Ft. Meade & Bartow ?!?!?

I know the manpower issue is a constant issue, how are we gonna take over Ft. Meade and Bartow (in the works from what I hear). I think Ft. Meade wouldn't be that big of a deal, b/c they only run like one or two cops at a time, but Bartow is getting bigger by the minute and they run like 6 to 8 officers a shift,,,,thats gonna be tough!!! Opinons welcomed...

I dont see us taking over Ft Meade and Bartow. Those are fairly large agencies compared to Eagle Lake and Frostproof (and Polk City of course). I'd think the citizens of those towns would prefer to keep their police departments.

I don't know, Ft. Meade is asking for a presentation from the Sheriff. That sounds like something in the works, if ya ask me.

Yes, Fort Meade has submitted information to the Sheriff for review, haven't heard about Bartow PD.

We take over the dispatch part for Davenport PD in September.

We may also be taking over Lake Wales PD.

From what I hear, the Sheriff has talked to the City officials of Bartow urging them to think abou the idea......we shall see

We have Frostproof, Eagle Lake and Polk City. Ft. Meade and Frostproof are equal in size with regard to manpower. We have contracts to take over dispatching for Davenport and a shocker Lake Wales (contract pending). I believe in time the county will be Metro.

I think the problem is we are hiring some sub-standard rejects from some of these agencies, since the S.O. is waiving a good portion of the hiring process. I know several of them that were obsorbed who did not meet the PCSO hiring standards before getting hired by the agencies we are to absorb.

DOES PCSO HAVE SOME SUPER HIGH STANDARDS THAT I AM UNAWARE OF?
LAST I HEARD THEY WERE PRETTY MUCH THE SAME STANDARDS THAT EVERYONE ELSE USES. THE PROBLEM ISNT THE AGENCIES SO MUCH AS IT IS THE ACADEMY.
THE ACADEMY HAS BEEN TURNED INTO A MONEY MAKING VENTURE AND NOT A CREDIBLE PLACE TO PREPARE FUTURE LEO'S TO SURVIVE AT AN AGENCY.
GUESS WHO JUST RECENTLY TOOK OVER THE TRAINING AT THE ACADEMY..... SHOCKER HUH...
PCSO HIRES THEIR SHARE OF MISFITS JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE DOES.
NO AGENCY IS PERFECT. ALL YOU CAN DO IS TAKE CARE OF YOU AND HOPE EVERYONE ELSE DOES THE SAME.

PCSO has a good leader at the Sheriff's level. However, with that sucess, comes responsibility. A lot of the lower end deputies have ego(s) the size of the Grand Canyon. The sheriff's office wants to take over everything.

NO!! We don't have a higher hiring standard than most. However, I know a couple of guys that the agency brought on board as a result of the merging that were previously rejected by the S.O. when they applied before being employed by the agency we absorbed.

With regard to the academy spitting out rejects, I couldn't agree more. Even the director of a local academy told me "It is not up to us (academy) to determine whether they're fit for duty, that is left up to the agency that hires them".

More importantly, are you guys aware of the fight and struggle from within Bartow. We are all in this game together, all that is happening is the creation of a divide between you guys and the city police departments. It seems Judd is on a Blitzkrieg to make you guys Metro. You guys do a great job, but so do we.

I dont think Judd could really take every PD under his wing.. Lakeland, Auburndale, Winter Haven are just to big. Theres too much unincorporated areas of Polk before he can do that.

I hope he doesnt. We have enough numbers and chiefs as it is and not enough people.

Don’t know how many PCSO employees are aware, the Sheriff met with four offices from BPD today. Advised the city no longer supports the PD. Sheriff further suggested members of BPD need to push for a merger. Offered salary increase and supervisors would keep their strips. Would be assigned to Bartow Area. I would also guess Ft. Meade will follow soon. If it can happen to BPD, no agency is safe.

