Tallahassee Police Department

History

The city's police force began operation in 1826, shortly after the city was incorporated, with a single City Marshal constituting the police force. From time to time, special police were hired as circumstances warranted. A compulsory Night Watch was also instituted for a period of time before the Civil War.

The Tallahassee Police Department claims the title of oldest continuously-operated police department in the American South, and the possibly the second-oldest in the U.S., preceded only by the Philadelphia Police Department established in 1758. The Boston Police Department was established in 1838. Larger east coast cities followed with New York City and Baltimore in 1845. However, one must consider that Colonial America must certainly have had municipal police forces, but lack of verifiable records may make it difficult, if not impossible, to accurately rank police forces from oldest to newest. Furthermore, Southern public officials (including marshals), were suspended from public office by the occupying Federal troops during the post-Civil War Reconstruction period. Therefore, Tallahassee's police force ceased to operate for a brief period in mid-1865 until municipal officials were returned to power in 1866.

With Reconstruction and civil rights bestowed on black citizens, for several years during the 1870s, much of the Tallahassee City Council and the entire police force -- including the City Marshal -- were black. Also during this period, the only two blacks ever to serve as Leon County Sheriff occupied that post. But, the era of the black Southern public official was short lived and, with passage of Florida's 1885 Constitution (replacing the 1868 "carpetbagger" Constitution), black suffrage was effectively quashed. Control of public offices became white-only (until the 1964 Civil Rights Act).

In 1892, the position of City Marshal was renamed to Chief of Police. This appointee was typically nominated by the Mayor and ratified by the City Council. After the 1920 change from a strong mayor form of government to the Commission-Manager form of government, the City Commission appointed the Police Chief -- until the late 1920s -- when the Police Chief became an employee appointed directly by the City Manager without input from the City Commission.

Traffic Enforcement

The Traffic Unit has nine motor officers assigned to enforce traffic law violations at high-volume traffic crash locations and school zones. They use Harley Davidson Electra Glide motorcycles and unmarked/marked police vehicles. They also respond daily to traffic complaint locations called in by citizens. These motor officers also assist with escorts of political VIP's, special events, and funeral processions. The unit also uses several unmarked police vehicles which are a part of the Aggressive Driving Unit. These vehicles assist officers with seeing the driving habits of aggressive drivers.

Special Investigations

Special operations

Drug sting resulting in death of Rachel Hoffman

The Tallahassee Police Department was the subject of intense scrutiny after a botched buy-bust operation ended in a fatal tragedy on May 7, 2008 with the execution style murder of 23-year-old Rachel Hoffman. Hoffman, a recent graduate of Florida State University who had been convicted of drug charges, was serving in an undercover capacity, alone, when she was murdered by two suspected drug dealers while nearly twenty TPD officers and a DEA plane were supervising the operation. A Grand Jury investigation was highly critical of the planning and execution of the operation, and a subsequent TPD internal affairs investigation found negligence and multiple policy violations by the Vice squad and individual police officers involved. Following Hoffman's death, the Florida legislature enacted "Rachel's Law" and established minimum guidelines for law enforcement to use when engaging civilians in undercover operations. In a civil suit alleging wrongful death, the City of Tallahassee paid the Hoffman family $2.6 million in damages.

Legal challenge

In 2008 a Tallahassee resident, Robert Brayshaw, was arrested for violating a Florida statute which prohibited individuals from "maliciously, with intent to obstruct the due execution of the law or with the intent to intimidate, hinder or interrupt any law enforcement officer in the legal performance of his or her duties, publish or disseminate the residence address or telephone number of any law enforcement officer while designating the officer as such..." Brayshaw had posted, online, the name of a Tallahassee police officer, along with her home address, cell phone number and age, and had further criticized the officer, stating that she was verbally abusive, rude and unprofessional. Brayshaw brought an action in federal court, challenging the constitutionality of the Florida statute, claiming a right to free speech under the First Amendment. The case was heard in U.S. District Court. On April 30, 2010, Judge Richard Smoak ruled in favor of Brayshaw, striking down the 1972 Florida law, finding that the statute was "unconstitutional on its face". Smoak also ordered the city of Tallahassee to pay Brayshaw's legal expenses of $25,000.

Investigation of alleged sexual assault

On April 16, 2014, The New York Times reported irregularities in the investigation of an alleged sexual assault involving Florida State University quarterback Jameis Winston. A medical examination of the unnamed female revealed injuries consistent with sexual contact -- bruises, semen -- and the woman would later identify Jameis Winston by name as her alleged attacker. Tallahassee police did not promptly obtain a DNA sample from Winston. When police contacted Winston by phone, he initially delayed responding. Then, on advice from his attorney, Winston declined to be interviewed. The initial TPD investigation did not uncover the fact that a video of the sexual encounter had been taken by Seminoles teammate Chris Casher. The video was later deleted or lost by Casher.