Tampa PD's first deputy chief of community outreach retires after 25 years

The Tampa Police Department is saying goodbye to one of its highest-ranking officers.

Deputy Chief Calvin Johnson is retiring after 25 years with the department. He is the highest-ranking Black officer in the department and the first deputy chief of community outreach.

On Friday, Tampa Bay area leaders, law enforcement officers, friends and family honored Johnson at a retirement ceremony at the Skills Center in Tampa.

Johnson's history in law enforcement

His Backstory:

Johnson joined the Tampa Police Department in 1999. The Tampa native was born at MacDill Air Force Base and previously served in the U.S. Army.

He recalled his first night at the department with his fellow rookie officers.

"They had us there all night, like three in the morning, just in case something popped off," he said.

Before going to the police academy, Johnson didn’t think he wanted to be a police officer. However, once Johnson put on his uniform and badge, his mindset quickly changed.

"It's kind of funny because, if you ask my academy mates, you know, I told them way back then I wanted to be chief," Johnson said.

He knew that he wanted to bring about change.

"I was 29 when I started," Johnson said. "So, I had lived life a little bit. So, I knew, in order to effect change, you got to be in a leadership position."

His Purpose:

Through the years, Johnson watched policing change in the ways of technology, different generations and a changing society.

"Nowadays, because you find in policing, that everybody wants that big arrest," he said. "They want that foot pursuit, you know. They want that excitement of policing. But for the health of the community, you don't want that excitement of policing. You want people treating each other better. You want a healthy community. I want our job to be boring. That means things are peaceful out there."

Johnson built his career on community policing, and has instilled that mindset in younger officers.

"Go and talk to people when things are good," he said. "That way, they know you. And then, when things aren't so good, and you have to go back there, they respect you."

Johnson has invested in the younger generations, both within the department and out in the community. He has been a leader of TPD’s PAL Program and has stood alongside families in the fight against youth gun violence.

"There's no separation, ‘Us against them,’" Johnson said. "We're all in this together."

TPD created the role of deputy chief of community outreach and professional standards specifically for Johnson.

"He walks it like he talks it, and he believes in what he's saying," Johnson’s wife, Melissa Johnson, said.

Retiring from TPD

He said he specifically chose the Skills Center for his retirement ceremony because of its meaning. The center, which serves children and families in East Tampa, symbolizes his mission.

"The police playing basketball against them, bridging the gap, the kids training, getting job skills and learning," Johnson said.

What's next:

Johnson hopes that others will continue to bridge the gap between law enforcement and the community.

"It's not the person that's the legacy," he said. "It's the love of community that I want to be the legacy. I want them to say that, you know, ‘Calvin was part of a group of individuals that pushed Tampa forward.'"

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