How will PCSO members react to BPD supervisors, when your own members are trying to achieve advancement and have been passed over.

For those of you who haven't read the complete story on mergers with cities in Polk County, the cities pay the county for the services. However, at any time, any city, can disband their police department. And guess who is then responsible by state constitution to provide service to that area?? The Sheriff's Office. It is simple economics for cities to merge with the sheriff's office in this day of budget cuts and property tax rollbacks. It is like comparing Frostproof Hardware to The Home Depot. It is simple economics and if you can't understand that you shouldn't be carrying a gun.

I don't think many deputies are worried about former city supervisors holding rank over them. They will probably see great pleasure in them having to actually work for once and be accountable and responsible for their actions or inactions. As a deputy sheriff, I look forward to partnering with other cities to thrust Polk County into the future of law enforcement. We are cutting edge whether you want to believe it or not.

I actually got paid today for doing the things I get to do, can't beat it!

Stay safe!

To the above post,

You truly are a Judd Eye Knight, you must be on the promontional lists or a new be. You have a lot to learn about the politics of the SO.

what is it that makes the SO think they are better then the local pd's. do we all not do the same job, do we all not spill blood in the same mud. why do you think that their leaders are not accountable for their actions or inactions? i am truley sorry that the local pd's dont have the funding, equipment, and manpower the SO has, but that does not make them less of a LEO. some have complained about the academies not training the people and the cadets are still getting hired....well train them right, or get rid of them...yes its just that simple. as far as judd taking over the world, makes no difference to me, i will still get up every morning and put my uniform on and go out in the streets and do what it is i love to do.

manpower......hahahahaha. bartow has as many people working a shift as the whole of SW district does

If supporting my Sheriff and having a good attitude about my job makes me a Judd-I knight then so be it. Sounds like retiree still has axes to grind even after leaving the SO. I think we are better off without him.

My comments regarding "action or inaction" not only apply to city PDs but to the SO as well. It wasn't meant to be a jab at other agencies and I apologize if it was interpreted that way. With all this talk about manpower, it would be nice to hear some supervisors take some calls too. Leading from the front goes a long way when there are 5 people in briefing.

Many times I wish I was with a local PD ... more time to actually be a real cop and not an armed report writer running my freakin' a$$ off from call to call to call to ....

.. nothing wrong with being with a smaller PD.

Hmmmm do you mean a department that frequently is seen parked talking to friends/family? Or one that is usually under the first shade tree they see, sitting, talking on a cell phone... with the AC running? Or one that you see driving down the road.... and observe a car running a redlight (usually at 60/98) and doesn't do a thing about it? Yeah... I'd think that'd be a great job.

Hmmmm do you mean a department that frequently is seen parked talking to friends/family? Or one that is usually under the first shade tree they see, sitting, talking on a cell phone... with the AC running? Or one that you see driving down the road.... and observe a car running a redlight (usually at 60/98) and doesn't do a thing about it? Yeah... I'd think that'd be a great job.

Well we can for certain cross "angel" off the LEO list. By that comment its obvious, angel is one of our civil visitors.

Hmmmm do you mean a department that frequently is seen parked talking to friends/family? Or one that is usually under the first shade tree they see, sitting, talking on a cell phone... with the AC running? Or one that you see driving down the road.... and observe a car running a redlight (usually at 60/98) and doesn't do a thing about it? Yeah... I'd think that'd be a great job.

Well we can for certain cross "angel" off the LEO list. By that comment its obvious, angel is one of our civil visitors.

Hmmmm do you mean a department that frequently is seen parked talking to friends/family? Or one that is usually under the first shade tree they see, sitting, talking on a cell phone... with the AC running? Or one that you see driving down the road.... and observe a car running a redlight (usually at 60/98) and doesn't do a thing about it? Yeah... I'd think that'd be a great job.

Well we can for certain cross "angel" off the LEO list. By that comment its obvious, angel is one of our civil visitors.

