2015

TAMPA — John Bennett likes to use big words.

He talks about "synergy" and "nexus of actionable intelligence." His resume notes that he has a "passion for simplifying complex mission space into actionable outcomes."

The language is a reflection of the man. Bennett, an assistant police chief who has served as Chief Jane Castor's right hand for the past five years, is complicated and calculating. On the 10th floor of Tampa police's downtown headquarters, he pores over color-coded maps of the city, analyzing crime patterns and drawing up action plans. His methods might be part of what has, at times, put him at odds with rank-and-file officers.

"Sometimes I get taken as being too serious," he says. "But how can you not be serious when you're dealing with life and death?"

Bennett, 51, is scheduled to retire Tuesday after 30 years with Tampa police. What he might do next is uncertain. Even, apparently, for him. When he departs, he will do so reluctantly.

"It's hard to retire because you have this emotional attachment to your space," Bennett said. "It's hard to go from 100 mph to hit a wall."

• • •

Bennett became assistant chief of operations in 2009 upon Castor's appointment as chief. She picked him, she said, for his intellect and enthusiasm for the job.

"He's my own personal superhero," Castor said. "He is the most intelligent, hard-working, kind and ethical person I have ever known."

As the second-in-command, Bennett has been instrumental in every major action and policy decision the department has made under Castor.

But the public might best recognize him from an iconic moment during the week the city hosted the 2012 Republican National Convention. A group of protesters had blocked a busy downtown intersection. Bennett kneeled in front of them, chatting politely, as protesters blew smoke and hurled insults. He patiently explained that they were blocking a main route to the hospital. Eventually, they moved to the sidewalk.

Ask Bennett about his career and he might talk statistics, which show a significant drop in serious crimes since 2009. He might pull out color-coded maps that show high-crime areas of the city shaded red. Compare the map from 2002 to the map from 2015 and nearly all the red neighborhoods are now colored white or yellow, indicating fewer crimes.

He might also talk about SAFECOP, a crime-tracking software program he first developed as part of his master's thesis at the Naval Postgraduate School in California. The program, which Tampa officers now use routinely, is a map-based crime-tracking tool that helps police look for crime patterns and make decisions about where and how to deploy their resources.

"He's a man of many big words and a lot of analysis," said Sgt. Greg Van Heyst, who supervises detectives in TPD's District 1. "But when it comes down to it, he really has just kind of a simple drive to catch the bad guy."

• • •

Bennett's emphasis on intelligence-led policing, as opposed to what he calls "comfortable policing," has earned him a number of critics. They are known to air their grievances anonymously in online police forums. The criticisms are something Bennett is aware of, but shrugs off.

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"When you take a stand for something, you're going to divide the room," he said.

As he neared his mandatory retirement date, there was talk that Bennett might return to TPD as a civilian. Some speculated that a new job, dubbed Police Quality Assurance Strategic Planner, was created with him in mind. Police officials, including Bennett himself, say that's not true.

The job, according to a posting on the city's website, involves grant administration, along with planning and analysis of a wide range of police training and operational practices. It pays in the range of $100,000 a year. Bennett was, at least briefly, interested in it.

On the last day of a two-week application period this month, he applied for it. But a few days later, he withdrew.

"I believe the time has come for new leadership at TPD," he said. "I don't know that I can truly have clarity (on what to do) until after I retire."

Bennett still attends Catholic mass every morning, praying for his officers. When the day is done, crime strategy still lingers in his mind as he returns to his wife and four children in Brandon.

He likens his job to that of a football quarterback.

"My playing field is the entire city of Tampa," he says. "There's no timeouts. And the game is played 24 hours a day. For 30 years."

But as the game nears an end, Bennett seems, for once, at a loss for words.

Last week, he stopped in at the RICH House, a city-run facility for disadvantaged children and their families. The Robles Park location, which Bennett helped start, is what he calls his greatest success.

Amid a room full of kids scribbling notes and reading books, he chatted with Officer Susan Bowers, a RICH House staffer.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Weird." Bennett said. "The only word is weird."

Contact Dan Sullivan at dsullivan@tampabay.com or (813) 226-3386. Follow @TimesDan.