Wednesday, August 11, 2010

...And The Infighting Begins

Elaine Boyer says: Hey, I'm only concerned about District 1, I have no part in this.

Burrell Ellis and Larry Johnson may be saying to each other at the water cooler, "Them po-lice are stupid. Let's tell them we'll pay them for their holidays and they'll start writing tickets again, but then we'll furlough them. They're too stupid to know the difference".

Connie Stokes is out looking for another ass hat. Sharon Sutton is hiding, wondering if there is another warrant for her arrest.

A little advice for Burrell; Don't be standing at the bus stop with Lee May around, cause you just might get thrown under the bus.

Where is Commissioner Gannon and Rader? Ducking for cover?

The commissioners antics are making us more resolved.

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

Now is not the time to let up! The BOC and CEO realize they look bad! They are in serious damage control mode now!

Anonymous said...

To the citizens of DeKalb County,
This county is in desperate need of leadership. Since the CEO and BOC can’t seem to grasp a few things maybe this will help.
First: The vast majority of police officers work a 40 hour week regardless if there is a holiday. The vast majority of other county employees work a 40 hour week unless there is a holiday. When there is a holiday they automatically get the day off. When this so called “non-funded” holiday program started it had a double punishment effect on officers. We still get the privilege of working but our checks are reduced by 10%. Basically we work for FREE that day. I can’t emphasis enough how much this ticked off the rank and file officers, not to mention detectives, sergeants, and lieutenants. So now when Labor Day (pun intended), Thanksgiving , Christmas, and all the other festive days role around the citizens of DeKalb get to enjoy the company of their families. We get the joy of coming to work for FREE. But wait it gets better. In November there are (3) holidays. We have Veteran’s Day (yes I’m a veteran), Thanksgiving, and the day after Thanksgiving. While you’re saying how much you support our troops and then enjoy football, turkey, and the special sales on Friday, we’ll be working for FREE and away from our families. But the really fun part is that one of our checks is reduced by 10% and the other 20% just in time for the celebration of Christ. I think the majority of officers realize that these are tough economic times but I challenge anyone to show us another government entity that is punishing its public safety employees like DeKalb County. DeKalb citizens, is this how you want your police officers treated?
Second: The police department’s infrastructure has been neglected for an extended period of time. This is not the sole fault of the current administration but goes back 20 years. As an example our training facility is a rundown, secondhand school. Apparently it was too outdated to serve children but it’s a fine facility to train the people who carry guns. We have trailers for classrooms and get the luxury of travelling to Macon so we can learn high-speed/pursuit driving. Macon???? What a disgrace!! We have to beg, borrow, or steal for every little scrap we can get. Our leadership has had 5-year plans and written countless proposals but all we get is excuses and inefficiency from the BOC/CEO. The ONLY reason this department has operated on any resemblance of effectiveness is because of the blood, sweat, and tears many have had to shed. Many of us are just plain tired and exhausted from the journey.
Third: What exactly is the plan of the BOC/CEO to address all of these concerns? Are we going to have to go through this another year, then the next, and so on? We are in our 2nd year of no raises, pay reductions and vital equipment not being replaced. This doesn’t even take into the account the entire long term infrastructure needs throughout the county.
Summary: Let’s get a few things straight. You call 911 because something mundane or traumatic has occurred that you either don’t want to deal with or can’t. We will ALWAYS respond. We will not sit behind a building when the boogeyman is armed with a gun and kicking in your door. But I ask you this, pray that day never comes, but if it does do you want a motivated, highly trained, dedicated officer responding or do you want an officer who wasn’t smart enough to get a job somewhere else? This is where you’ll find your department sooner rather than later. I cannot recommend working for the DeKalb County Police Department to any aspiring police officer. This is a very sad statement and one that I thought I would never make. Please let your voices be heard. Please hold your local politicians accountable. Please help us so that we may continue to serve you.

Anonymous said...

Thank you and God bless

Anonymous said...

FYI, there are police officers and firefighters in district 1. You didn't have to raise taxes to give your staff raises. Sounds like there must be some money somewhere. Maybe it could be found in the already funded salaries for the early retirements. Since HR will only fund a few promotions at a time and MPO's are still left as acting supervisors you must be saving money. To the commissioners that think hiding is the answer, warning you will have to reappear to campaign sooner or later. The more I talk to the citizens the more they seem to be getting interested in whats happening.

Gold Badge said...

Where and the hell do you get off offering public safety a 1% pay raise, when infact your staffs pay was increased between 10% to 34%.
Call it or label it whatever you like, but the strike is continuing and officers will not be issueing anything but warnings for minor infractions.
They will still conduct traffic stops and enforce state law, so that citizens lives are not in jeopardy, but that is as far as it will go.
I guess as ol Larry said we will cause the deficit to become worse, so im assuming they will then have to take back the pay raises they handed out to the staff to help with the budget.
Hell if you ask me the staff personal should do whats right and give it back, cause they too may be the ones in need of police protection one day.
Let me tell you something BOC, dont depend on money thats not already there its basic accounting you pieces of crap!

