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<H1>'Jelly bellies' memo costs police chief his job</H1>
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<P><B>WINTER HAVEN, Florida</B> (AP) -- Police Chief Paul Goward was tired of
looking around his department and seeing blubber hanging over the belts of some
of his officers. So he sent out a memo exhorting the "jelly bellies" to shape
up.</P>
<P>In the end, the department lost 190 pounds -- all of them belonging to
Goward. He was forced out as chief because some of his officers took offense at
the memo.</P>
<P>The October 11 memo bruised feelings on the 80-member force, drew at least
one anonymous letter of complaint from officers about the chief's management
style and made his department the butt of jokes about fat cops and
doughnuts.</P>
<P>"If they got their feelings hurt to the extent of `Do something about it,'
then I did what I was intending to do," said an unapologetic Goward, a trim
6-footer who was forced to resign his $92,000-a-year post last week.</P>
<P>Some of the chief's defenders said his ouster was a big overreaction.</P>
<P>"He offered tremendously good advice, yet he was sacked," wrote Thomas Roe
Oldt, a columnist for The Ledger of Lakeland.</P>
<P>In his memo, titled "Are You a Jelly Belly," the chief never singled anyone
out, and apart from the title, didn't call anyone names.</P>
<P>Instead, he provided a list of 10 reasons police officers should be in shape.
He said overweight police poorly represent the profession, poop out when chasing
suspects and might have to resort to "a higher level of force" if a criminal got
the upper hand in a fight. He said out-of-shape cops are a liability to the city
and their families.</P>
<P>"Take a good look at yourself," he wrote. "If you are unfit, do yourself and
everyone else a favor. See a professional about a proper diet and a fitness
training program, quit smoking, limit alcohol intake and start thinking
self-pride, confidence and respectability. And stop making excuses for delaying
what you know you should have been doing years ago. We didn't hire you unfit and
we don't want you working unfit. Don't mean to offend, this is just straight
talk. I owe it to you."</P>
<P>Winter Haven cops must pass physical examinations to be hired but are not
regularly tested for fitness thereafter.</P>
<P>Goward, 60, said he is not a fitness freak, was not "asking for a department
full of Arnold Schwarzeneggers here" and did not order his officers to stay away
from fast-food restaurants or doughnut shops. In fact, the 36-year police
veteran, who has also worked in Kansas and South Carolina, said Winter Haven's
force is no less fit than the others he has served on.</P>
<P>David Greene, manager of the central Florida city of 30,000, said through a
spokeswoman that he was too busy for an interview, but told the local newspapers
the anonymous complaint letters made it clear the police department had a morale
problem because of Goward's abrasive management style during his 21/2 years
there.</P>
<P>"Emotions within the police department and the relationship with the police
chief became raw," he told The Ledger.</P>
<P>Winter Haven officers contacted by The Associated Press said they were told
not to talk to reporters about Goward's departure.</P>
<P>One of the anonymous complaint letters described the force as "upset to say
the least" about the chief and called the "Jelly Belly" memo "the icing on the
cake."</P>
<P>"This letter shows the type of harassment and hostile work environment we
have. The chief of police is constantly 'bad talking' us in every way possible
and we have had enough of his arrogance," the letter read.</P>
<P>Mandy Rohrbaugh, a 40-year-old nursing student and Winter Haven resident,
said Goward had the right message, but perhaps could have delivered it
differently.</P>
<P>"I think honestly our police force needs a lot of shaping up, and I think
they should be fit not just when they're hired but through their time," she
said.</P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>