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Epilogue: St. Petersburg officer Donald Sigley did 'community policing' before it had a name

 
St. Petersburg police officer Donald Sigley interviews a woman suspected of solicitation in 1997. Sigley, an award-winning officer who spent most of his career patrolling on the midnight shift, died May 20 after battling cancer. He retired in 2008 and was 59. [Times (1997)]
St. Petersburg police officer Donald Sigley interviews a woman suspected of solicitation in 1997. Sigley, an award-winning officer who spent most of his career patrolling on the midnight shift, died May 20 after battling cancer. He retired in 2008 and was 59. [Times (1997)]
Published May 27, 2018

ST. PETERSBURG – While most of the city slept, St. Petersburg police officer Donald Sigley kept the streets safe and taught new officers how to gain respect from residents, whether they needed help or handcuffs.

During slow periods, Sigley often summoned young cops to meet behind Split Second, a gas station on First Avenue S and 34th Street. There, officers found Mr. Sigley sitting on a milk crate, puffing a cigar. He asked newer officers to sit on a crate for informal chats.

"The one message you always got from him was to treat people with dignity, and you should never take that away from somebody," said retired Sgt. Dale Moushon, who called Mr. Sigley a mentor. "It was almost like talking to, even for the bad guys, like talking to a concerned neighbor."

Throughout his 25-year career, Mr. Sigley was known for developing bonds with residents and fostering a community-policing philosophy before it became a trend in law enforcement. He was considered a stabilizing force on a midnight shift that typically consisted of newer officers. He died May 20 at age 59.

While Mr. Sigley, who had a knack for finding stolen cars, could have considered promotions in rank or to other units, he found more satisfaction helping residents under darkness.

"He was a working guy," said his wife of 27 years, Kim Sigley. "He wanted to take care of the working people. He was a humble man. He wanted to help people who were disadvantaged."

Some of his favorite activities included bicycling and spending "family day" on Sundays next to his grill, sipping bourbon and toking a cigar.

Mr. Sigley, who grew up in the Pittsburgh area, joined the St. Petersburg Police Department in late 1982 and left in 2008. After retirement, he remained in the reserve unit and became a bailiff at the federal courthouse in Tampa. He was diagnosed in August with a rare stomach cancer but continued working until December.

The beat cop helped avert a tragedy in 1997.

While patrolling Central Avenue at 4 a.m., Mr. Sigley spotted a 3-year-old Kenwood girl alone at the corner of a four-way intersection. She had opened the door to her home and wandered several blocks away. The little girl looked like an angel, glowing in her pink nightie with her brown eyes and hair, Mr. Sigley, whom friends called "Sig," said at the time.

"I wish everybody would try to attain the stature like he was," said 31-year officer Joe Lehmann, who retired in February. "He was a community police officer before we had community policing. He knew everybody."

Mr. Sigley collected some of the department's highest honors, including the prestigious Ned March award in 1997, presented to the officers of the year. He was recognized for consistently serving with the highest degree of professionalism.

In 2001, after St. Petersburg police reined in what many in the black community considered insensitive or overly aggressive tactics, Mr. Sigley shared another top award. It said he was particularly effective at enforcing the law in predominantly African-American neighborhoods — without drawing complaints from the public.

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"He was a no-nonsense officer who had the respect of the community," said Pinellas Chief of Schools Police Luke Williams, a former city assistant chief. "He never talked down to anyone. People looked at him as a leader."

Times staff writer Zachary T. Sampson contributed to this story. Contact Mark Puente at mpuente@tampabay.com or (727) 892-2996.