Vernon Jones Calls The Grand Jury "Irrelevant"

Pension News

For whatever reason, the minutes of the pension board have been slow to post. After checking with Robbie Robertson, the minutes are up to date. The July minutes can not be posted until approved at the September meeting.

The highlights appear to be a cost of living raise for our retirees. The last time they received a COLA was in 2007. The pension board is looking into a 1% COLA for our retirees, excluding the early outs.

Click here for the May 2012 minutes.

Promotions and Transfers

Promotions

Personnel Order 2012-19

C.I.D. Personnel Order 2012-08

Suzanne Kaulbach Fired

Suzanne Kaulbach's employment has been terminated by the department, DeKalb police spokeswoman Mekka Parish said in a statement Friday.

Kaulbach was arrested by Clayton County authorities July 16 for allegedly having stolen property at her home, including a boat, two ATVs and a dirt bike, Channel 2 Action News reported. She was charged with theft by receiving stolen property.

She testified during a warrant application hearing that she didn't know the items were stolen. Investigators believe her partner's son and two other teenagers were responsible for the thefts, Channel 2 said.

Following the arrest, "an internal affairs investigation deemed Kaulbach violated departmental policies of Conduct Unbecoming and Violation of Law," Parish said.

AJC

And The Cover Up Begins

Looks like Stan Watson, Burrell Ellis and of course our fearless leader, "Take a Wiz" Miller are hunkered down to get their stories straight. This could get interesting.

About as interesting as the week incident.

Stan Watson Admits To Being Drunk, Can't Remember Driving, Calls Sergeant A Liar, Makes Accusations Of A Falsified Report

More outstanding displays by our elected officials. Stan Watson, admittedly stated he was "impaired" and can't remember driving. What a lying idiot.

Sergeant O.B. Parker tried to do the right thing, but was squashed by someone in the chain of command.

Sadly, this happened 2 weeks ago and Chief O'Brien is just now finding out. Some heads ought to roll over this, and we ain't talking transfers. Somebody needs to be demoted if not fired.

Don't Forget Picture Day!

Yes children, it's that time, it's time for picture day! So be sure to wear your finest and have your mommy press down that cowlick.

Seriously, the department believes there is a need for a yearbook. Probably a good thing to have around, just like the ones in the past. But the big difference this time is the yearbook is being funded by the department, not individuals like in the past.

Because the department is in charge, it's mandatory that everyone participate by having their picture taken. But we have a question. How much money does the department/county stand to profit from this yearbook? If there is a profit, what will the money be used for? Will it be placed toward a academic scholarship for the families of our fallen, or put into the general budget?

We have a sneaky feeling the department was guaranteed a dollar amount from the publisher and that is why it is mandatory we have our picture taken. They probably are counting on a profit from the pictures or figure if you have your picture taken, you will go ahead and buy the yearbook.

Open Comments

Daren Durrett Convicted

The conspiracy charge for which Durrett was convicted carries a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Each bribery charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.00. In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.

Sentencing for Durrett has been set for September 27, 2012, at 9:30 a.m. before United States District Judge William S. Duffey, Jr.

By R. Robin McDonald

Daily Report

July 19, 2012

A DeKalb County police lieutenant accused of acting as a private enforcer for the owner of check-cashing businesses and service stations across metro Atlanta is on trial this week in federal court.

In exchange for thousands of dollars in cash, DeKalb Lt. Willie Daren Durrett used his police authority to solve problems for businessman Amin Budhwani, federal prosecutors said in opening statements Tuesday.

Prosecutors alleged Durrett participated in a scheme to frighten a business partner with whom Budhwani had fallen out to leave the country, intimidated another local businessman for Budhwani's financial benefit and lied to Budhwani's mistress in order to make her leave him, federal prosecutors said Tuesday.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Bly told the jury that Durrett also served as a liaison between Budhwani and then-DeKalb Deputy Police Chief Donald Frank, whom Budhwani also bribed. Frank headed the security detail of then-DeKalb CEO Vernon Jones and also led the De­Kalb Police Department's homeland security office — a position he used on Budhwani's behalf in return for cash, gambling trips and payments on his car loan, Bly said.

