A Little Insight Into The CAD System By An Anonymous Poster

I always find it humorous when people make comments about a Police Officer and a Police Sergeant having approved the CAD in DeKalb. What makes anyone think those two had any type of authority to make such a decision? We are talking about a multi-million dollar purchase with a multi-year maintenance contract.

Here is what really happened with the CAD in DeKalb...
The system RFP (Request for Proposal) was written by Ken Hamilton, then Director of the 911 Center. He had come over from the Information Systems Department when Thomas Brown was still the Director of Public Safety. This was a set up by Vernon Jones. Ken Hamilton came to the County after leaving Bell South. The RFP was basically a copy of the one used by Fulton County some years back. Fulton County uses the same CAD that DeKalb has now.

Prior to a selection being made, there was a committee made up of only DeKalb 911 personnel, headed up by Sandy Pendley (She was a 911 Shift Manager and is a niece to RT Burgess). They shopped around and checked out numerous CAD systems, including the one that several thought DeKalb should buy at the time, Intergraph. The committee chose InterAct Public Safety, the CAD that DeKalb has now. The breaks got put on the decision to move forward by then Deputy Chief Marinelli, after he was appointed to oversee the Ken Hamilton and the 911 Center. No decision for a CAD should be made solely by 911 personnel. Police, Fire and Sheriff personnel are users too.

The RFP then came out from Ken Hamilton's Office. The only say that police personnel got in the RFP was the functionality of the mobile client and NCIC.

Ken Hamilton was also selected to chair the official DeKalb selection committee. The selection committee is a function of the purchasing and procurement system and is put together for all large RFPs and bids. The true selection committee was comprised of Ken Hamilton from 911, Eric Wisherd from Police, a Battalion Chief from Fire, several personnel from the Department of Information Systems and several people from the CEO's Office (Vernon Jones crowd) and several people from unrelated departments that had nothing to do with CAD. There was also a Finance person involved and a Contracts Compliance person involved.

A little DeKalb history for you. Vernon Jones, former Bell South. Ken Hamilton, former Bell South. Joe Stone (Director of County Personnel), former Bell South. There are countless others that are former Bell South in ranking positions in DeKalb Government that were all part of the Vernon Jones regime.

The current Police and Fire HQ, former Bell South office buildings and purchased from Bell South.

InterAct CAD (CAD used by DeKalb), bid to DeKalb by Bell South.

A number of people on the selection committee were either former Bell South personnel or worked for former Bell South personnel.

Do you see a trend here?

Wisherd didn't make the decision.
Fritchey wasn't even involved. He worked on the radio system project.

The decision to go with the Interact CAD was made long before police or fire personnel could get involved. The only thing that could be done after the award of the CAD system was to try to make it work. To this day it doesn’t do what the users want. There is no doubt that there are problems. A lot of the problems stem from trying to make the CAD do things it wasn’t designed to do. DeKalb has tried to make the InterAct CAD something it is not and has suffered greatly as a result. Personally I think the CAD is designed for smaller agencies running on cellular cards with near limitless bandwidth. It’s certainly not designed to operate for an agency the size of DeKalb over radios that are slower than old dial up internet service.

There you have the details. It’s far deeper than any line level officer or supervisor could have accomplished.

For me, this is a story of one more corrupt thing that Vernon Jones rammed down the throats of the men and women out there trying to do the job. No one was going to stop him.

Jonestown

Read WXIA's Doug Richards account of Vernon Jones' reaction when his racial discrimination guilty verdict was read. Too bad there isn't video.

Click here for Live Apartment Fire

A Peek Into The Court Room Where Vernon Jones And DeKalb County Was Found Gulity of Racial Discrimination

Click here for article written by Robin McDonald of The Daily Report.

GUILTY!

Vernon Jones and DeKalb County have been proven guilty for racial discrimination.



Click here for AJC article.

Stay tuned for more.

