So, Where's The Money?

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The powers at be are wanting to open 2 additional precincts, split the existing precinct into zones, commanded by captains and overseen by a major. Part of the expansion calls for the addition of buildings to house the new precincts, including the property and buildings of the former Devry Institute of Technology in Decatur.

The reason for the purchase of D.I.T., is to house Center Precinct and Recorders Court.

To man these new precincts, the department will have to promote at least 2 majors, 4 captains, 12 lieutenants, and 30 sergeants (not including filling current vacant positions) and add somewhere around 150 officers.

Each new precinct will have to be equipped with cars, office furniture, computers, printers and phone lines at the very least.

Communications will be a disaster. The current CAD system is failed. It will have to be completely revamped or throw out with window.

This expansion will cost the taxpayers millions and millions of additional tax dollars the commissioners claim we don't have.

All the while the county has taken away our sick leave pay, they have taken away all merit raises. Cost of living raises has been taken away, and now we are working at a reduced pay rate.

The commissioners continue to suck the life blood out of the officers in the streets, yet continue to build monuments and shrines solely for political reasons.

In these grand plans, where has any assistant chief, the chief of police, the director of public safety or any commissioner, stood up and said "the officers need to be taken care of first!?"

Throughout the past 12 years we have been continuously beat down by the police administration and commissioners alike. They refuse to listen to the officers in the streets. They refuse to listen to the supportive citizens. Now they are kicking us in the ribs and our departmental leaders remain silent.

When is everyone going to stand up and say enough is enough? Enough with the "solving crime, and funding the county budget, one ticket at a time".

The madness continues!

South Precinct To Be Divided In Half

For reasons unknown, South Precinct is being divided in half, with Captain R. Moore in charge on one half and Captain B.C. Harris in charge of the other. Major T.D. Williams will remain precinct commander.

Is this the first move in re-organizing precinct boundaries? Why not start with Tucker Precinct?

Just Wondering

After reading Commissioner Radar's Digest for July 2010, we're kinda confused. He writes: "The emergency telephone fund covers 100 percent of all operating expenditures for the 911 system." "In fact, the emergency telephone fund finished the last fiscal year with a surplus."

If this is the case, then why are E911 operators being docked holiday pay? Or, are they being docked?

Sanitation expenditures are self sustaining according to the commissioners. Same questions. If it is true, then why are they being docked pay? Or, are they not being docked?

Same thing for Watershed.

If neither communications,sanitation or watershed are not being docked, then are the commissioners being selective who gets reduced pay and who doesn't?

Just wondering.

AJC: DeKalb Officers Push Ticket Furlough

You may get out of a traffic ticket in DeKalb County.

Some DeKalb County police officers are organizing a ticket furlough to protest their unpaid holidays. Officers, who are promoting the protest on a police officers' blog, said they are issuing more warnings for speeding and other violations.

In February, the county commission voted to stop paying employees on seven holidays as part of budget cuts. Most employees get the unpaid day off, but some police officers and other public safety workers must still work the holidays.

“We just get a reduction in that week’s check,” said Jeff Wiggs, president of the DeKalb Fraternal Order of Police. “We are continually concerned about reduction in pay and police officer morale.”

Despite being unhappy about the cuts, the FOP told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution they do not support the ticket furlough.

“We’re not advocating a ticket slowdown,” said Wiggs, a master police officer with DeKalb. “But due to less officers, there are times in the day where we have less time to do enforcement because of the call volume.”

Wiggs said the FOP has received dozens of complaints from officers about the pay reduction.

DeKalb officials said they were unaware of the ticket furlough and have not seen a decline in citations issued.

“We are 7 percent above where we were last year at this time,” said Shelia Edwards, a spokeswoman for the county CEO.

From DeKalb Officers: Oh really Ms. "look into the camera" Shelia Edwards. Let's see the comparison next week. Hope you and Burrell are not counting on ticket revenue to pay for those 600 positions that are being refilled.

If you wish to contibute to this article, you can contact:

Megan Matteucci
DeKalb County reporter
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

We Bet The Commissioners Are Knee Slapping Laughing Behind Closed Doors

Our wonderful commissioners took notes and learned valuable lessons from the City of Atlanta when the city furloughed their police officers. You see, Atlanta forced their officers to take one non-paid off day every two weeks. That caused shortages in police coverage which outraged the public and some members of the city counsel. The pressure from the public was intense enough to force the city to end furloughs.

Burrell Ellis and the Gang of 7 have taken away our paid holidays and are forcing us to work at a reduced pay instead of taking a very public furlough day. The reduction in pay is 10 percent for the pay period.

So far this year our pay has been docked 3 times, twice now in back to back pay periods. There are 6 non-paid holidays remaining in the year. 3 of those holidays are in November. In November, one check will be reduced 10 percent with the following check reduced 20 percent. And yet another 10 percent in December.

The commissioners are screwing us very quietly, out of public view and without a kiss. If they forced us to take a non-paid off day, that would cause shortages and the public would be outraged, just as in Atlanta.