Two years ago, Budhwani pleaded guilty to paying bribes to Frank. Last year, Frank pleaded guilty to a federal criminal information that accused him of soliciting and accepting bribes from Budhwani.

On Tuesday, Durrett's lawyer, Bruce Harvey, told the jury that federal prosecutors have based their case on a string of lies that Budhwani, an Indian citizen who spent years living illegally in the U.S., told in order to mitigate his own offenses as a shakedown artist. Harvey said that Durrett, who worked as a DeKalb police officer for 23 years, chose to go to trial because he is not guilty of the offenses with which he is charged.

Bly told the jury the case against Durrett is built on bribery by a businessman "who had his own private police force." Whenever Budhwani wanted to use intimidation to resolve a personal or business problem, "He didn't call 911. ... He called Willie Daren Durrett direct."

And, after Durrett arranged an introduction to Frank, Budhwani called on the deputy chief as well, Bly said.

What Budhwani paid Durrett and Frank to do, Bly told the jury, "was not what police officers do."

Durrett is charged with participating in a conspiracy with Frank to accept bribes from Budhwani and with three counts of accepting bribes.

According to Bly, Budhwani bribed Durrett to intimidate the owner of Peach State Pallet Co. into reimbursing Budhwani for thousands of dollars in forged Peach State checks that employees at one of Budhwani's stores unwittingly had cashed. After Peach State Pallet's bank rejected the bad checks, Budhwani insisted that owner Stephen Strauss reimburse him for his losses, Bly said. When Strauss refused, Budhwani called Durrett, who, in turn, called Strauss and told him to "make good" on the checks or he would open a police investigation of Strauss, Bly said.

Under pressure from Durrett, Strauss capitulated, He agreed to pay Budhwani $10,000 to $15,0000 — about half of Budhwani's losses — and directed all Peach State Pallet employees to cash their paychecks at Budhwani's stores, Bly said.

Budhwani took a commission for each cashed check, Bly said, and the businessman "paid Durrett to get more money" for himself.

Bly said that Budhwani also turned to Durrett when he decided to end his affair with a Brazilian woman on whom he had spent lavish and increasingly untenable sums of money. Bly said that Durrett arranged to introduce Budhwani to Frank, so Frank could assist in a ruse to persuade Budhwani's mistress that she should drop Budhwani because he was the subject of a Homeland Security investigation. Budhwani treated both officers to dinner and then to drinks and lap dances at the Pink Pony, a DeKalb County strip club, before Frank agreed to help, Budhwani testified on Wednesday.

Frank — with Budhwani listening on a speaker phone — subsequently called Budhwani's mistress, Debora Johnston, and Johnston's husband, David — warning them both to steer clear of Budhwani unless they wanted to become embroiled in the investigation, Bly said. The businessman said he then slipped $3,000 in cash in Frank's pocket as he was leaving. Frank, he said, accepted the cash without objecting.

Budhwani told the jury Wednesday that after he paid Frank, Durrett called him looking for a payoff. Durrett, he testified, asked him, "How do you like our services?" and suggested that resolving Budhwani's problems with his mistress would save the businessman $20,000 to $30,000 a month in expenses.

Budhwani said that when Durrett called him a second time and "started pressing me hard" about being paid, he paid the officer $5,000.

Budhwani enlisted the services of Frank and Durrett a third time after he had a falling-out with his business partner in an Atlanta gas station. The three men then concocted a scheme to convince Budhwani's business partner, Imran Chaudhry, a Pakistani national, that he was being investigated by Homeland Security as a likely terrorist, Bly said.

Chaudhry, he added, was not a terrorist.

As part of the plot to frighten Chaudhry into returning to Pakistan, Frank stopped Chaudhry while he was driving and began questioning him, Bly said. Frightened, Chaudhry decided to leave the United States, Bly said, but feared he would be stopped at the airport as he was attempting to board a flight to Pakistan.

Budhwani then called Durrett, who used his authority as a DeKalb police lieutenant to perpetuate the ruse by escorting Chaudhry through airport security, Bly told the jury. The night before Chaudhry's flight, he met Budhwani and Durrett at the Pink Pony to finalize the plan. While there, Bly told the jury that Chaudhry witnessed Budhwani giving Durrett an unspecified amount of cash in what Bly described as compensation for his agreement to escort Chaudhry through airport security.