Judge: DeKalb's Behavior In Discrimination Case "Shameful"

Judge Duffey described the behavior of DeKalb County attorney's as "either terribly incompetent or terribly wrong," Well Judge, you have only seen a glimmer of the true DeKalb County. DeKalb County is shameful.

The shame started in the year 2000 when the voters made Vernon Jones Chief Executive Officer. There was scandal after scandal including police officers assigned as his personal protection posse doing illegal background checks for Vernon's personal political gains, to officers doing illegal background checks on lovers and mistresses. Shameful, these same officers are still employed by the police department.

Shameful, as C.E.O., Vernon was accused of rape, but only admitted to participating in a ménage à trois. Shameful, he and his cronies deliberately transferred, demoted and terminated people based on nothing more than skin color. Shameful, he hired Terrell Bolton as chief of police. Shameful, the Recorders Court has 90 million dollars in uncollected fines.

Shameful, Burrell Ellis was a member of the county commission during Vernon's tenure and did not stand up! Shameful, Vernon was not reined in.

Shameful, Shelia Edwards, media director of now C.E.O. Burrell Ellis, displayed what some would describe as a psychotic episode on television for millions of people to see, without being punished or evaluated.

Shameful, under Burrell Ellis' watch, the county is described by a United States Federal District Court Judge as "either terribly incompetent or terribly wrong."

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

Click here for AJC story

Vernon Jones' Discrimination Suit: Day 4

The Daily Report

Click here for the Daily Report's Robin McDonald's inside report of Vernon's discrimination lawsuit.

Liar

Vernon Jones denies racial bias against employees.

Click here for actual lawsuit

Click here for exhibits

Click here for AJC article

New Feature....

We really don't like getting into state politics, but when it comes to Vernon Jones, we just can't help ourselves.

Turn your attention to the left side column and enjoy "Vernon Jones' Reading Room".

Joke of The Day: Vernon Jones Launches Campaign For Fourth Congressional District

Click here

Vernon And Terrell Still Topics In The News

Vernon Jones and Terrell Bolton are talked about briefly on the political talk show “The Georgia Gang”. Even in state politics they know Vernon and TeBo are idiots.

You can read what was said, compliments of the blog “Peach Pundit”

Click here.

Accused Racist, Co-Conspirator Is Now The Board of Commissioners Chief of Staff

The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has rebuked the administration of former DeKalb County CEO Vernon Jones. The federal appeals court has denied the county’s request to dismiss a long-running discrimination lawsuit.

So compelling is the lawsuit, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled the suit can proceed after the county filed an appeal. The court said in its ruling "DeKalb County embarked on a wholesale plan to replace its white managers with African Americans.” It also says there is “shocking” evidence of “an overt and unabashed pattern of discrimination.” The court continued by remarking "evidence shows “compellingly” that Jones “was the architect of a racially discriminatory scheme” and that “unquestionably, he spawned the claims the plaintiffs have brought against him.”

Morris Williams is a major player in the lawsuit, and was Vernon Jones' assistant county administrator. Since then, the commissioners were so impressed with his job performance; they have named him "Chief of Staff" to the Board of Commissioners.

The lawsuit is expected for trial in about 8 months. Rational reasoning would lead you to believe the county will settle out of court, less the chance of the finding of guilt resulting in such a monetary judgment, the county government will be brought to its knees.

But in the meantime, why was Morris Williams placed in such a position to continue his discriminatory practices? During his time as chief of staff, how many citizens trying to reach a commissioner have been discriminated against? The situation is perfect for him and the commissioners. Doubtfully there is a system in place documenting race of citizens and local business owners trying to reach a commissioner.

The entire board of commissioners need to explain how Williams was chosen and what are his qualifications other than being a racist.

Are the past discriminatory practices of our county government intentionally continuing as we speak?

Here is the link to the lawsuit filed.

AJC Article

The Madness Continues!