Leoguest either you are a detective, or admin, or just plain stupid. Do I need to remind people of what goes on at Bartow P. D.? You have 6 people if you are lucky to a shift. Now lets break it all down........ One Sergeant which they all will say they work hard. But hanging out at the P. D. doing nothing is not much harder than the Major's job. Oh I am sorry, you might have to do an hours worth of work at the end of the shift, checking paperwork and all. Hell I knew a Sergeant once, no names, that would spend the entire shifts at an apartment at Orange Avenue and Wabash St. Okay next you have a corporal. There are a couple of corporals that will work, however, the majority disappear throughout most of their shift. If the corporal is a hard worker, they might check the paperwork at the end of the day, or do a few back ups during their shift. That leaves four patrol officers, or like usual...Three officers and maybe a P. S. A. Now these officers are running calls usually back to back. As far as sitting under a shady tree, talking on a cell. You are usually sitting under the shady tree, trying to get caught up from all the reports you took and you are talking on your cell attempting to get information you failed to get at the scene. When you see someone running the red light at 60 and 98, you are either on your way to call....and there is no one else going to take the call for you, or you are so down with reports you don't have to do anything about this major civil infraction, because you are too busy working all the criminal stuff that occurs in your fine community.

Now in defense of angel. There have been several officers in the past and present that do nothing all day. I am sure every agency has these types of officers/employees. I could come up with a nice list of these employees from Bartow, but I could also come up with a full list of other employees that work hard.

I keep hearing how harder a Deputy's job is compared to an Officer's job. I would have to walk in a Deputy's shoes at least once before I could compare the two.

Now I read in one post where these Deputy's think they are better than the local police. I have been around long enough to remember a time, where the Sheriff's Office was one of the lowest paying agencies around. We made fun of Deputy's because they were the rejects that the local agencies wouldn't take. Irony would have it, that these same rejects are now the supervisors at with the S. O. that have made it a much better place to work. My hat is off to the Sheriff and Sheriff Crow. They turned a DUMP into a very respectable agency.

Leoguest either you are a detective, or admin, or just plain stupid. Do I need to remind people of what goes on at Bartow P. D.? You have 6 people if you are lucky to a shift. Now lets break it all down........ One Sergeant which they all will say they work hard. But hanging out at the P. D. doing nothing is not much harder than the Major's job. Oh I am sorry, you might have to do an hours worth of work at the end of the shift, checking paperwork and all. Hell I knew a Sergeant once, no names, that would spend the entire shifts at an apartment at Orange Avenue and Wabash St. Okay next you have a corporal. There are a couple of corporals that will work, however, the majority disappear throughout most of their shift. If the corporal is a hard worker, they might check the paperwork at the end of the day, or do a few back ups during their shift. That leaves four patrol officers, or like usual...Three officers and maybe a P. S. A. Now these officers are running calls usually back to back. As far as sitting under a shady tree, talking on a cell. You are usually sitting under the shady tree, trying to get caught up from all the reports you took and you are talking on your cell attempting to get information you failed to get at the scene. When you see someone running the red light at 60 and 98, you are either on your way to call....and there is no one else going to take the call for you, or you are so down with reports you don't have to do anything about this major civil infraction, because you are too busy working all the criminal stuff that occurs in your fine community.

Now in defense of angel. There have been several officers in the past and present that do nothing all day. I am sure every agency has these types of officers/employees. I could come up with a nice list of these employees from Bartow, but I could also come up with a full list of other employees that work hard.

I keep hearing how harder a Deputy's job is compared to an Officer's job. I would have to walk in a Deputy's shoes at least once before I could compare the two.

Now I read in one post where these Deputy's think they are better than the local police. I have been around long enough to remember a time, where the Sheriff's Office was one of the lowest paying agencies around. We made fun of Deputy's because they were the rejects that the local agencies wouldn't take. Irony would have it, that these same rejects are now the supervisors at with the S. O. that have made it a much better place to work. My hat is off to the Sheriff and Sheriff Crow. They turned a DUMP into a very respectable agency.