Bly warned the jury that Frank's statements and Budhwani's statements about bribes that Budhwani paid have not always been consistent, including whether or not Frank accepted any cash payments from Budhwani.

Harvey, Durrett's lawyer, said that the case against Durrett rests on Budhwani's credibility. Budhwani, he said, is "a puppeteer" who manipulates others for his own benefit. "He lies consistently, and his word cannot be trusted."

Harvey said that when Budhwani sought help from Durrett in breaking up with his mistress, Durrett referred him to Frank, and it was Frank — not Durrett — that Harvey said Budhwani subsequently befriended. Any allegations that Durrett accepted bribes from Budhwani, Harvey said, are "lies."

Harvey acknowledged that Budhwani had tried to bribe Frank. But Frank, he said, refused to accept the cash that Budhwani said he paid him. And although he said that Budhwani had paid for Frank's gambling trips and contributed $10,000 to help pay for Frank's mother's funeral, he did so because the two men had become friends. When Budhwani went to Frank about his business partner, Harvey suggested that it was Budhwani, not Frank, who had labeled Chaudhry as a likely terrorist. Budhwani, the defense attorney said, told Frank that Chaudhry was in the country illegally and falsely insisted he "is giving money to terrorists."

Harvey added, "Mr. Budhwani lies to Mr. Frank. He lies to the United States. He lies every time he has the opportunity to help himself. … Whenever he seeks a chance to manipulate someone, he takes it."

The case is before Judge William Duffey Jr.

Don't Rush To Judgement

We know Captain Kaulbach and her character. We find these charges hard to believe, and hard to believe she would knowingly be involved in any type of theft.

The department should give her the benefit of doubt until this thing plays out in the courts. Should she be terminated immediately? No. Maybe placed on unpaid leave.

Others have been placed on a desk job; some placed on leave with pay pending the out come of an investigation. We hope Chief O’Brien and Wiz Miller with do the same for Captain Kaulbach.

Police Captain Jailed

Captain Suzanne Kaulbach was taken into custody after a six-hour warrant application hearing Monday in front of a Clayton County judge.

Investigators believe her partner's son and two other teenagers were responsible for the thefts, Channel 2 said.

The police captain said she didn't know the boat, two ATVs, a dirt bike and other items were stolen.

"I would not have bought new tires for one of them if I thought it was stolen, and I would not have left them on the property if I thought they were stolen," she said.

She was charged with theft by receiving stolen property.

A DeKalb County spokesperson told Channel 2 that Kaulbach is on administrative leave.

AJC

Retired Major Bobby Ethridge Dies - UPDATE

Willard Robert (Bobby) Ethridge, age 63, of Lawrenceville, Georgia passed away on July 13, 2012.

Bobby was co-captain of the Bass High Football Team in Little Five Points, GA.

He served his country from May '67 to March '69 as an Airborne Ranger with a tour in Vietnam as a Squad Leader, Long Range Recon Patrol (LRRP), 4th Calvary, 25h Infantry Division. He had many achievements, while in the Rangers including graduation from NCO candidate school's Combat Leaders course in 1967; graduation from MACV Recon School in 1968 in Nha Trang, Vietnam; being awarded a Purple Heart in July of 1968 and the Silver Star for valor in action in January 1969.

Bobby joined the Dekalb County Police Department in October of 1969. While with Dekalb County, Bobby continued to obtain information and knowledge to better help him serve his community and his country.

Some of these accomplishments include attending Georgia Police Academy in January 1970; an Associate of Arts degree from Dekalb College in June 1978; graduating from FBI National Academy in 1980; going to Woodrow Wilson College of Law in 1983; graduating from Georgia State University in June of 1988 with a Masters in Science degree (with a 4.0 GPA). Bobby was instrumental in obtaining a $19, 000 grant for Georgia State University from the National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health because of his research on probable causes for robberies in convenience stores. He was appointed to Academy Director in November of 1988 and nominated Police Officer of the year in 1998 by the North Decatur Lions Club. Bobby retired in 1999 as Tucker precinct as a Commander in DeKalb County.

