Current and future mayor look at what's next

ST. PETERSBURG - St. Petersburg mayor-elect Bill Foster has to close down his law practice, and current mayor Rick Baker has to find a job.

"I do intend to apply for the president's job at St. Pete College" Baker says, "That application process- I'm going to have to get working on" on that.

Baker supported Foster's campaign and expects a smooth transition. He says he'll provide the mayor-elect an office at city hall and bring him in on major decisions.

"My intention would be for significant issues, to sit down with him and talk to him about it and get his opinions on it before I set into a course anything that's going to continue past January 2nd."

That is when Foster will take the oath of office.

Foster plans no sweeping changes in city management but one priority sets him on a collision course with St. Petersburg's police chief.

Chief Chuck Harmon has consistently kept police pursuits of suspect vehicles to a minimum, and St. Petersburg officers are not trained in more aggressive methods of stopping fleeing cars.

Foster says that will change.

"They're not going to be unsafe pursuits, and I don't know if our officers are trained in boxing in or the PIT (precision intervention technique) methods" Foster says, "But they will be, they will be."

Patrol officers and sergeants have wanted to be more aggressive for years. The PBA, which represents rank and file officers, supported Foster's campaign with its endorsement and with a mailing to prospective voters.