Anonymous said...

I love it! With the renewed interest in officer discretion when it comes to warnings, they are feeling the pinch...just quicker than I thought. If we "screw our courage to the sticking post" as Shakespere opined, we will get something out of it. Don't worry about some East asshat Lt making threats to write people up for no long copies...that is a TAC thing and won't fly at a precinct. Long copy warnings are proof that you are making stops and investigating suspicious behavior. Warrant arrests do the same...they just don't equal money for Ellis. This is a long-haul mission. We got a ways to go yet.

Anonymous said...

My God! The CEO and BOC ought to check this blog daily just as they do their email. A moron could figure out there is a serious crisis going on in the DeKalb County Police Department. They had better, and it appears they had better take you guys and gals very seriously. To respond with any threats is a very bad mistake. Hang in there. Keep up the good fight for your rights!

A former DeKalb County resident (had to leave because..., well, you know).

Anonymous said...

Apparently even ol' Lee May couldn't read the copy of "County Commission for Dummies" that is apparently the only educational source for those clowns...."um...uh...spit it out already! WARNINGS FOR ALL!!!

I'm Ron Burgundy? said...

I just wrote a letter to everyone on the BOC and asked them the same question I asked CEO Ellis. I told them that he blamed them for our pay cuts and included my original letter to him as well as his response to me at the end of the email. Should be interesting to see what kind of a ruckus this stirs ups...I'll keep you posted...

Anonymous said...

As an old friend used to say "this is a very serious matter".

Exceptional Radio said...

The BOC is funny and Elaine Boyer (the veteran of the bunch), has the nerve to say she is only supposed to be concerned about District 1. Elaine, how do you think the county services employees are funded in your area. When your snobby constituents start complaining about slow response times, service delivery issues, what will be your response then. Hasn't anybody noticed that these people never hardly hold town hall meetings and when they do, they like to turn them into government pep rallies to simply pat themselves on the back.

Keep writing those warnings and remember officers, you do have the discretion to do what you please when it comes to citations, arrests or warnings. Don't let these productivity threats hinder you. Remember when APD Chief Pennington said that we expect tickets and arrests because if we didn't, it would be hard to prove the officers were actually working and not sleeping in their cars behind a local business.

Anonymous said...

Did he say, give back holidays but officers will still have to take a furlough day? What's the *&#@ difference? Isn't it still NO PAY?

Anonymous said...

One Percent... Maybe that will look better if I put it in numerical form..... 1%.

It looks much better when I look at is as 1% instead of one percent.

Let's look a little closer at 1% BEFORE TAXES -

From an Annual perspective:
1% of 30,000 is $300... $400 for those making 40,000 and $500 for those making 50,000

From a Monthly perspective:
$300 is $25 per month
$400 is $33.33 per month
$500 is $41.66 per month

From a bi-weekly paycheck perspective:

$300 is $12.50 before taxes
$400 is $16.65 before taxes
$500 is $20.83 before taxes

So the average patrol officer below the rank of Sgt will see and increase of $12.50 to $20.83 per pay check before taxes.
If you figure 20% taxes (state and federal combined), that means a net gain of $10.00 to $16.66 per pay check.

Mr Ellis, you can take that 1% and go to hell. Don't sit up there and act like you're some big supporter of public safety. My kid is looking for a $5 to $10 increase in his allowance. This ain't gonna cut it.

Hell... even Vernon treated us better....he screwed us by putting in the merit increase put in place to insure we got only 2-3%....5% if you were in the ranks of the chosen, but it was better than your one time 1% act of generosity.

Belly up to the bar boys!

Bartender, Warnings for everyone.

Anonymous said...

I say to all the brothers in blue, should leave this god forsaken corrupt county. They continue to be little us and our families. They say please make sacrifices for the community, but we will give our staff raises. This county and their infinite wisdom and vision of a better county is crap. They do not believe in their employees and services. In about 5 years there probably will not be a police department. They do not want to retain veteran officers. They think anyone will do the job and sacrifice their life to pad their pockets with tax payers money. What a shame. Thank you Chief O'Brien for standing up for the officers and please continue to lead us from a dire situation.

Anonymous said...

Im thinking mutiny... Cobb and Gwinnett hell even Douglas County is sounds better right about now. Why on earth would you think you are going to continually take away from employees and they will produce more?? Sounds a bit insane. Regrettably its illogical to think we are going to come to work and want to be there and be productive when we are responsible for the overwhelming majority of revenue and keep getting thrown to the back of the bus. COMMON SENSE. Which is running very thin around this county.

Anonymous said...

"Warnings for all"! What a novel idea someone had and it's working... don't give up now that you have their undivided attention....pretty soon surely these idiots on the BOC and Mr. CEO himself will come to face reality that you officers are NOT going to tuck your tails and crumble under veiled or otherwise overt threats to end the warnings-only "event". Good luck...you are gaining more public support by the minute. Stay safe and watch your backs!

Anonymous said...