Burrell Ellis, the commissioners and their staff continue to get paid holidays. Did you read that? The commissioners, and their staff, who are county employees, continue to receive paid holidays!

If the public is aware of what is going on, they are silent because there is not a shortage in police coverage, so they are turning a blind eye. Our pubic safety director, whose mouth is controlled by Burrell’s hand, is silent. Chief Bill O’Brien, who appears more and more to be nothing more than a token, is silent. Not one commissioner has spoken out for us. The F.O.P. and I.B.O.P are silent.

And what have we done for ourselves? On Memorial Day, which we all worked at a 10 precinct reduction, our traffic citations INCREASED 32 percent compared to Memorial Day 2009. Then it looks like our short pay check got some officer's attention. July 4 traffic citations were down 31 percent compared to July 4 2009.

The F.O.P. and I.B.O.P can’t do much. Because of state law, Georgia being a right to work state, they are powerless. We have been quiet for too long. It is time to step up to the plate. We have only one recourse against the commissioners, and that is a “Ticket Furlough”.

At the very least, the commissioners and their staff must play by the same rules as the rest of us. Until they, the commissioners and their staff, are required to take non-paid holidays, or until we get our paid holidays back, we are calling for a ticket stoppage, or “Ticket Furlough”. Not a ticket furlough just on holidays, but every day. We will hit them where it hurts, in the county coffers.

Continue to answer your 911 calls expediently and professionally. Follow rules and regulations. But no where in the rules and regulations does it require that you must issue a court appearing traffic citation (excepting traffic accidents). Traffic enforcement is the desertion of the police officer. We highly recommend writing warning citations instead of court appearing citations. If you turn in warnings, your superiors can not say a word about production. And we seriously doubt most supervisors would say anything because they too are docked pay. Don’t confuse the “Ticket Furlough” with a work slow down. We are not advocating a work slow down.

Continue to be the finest police officers DeKalb County has to offer, but stand up for yourself!

Welcome to DeKalb Peachtree Airport

While we are being forced to work for no pay, the commissioners are erecting shrines, such as this one at the entrance to DeKalb Peachtree Airport to feed their elitist egos.

We have now worked 3 days this year without being paid. How many days has the commissioners not been paid?

It Seems The Fix Is In

Something is just not adding up here. Burrell Ellis and Wizard Miller fired Care Ambulance the first week of June 2010. In April of 2010, Burrell traveled to Arizona and visited Rural/Metro ambulance service, who now has been chosen to replace Care Ambulance.

Very odd that Burrell would visit Rural/Metro two months prior to terminating Care Ambulance. Burrell even went out of his way to say he payed for his own trip.

We have a sneaky suspicion the ambulance mess is going to cost the citizens of DeKalb hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees before it's all over with.

Click here for more.

More Examples Of Wasted Tax Dollars

The DeKalb Marshal's office asked for and received over 51 thousand dollars for 2 police package Chevrolet Tahoe's and over 24 thousand dollars for a police package Dodge Charger. For what?

The marshal's office serves eviction notices. Why do they need a souped up police car with blue lights and sirens to get to an eviction location? Are they afraid the people might leave?

Each deputy marshal is given an take home car. And why? They are not first responders or respond to emergency's. Ever seen them handle some late night or early morning eviction? How much is the cost of gasoline each year for this perk?

No Money For Air Conditioning

We have been told the county is trying to cut back on electric power expenses. They are now cutting off the air conditioning Friday through Sunday at headquarters. Reports are temperatures inside the building are reaching as high as 90 degrees.

The commissioners are now making us work holidays with no pay, and now they expect the people at headquarters to work in sweat shop conditions.

Are Burrell and the commissioners working in the same conditions? Somehow we doubt it. Just like they are not cutting their pay as they sit on their elitist thorne and cut the pay of the working people.

Let them eat cake!

DeKalb To Host Crime Prevention Tour

When we glanced at this AJC headline, visions ran through our head of charter buses being lead by ICP bicycles and Magic Buses with blue lights blazing, cursing the crime ridden areas of the county, a narrator standing in front of the bus pointing, saying "see there, now that's how not to be a victim"

"Look at that girl walking the street, ummmmhmmm, we know what she be doing". "If ya'll hear "give it up!" that means we being robbed!" "Looky there, they done knocked that policeman of his bicycle and took it". "Somebody call 911!".

Dekalb Officers Blog Receives Praise

The DeKalb County Police Alliance is seeking nominations for the 2010 DeKalb Public Safety Champion Awards. These awards honor police officers, community members and community organizations who have a positive impact on public safety.

John Heneghan of Heneghan's Dunwoody Blog features an article about the DCPA's Public Champion Award. In his comment section he writes:

"I am aware of several acts of heroism as well as acts of kindness displayed by Dunwoody officers that are eligible for nomination but I will reserve my votes until I give it more thought and the deadline gets a little closer.