Leoguest either you are a detective, or admin, or just plain stupid. Do I need to remind people of what goes on at Bartow P. D.? You have 6 people if you are lucky to a shift. Now lets break it all down........ One Sergeant which they all will say they work hard. But hanging out at the P. D. doing nothing is not much harder than the Major's job. Oh I am sorry, you might have to do an hours worth of work at the end of the shift, checking paperwork and all. Hell I knew a Sergeant once, no names, that would spend the entire shifts at an apartment at Orange Avenue and Wabash St. Okay next you have a corporal. There are a couple of corporals that will work, however, the majority disappear throughout most of their shift. If the corporal is a hard worker, they might check the paperwork at the end of the day, or do a few back ups during their shift. That leaves four patrol officers, or like usual...Three officers and maybe a P. S. A. Now these officers are running calls usually back to back. As far as sitting under a shady tree, talking on a cell. You are usually sitting under the shady tree, trying to get caught up from all the reports you took and you are talking on your cell attempting to get information you failed to get at the scene. When you see someone running the red light at 60 and 98, you are either on your way to call....and there is no one else going to take the call for you, or you are so down with reports you don't have to do anything about this major civil infraction, because you are too busy working all the criminal stuff that occurs in your fine community.

Now in defense of angel. There have been several officers in the past and present that do nothing all day. I am sure every agency has these types of officers/employees. I could come up with a nice list of these employees from Bartow, but I could also come up with a full list of other employees that work hard.

I keep hearing how harder a Deputy's job is compared to an Officer's job. I would have to walk in a Deputy's shoes at least once before I could compare the two.

Now I read in one post where these Deputy's think they are better than the local police. I have been around long enough to remember a time, where the Sheriff's Office was one of the lowest paying agencies around. We made fun of Deputy's because they were the rejects that the local agencies wouldn't take. Irony would have it, that these same rejects are now the supervisors at with the S. O. that have made it a much better place to work. My hat is off to the Sheriff and Sheriff Crow. They turned a DUMP into a very respectable agency.

yourdaddy

The comments indicate low self-esteem. Reading a majority of these posts, and which the public also views, indicates how immature some of the members are. I am truly amazed how it’s portrayed that it’s always someone else’s fault. When are these individuals who degrade others going to take responsibility for their own actions, or lack of action!

The agency is not the problem, its those who lost focus on what they swore an oath to perform!

And you wonder why many citizens have lost confidence in their Law Enforcement Agencies.

My Husband is an officer at BPD and I really just don't see it happening the majority is not for it. They are about the small town effect. I also don't see the citizens going for it either. They are used to being pampered per say.

To the above, post Grady does not care who he hurts, he just wants the power, be very careful !!

This is my thoughts on this. I have read this for quite some time. There is no difference between city and county and state officers... it is all of what you make of it.

If you are lazy and worthless, it doesnt matter what color uniform you wear.. u are still lazy and worthless. That shade tree is your resting place from finding anything that might involve you finding a report. Youre report tree is 3 hours sitting at the office trying to finish up a 3 page report.

If you work hard, it doesnt matter what uniform you wear, you still work hard. That shade tree is then your shade so you can sit and do reports, be near your radio to hear calls for service and reduce the friggin searing heat from the sun to make the car a little more cooler so you can do the report.

I have never been to a city PD.. but I have plenty of friends who are. They are much more closenit then us in the county. Lately, each training we have, ALERT, Customer Care.. there are more members that I dont know then I do know.

We all do the same job.

But for the City PDs, they are ran by their city government. If their government says, okay the police department needs to go, they can lay you off and you have to find another job. Now, they are going to the county and saying, look, you have to protect our city irregardless, if you render your services, can you take our officers...

Dont take this wrong, I am not a Juddi-Knight and dont care to be. We all do the same job.