Damn boys we are in a tight spot! I wonder if the police department is about to collapse completely. I think it is moving closer to out right mutiny. It is actually scary and sad at the same time to me. That is not to say that I don’t think the officers have a legitimate beef, because clearly we do. It is about much more than the money too. The leadership in this department is extremely poor overall and I don’t have to tell anyone who works here about the morale. Giving me the paid holidays back would be great but it would hardly restore my confidence in this department. I honestly don’t know where this is going to end but all we can do is just keep trying.

Anonymous said...

Hmmm. Yep, mutiny. Sounds like DKPD is heading in that direction all right. I can hear it now from a Major or higher, "Hey Officer so-and-so, you better write more tickets or else?" Officer So-and-so's reply, "Oh really? What are you going to do? Suspend me? Whatever. It's not like I'm not having income and benefits stripped from me left and right as it is!"

Anonymous said...

Ok DECATUR some food for thougt. A happy employee is a productive employee.
Everyday that you sit on your high horse and try to put the blame where YOU think it belongs. We the POLICE keep handing out Warning Tickets at an average $150.00 a pop..Unless I can find a few Handicap parking tickets to make warnings. In that case $250.00 a pop. That's right I can be real creative when I am pissed.
Let me see my troops turned in 67 warning tickets this week. That would be 67 x $150.00. In my math that would be $10,050.00.. I could be wrong, just don't ask a certain commissioner to use her math...we know she would be wrong!..Anyway getting off the subject...
So let's see you guys keep sitting around playing the blame game..We keep throwing $150.00 a pop out the window of your budget in the form of warning tickets..How long you guys wanna play this game. HOW BOUT TILL NEXT ELECTION TIME?
I'm game let the games begin!

OR YOU ALL CAN MAN OR WOMAN UP. SAY GEE WE MADE A MISTAKE HERE. I THINK WE NEED TO RETHINK THIS IDEA, AND DO WHAT'S RIGHT BY YOUR EMPLOYEES AND THE CITIZENS OF DEKALB COUNTY!!!!

Anonymous said...

The BOC will never care about any department within the county, look at histoey people. The CEO screwed himself with the raises to his staff, but at least he stood up for them. Crazy Man Bolton went before the board his first few months and gave them crazy requests for officers and money, but he went. What has the old boy O,Brien done since he has been here besides ease the edge on Bolton's removal. I was there under Bolton and hated him. Now retired and served with the Department under O,Brien, I tell you he has done nothing but allow a Lt and his friends lead the department into another morale crisis. Yea he stood up at the commission meeting and spoke,but only after hearing these problems throughout the departmwent for at least a year and continued to let it go down,When blog fired up, he felt compelled .He has raken care of his friends just look around him. I have friends in the lower ranks and they think he is a joke. Thats sad, because he had so much potential. If you want a political toy make him your chief, but the masses are going to explode sooner or later. I have friends in Human resources and they called when they saw him at BOC ad told me he has a fat raise and has to walk a tight rope. The media will never research his faults, because he controls them with the blue eyes. Where is tough questions now? Ellis you will here from us later.

Anonymous said...

assure you Obrien had the CEO's blessing before speaking on camera, it obviously steered guilt toward the BOC and away from the CEO. Remember, they think we're stupid.

Anonymous said...

You are right about O’Brien. He has made many amateur mistakes and he continues to do so. Bolton messed up the department because he was an evil man and a buffoon. O’Brien is a decent guy, but he just doesn’t know any better for the most part. He should know better than to promote and take care of all of his friends. It appears from the outside that he only listens to his friends when it comes to advice. This is always a bad practice, no matter who you are. Of course former chiefs have done the exact same thing. That doesn’t make it right.

Anonymous said...

I agree with the previous two or so posts. This system of appointed leadership that Vermin put in place has changed it for the worse. When an officer had to "earn" a promotion based on "merit", we did not have this good ole' boy system. And that's why I believe we have a problem with leadership in this department. It is no longer about taking care of your subordinates (fairly and impartially mind you) but instead nepotism.

Two things should change sooner rather than later before it is too late.
1. Back to the merit system all the way up the chain.
2. A change in the form of government in DeKalb County by the State of Georgia to immulate those in the rest of the state, and then with completely new elected leadership that demonstrates to the citizens of DeKalb County who must elect them that they have the knowledge and experience to lead a profitable business.

Anonymous said...

This is true. However, with one major difference, my positioning would at least be with qualified personnel.

Publish

Anonymous said...

man im glad that the giant box of w/tickets showed up at our precincts. i wonder how it is that i could never find them until now. hmmmmm. all i know is that in the past week or so i have seen as few as 3 or 4 tickets being logged on the "stat" sheet, and all of those were t/accidents.

Anonymous said...

My understanding is that all employees take the pay cut for the holiday, except the elected officials and their contract staff -- unless they volunteer to give back money like a lot of the judges and a couple commissioners & CEO apparently did (for all the holidays?).

If someone (in any department even police, water & sewer, fire, sanitation, etc) works on the holiday they are supposed to be given a "banked" holiday to take off at a later time (right!). But we do get a day off later without having to use leave.