In all seriousness, the DeKalb Officers blog run by an anonymous DeKalb policeman has done more to identify issues within the Department and therefore affected real internal change which then impacts and improves the safety of the citizens relying on the DeKalb Police Department. Kudos to them".

Knowing that winning the lottery is more of a likelihood than being recognized by the DCPA, Mr. Heneghan's praise is reward enough.

DeKalb Officers

Click here to submit your nomination for the DeKalb Public Safety Champion Award. Deadline is September 9, 2010.

Media Breaks Pawn Desk Scandal

Pawn Desk Supervisor Terminated

Sylvia Woods, a long time pawn desk supervisor has been terminated. It appears she failed to verify any stolen article, including guns of all types, that was recovered by any other police agency, or pawnshop.

Other allegations include cheating on her payroll time, for example, taking a day off, but documenting being at work.

It is alleged this had been going on for up to 10 years!

More to come.

They Are Bringing The Retirees Back!

Today the commission voted to bring back the ones who took advantage of the early retirement, at approximately 1 half of their yearly salary. They will be rehired as contractors with a cap of 3 years.

The county also saves additional money because any health benefits will be covered by the retirees pension plan.

Is this a good thing? Probably

Details are still being ironed out. We don't know if public safety will be included or not. But why wouldn't they be?

Wizard Calls For Outside Audit of DeKalb's CAD System

So Wizard is calling for an outside audit of the 911 CAD system. Seems like he may be reading the blog after all.

Calling for an audit and actually implementing the findings are two separate things. Classic example is the resent findings by Georgia State University showing the county is bloated with unnecessary voters, we mean employees.

Odds are, once the audit is complete, the county will scream it doesn't have the money to fix the CAD system.

Just In Time For Summer, No Holiday Pay

Don't know if you noticed, but our paychecks were just a little bit short. Welcome to no pay holidays.

The hits will keep on coming. July 4th is just a mere 2 weeks away.

Seven Times The DeKalb County Grand Jury Said There Was Indadequate Staffing At 911 Call Center. Today It Is At The Worst Level Ever.

A very revealing posting about past Grand Jury investigations into the 911 center.

Click here

Burrell Ellis, Commissioners Not Capable To Lead DeKalb County

Burrell as not a leader, and is in over his head. His missteps, along with those of the commissioners are leading us down a dark unknowing road.

Faced with a budget shortfall, the county (aka county commissioners) spent tens of thousands of dollars on a study proving the county is bloated with employees. The county has chosen to ignore it, even going as far to say the study is flawed.

To accomplish the early retirement plan, the county had to borrow millions of dollars from the pension, which has to be repaid with interest. Now Ellis is wanting to refill over 500 of the 800 vacant positions at a cost of over 3 million dollars per year.

Burrell wants to give Broad Street Properties over 40 million dollars to develop the abandoned General Motors plant in Doraville. Develop it into what remains to be seen.

The county does not have 40 million dollars. Ellis recommends another tax burden on the citizens for the next 30 years to come up with the 40 million. If he can't get his way, then he said he would make cuts elsewhere, making it "cost neutral". What a croak, "cost neutral". If it's cost neutral, then why borrow the money?

Ok, we'll try to do the math on the total outstanding bond debt for the county before Ellis trys to ram another 40 million dollar debt down our throat. Here goes: $946,763,000.00.

And people are wondering why the county is in such dire financial straights. Remember, this didn't' start when Ellis was elected Chief Executive Officer. He was part of the system for the previous 8 years too.

If we started on the school system's waste of taxpayer money, our heads would explode.

Hold on to your wallets because the madness continues!

911 Is Finally Being Exposed

With the never ending tweaking of the CAD system, addresses have been lost. Just gone, puff!

For years now addresses and calls have been assigned to the wrong precinct with the department making absoluety no effort to correct it. It's either incompetence or down right neglect.

We still call for an outside investigation into the problems with the CAD system. People probably have or will die because of the complete and total lackadaisical attitude of the command staff.

Someone needs to be held accountable. If ol' Wizard Miller has his fancy saying of "Leadership from the top", then that's where it needs to start. (We're pretty sure Bolton left over Karen Anderson came up with that motto).

Under his administration nothing has changed but the faces and names. Incompetence within the command staff is rampant. The CAD system needs to be corrected and corrected now. It's only when people die or nearly die that the system is exposed.

We have been screaming for years the system is flawed, yet nothing is done and the same people are in charge of it. The emphasis of Wizard Millers' direction this department is going, is to see how much grant money can be collected to arm ICP with assault riles, radar machines to sit on the side of the road and the never ending expense of maintaining those 5 stupid ass buses.

Hire professionals Wizard! Stop promoting unqualified people and then give them on the job training or the lack there of. Search wide and far, even if it has to be a civilian, at least find a person that is qualified. We have enough of Matchbook University people in command positions.

But the bottom line is, it takes a competent professional to know one.

The madness continues!

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Ambulance Company Wants DeKalb 911 Audit

What do you want to bet they are denied the request?

Care Ambulance must think they are dealing with rational people on the commission.

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