Officer in Trouble for Warning Man about Dangerous Section of Town

A veteran officer with a clean record is in trouble for warning a citizen about a dangerous section of town. It happened after the man's daughter was robbed.

Officer investigated for speaking his mind on St. Pete crime

A veteran officer with a clean record is being investigated by the St. Petersburg Police Department (SPPD) after he warned the father of a robbery victim about a dangerous part of town.

Officer Thad "Stu" Crisco, who was recently in headlines for honoring his fallen partner David Crawford, allegedly warned St. Petersburg father Bob Esposito about letting his 16-year-old daughter hang around the Northshore Pool at night. Esposito's daughter was one of five teens robbed by a group of armed men there about 10:30 p.m. on a recent weeknight.

That comment, made by Crisco the night of the robbery, was inadvertently relayed to his superior when Esposito was following up with SPPD. The department then launched an investigation into "disparaging comments against the city."

The man the officer told that to is shocked. As far as he is concerned the officer did the right thing...

"I'm shocked," Esposito said. "His job is to serve and protect, and as far as I'm concerned, he gave me information. I think he did his job. I think he did it very well." Esposito said Crisco cited the city's violent crime stats - the worst in the state. He faces a possible suspension, even if his comments were true, although his exemplary record with SPPD could help him avoid serious discipline.

I'll admit - when officers misbehave I can be one of the first to speak out. But, I'm more than happy to stand by a good one - and this guy seems to be a good one.

Most everyplace has areas that are bad. I'm sorry if St. Pete is ashamed that it has bad areas - but to me the officer was doing the right thing and protecting the safety of this guy and his family by warning him to avoid them.

pfff what's next?

-> Claiming that talking about corruption and making accusations about corruption will be prosecuted as Hate Speech?!

this makes me sick.

Another example of political rejects putting high-mindness ahead of common sense.

To serve and protect... that is his duty. By warning the guy I would say that is his duty, to not warn him would be a serious injustice. The policeman is in the right, to investigate this would be a crime agianst the people, not to mention a total waste of time.

Downtown St.Pete is crawling with the homeless and drug-addicted...
I've seen it myself, I've known a few over the years; this is the town of the 'Homeless Tent City' debacle...
Vinoy yacht basin brushes them into the cracks...Williams park is packed with them all day long. The city installed 'bum-blockers' on all the park benches (a divider that prevents someone from lying down on the bench).

This very sad FACT leads any rational individual to the (correct) conclusion that it is STATISTICALLY LESS safe for the average person in those environs. (

It's pretty blatant that police that do a good job "for the people" are black listed and shunned from the rest of the corruption inside departments.

A local cop here warned me about my neighbors recently, he was trying to do me a favor I thought, but I guess I could get him in trouble if I wanted to. I hate police abuse of the laws and power trip cops, but this is not helping, punishing the last few good cops we have left? Why not.

He might not be politically correct -- BUT HE IS HONEST & DOING HIS JOB!!!!!

"Politically Correct" is- a phrase and MINDSET that should be THROWN AS FAR AWAY as the stars -- Never to be seen or heard of again!!!!

Right is right and wrong is wrong, period.

Politically Correct is just a mindset to remove any responsibility to the guilty! "You can't say that to my kid, Mr. Teacher. You might hurt his feelings"! All BS! That lack of truth is what sentences "that kid" and all to never become "full productive, responsible people". It lessens us all!

"Let Freedom Ring --- Let Honesty Shout Out Loudly!"

Back in Feb/March while they were setting up the streets of St Petersburg with concrete barricades for the annual St Pete Grand Prix, three police officers were killed within three weeks. If the city is seeking to improve their image by firing police officers over face issues rather than performance, there might be a problem. St Petersburg is a very art oriented town and some of the neighborhoods smell more of pot smoke than Bar B Que. There is also the gang banger culture, I've seen signs for Tec 9's in pawn shop windows down there and have heard gun shots. So whats this story really about?

With all the police departments turning a blind eye to bad cops, here's a good cop doing his duty and he gets suspended? This just shows you that politicians will do whatever they want to do without being held accountable for their decisions.

As a guy who grew up in a Law Enforcement family I truly hope this officer doesn't receive any punishment. He seen a man who was concerned for his daughter and suggested she doesn't hang out there. This happens quite frequently throughout the country and within the Law Enforcement community. This officer did absolutely nothing wrong. Especially considering that this year so far the number of police officer deaths have spiked significantly, I hope this officer continues to serve proudly.