Bobby is survived by his wife, Jean; 3 children, 4 grandchildren, his step mother; brother and numerous other family and friends.

Visitation to be held on Tuesday, Jul. 17, 2012 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm & 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm. at Wages & Sons, Lawrenceville Chapel.

Service to be held on Wednesday, Jul. 18, 2012 2:00 pm - 2:30 pm at Wages & Sons, Lawrenceville Chapel.

Internment will be at Georgia National Cemetery, Canton, GA on Wednesday July 18, 2012 at 2 o'clock. Online condolences may be expressed at www.wagesandsons.com.

Go in peace brother.

A Messeage From "Brookhaven Yes"

We received this in an email from "Brookhaven Yes". If there is a "Brookhaven No", or something similar, we will give them equal space.

If you want more police protection, a YES vote for the City of Brookhaven on July 31 will help make it happen.

DeKalb County and its coordinated “No City” Campaign are trying to convince you that “DeKalb has 1.7 officers per 1,000 residents. For Brookhaven this would mean a police force of 83 officers.” This is direct quote from their campaign materials.

This is a false statement. DeKalb has nowhere near 83 officers, and nowhere near 1.7 officers per 1,000 residents, allocated to our area.

Last week, we showed you that DeKalb County inflates their actual police numbers (click for article). Specifically, we published watch sheets (click for PDF), or officer schedules, from the North Precinct.

The watch sheets reveal that the 49,000 residents of the proposed City of Brookhaven have had no more than 3 to 5 officers patrolling our area and answering 911 calls on many occasions.

The proposed City of Brookhaven is expected to increase the number of police patrols to a minimum of 8 to 9.

Participants in a DeKalb County program known as the Citizens’ Police Academy were kind enough to pass along to us via e-mail the following information:

“Two weeks ago, a Captain from the North Precinct came to speak to us. According to the Captain, the North Precinct currently has only 60 sworn officers to patrol the 29 square miles which comprise North Precinct.”

Remember that the proposed City of Brookhaven includes approximately 49,000 residents and 12 square miles.

To get to the number of DeKalb officers currently allocated to Brookhaven, let’s do the math on the information furnished by the Captain: 60 North Precinct officers divided by 29 square miles in the North Precinct multiplied by the 12 square miles in Brookhaven equals…

ONLY 25 DeKalb County police officers allocated to Brookhaven.

You may not be aware that Major Kevin Ellison, the commanding officer of the North Precinct, is presently running for Sheriff of Dawson County. Major Ellison has posted some information on his campaign website that verifies the calculation we just made:

“In 2010, Chief Bill O’Brien appointed Kevin to the rank of Major and assigned him to command the North Precinct. This command consisted of 100 sworn officers and civilian personnel, a population of over 200,000, and a budget of 10 million dollars.”

Click here to see Major Ellison’s website. Click here to see a PDF in case the website is altered.

Here’s the math on the information from Major Ellison: 100 North Precinct officers (perhaps this is generous, because the quote also mentions “civilian personnel”) divided by 200,000 people in the North Precinct multiplied by the 49,000 people in Brookhaven equals…

Again, ONLY 25 DeKalb County police officers allocated to Brookhaven.

At 25 officers, DeKalb County allocates only 0.5 officers per 1,000 residents to Brookhaven. This fact, revealed in the statements of two leaders of the North Precinct, is further solidified by the watch sheets we showed you. It’s no wonder there are 3 to 5 patrols at times!

The Brookhaven feasibility study performed by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia mentions 53 officers for the proposed city. This is not the final number of officers, as your locally elected city council will decide the actual number of officers.

However, it’s clear the Brookhaven allocation of 1.1 officers per 1,000 residents would be an improvement over the number of officers that DeKalb County is currently providing us.

1.1 officers per 1,000 residents will be an improvement over DeKalb’s 0.5 per 1,000, but only with your YES vote on July 31.

Hey Judge Nellie, Where's The Missing 90 Million Dollars?

Whoa Nellie! Are you serious? You have 90 million dollars missing from your court and you're worried about how people dress?

Besides, you're taking the entertainment value out of going to court.

Open Comments