Get The Check Book Out Citizens

11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the discrimination lawsuit filed against Vernon Jones, recently terminated Parks and Recreation Director Marilyn Boyd Drew, and DeKalb County can proceed.

Click here for AJC story

Monday’s firing of Dekalb Recreation Director Marilyn Boyd Drew may have been seven years in the making.

Another one of Vernon's cronies make the citizenry of DeKalb proud time and time again.

Click here for Atlanta Unfiltered article

UPDATE: Read AJC's Marcus Garner's updated story (Click here)

Creative Loafing's Take On Vernon Running For Governor

Click here for more

Vernon As A Character Witness; Doesn't Get Much Better

And he wants to be Governor!

Breaking News! Supremes Tell Terrell Bolton That His Case Against the City of Dallas Is No Good

He’s trying to hold on to his job as top cop in DeKalb County, Georgia---which isn’t stopping Terrell Bolton form also pursuing his wrongful termination claim filed against the city of Dallas. But you know who is putting a stop to it? The Supreme Court of the United States of America, which today ruled that Bolton can’t reopen his case against the city for his 2003 firing.

Bolton’s attorneys have long claimed that former City Manager Ted Benavides didn’t follow proper procedure when ousting Bolton. He took the case all the way to D.C., where the Supremes said this morning, Thanks, but we are all good here.

Is it true one of the justices was heard muttering........loser.

Dallas Observer
WFAA TV Dallas

Vernon Jones Surfaces in Albany Georgia as a Gang Expert

Vernon Jones has surfaced in Albany Ga speaking to more than 75 law enforcement officials about gang activity. We guess he can call himself an expert, after all, he was the biggest gangster to run DeKalb County.

The fact is DeKalb County is infested with gangs, particularly the North Precinct. If the appointment of the commander of the Gang Unit/Homeland Security is any indication of Vernon's expertise, the people of Albany need to run him out of town now while they still can.

We call it now; Vernon will be making a move for Albany Major in 2012, if he isn't indicted by then.

Read the Albany Herald article here

The county continues to waste taxpayers dollars

In 2007, the county sold the South Precinct building and land at 1816 Candler Road in anticipation of leasing the abandoned Toys R Us building at South DeKalb Mall, 2842 Sheppard Drive. Until the new precinct was renovated, the county leased the building at 1816 Candler Road from whom they sold it too.

With the county facing financial difficulties, it has now put the new precinct on hold and extended the lease at 1816 Candler Road. Silly question, buy why sale the building before the renovations of the new one?

Oh, and the cost of the lease? $199,194.00 per year. Another one of Vernon's great minded financial deals the citizens of DeKalb are stuck with.

The words of Veron Jones: "We saw a superior candidate in Bolton"

I knew that my selection of Terrell Bolton as DeKalb County police chief would not come without controversy. I am disappointed, however, with the tone of a recent editorial ("The Power of One," @issue, Dec. 28).

The editorial board embarked on a journey from Dallas to DeKalb merely to state that they disagreed with my selection of Bolton.Editorial board members are quick to write but slow to read and do research. A minor bit of due diligence would help them know the facts. The citizens committee did an outstanding job of interviewing and forwarding their views to me. I then asked a former FBI agent and chair of the MARTA board for assistance. We saw a superior candidate in Bolton.

Bolton joined the Dallas Police Department as a patrolman and worked his way up the ladder to become its chief. While I don't know why he took certain actions upon becoming chief, I yield to his knowledge of the Dallas Police Department.

I was advised that some members of the Dallas City Council rushed to settle and ignored Bolton's advice to litigate in some cases. In the cases that were litigated, Bolton and the City of Dallas prevailed. The statement relative to the role of loyalty in my decision was narrow-minded and intellectually flawed. If loyalty was the most important requirement, I certainly would have selected the person who I have worked closely with for several months. I picked the person I believe will serve the DeKalb residents best.

VERNON JONES

AJC Editorial