Speak up & get shafted it's the way of the CCSO
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  1. #1
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    Speak up & get shafted it's the way of the CCSO

    Collier deputy transferred after disparaging comments on Web site
    By RYAN MILLS (Contact)
    Originally published 4:44 p.m., Thursday, June 25, 2009
    Updated 4:54 p.m., Thursday, June 25, 2009


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    A 20-year member of the Collier County Sheriff’s Office was transferred out of the agency’s traffic unit recently, after it came to light that he had posted "malicious" comments about a fellow deputy on an online message board.

    Cpl. Paul Boliek, 41, was verbally cautioned about the online postings and transferred to patrol in Golden Gate Estates, Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Karie Partington said. The transfer, which occurred on June 17, was not a demotion.

    "No, its lateral, and its not a disciplinary thing," Partington said. "To stay where he was had the potential to be disruptive in the short term."

    On May 29, Boliek posted a comment on the online law enforcement message board LEOAffairs.com regarding the Sheriff’s Office’s investigation into a deadly crash involving the son of Dr. Ricardo Rivas, a local psychologist who has worked as a contract vendor with the agency for about 15 years. The headline on the entire thread of posts was "Conflict of Interest?"

    Boliek identified himself by his agency identifier, t311, according to a memo from Lt. Harold Minch who oversees the traffic unit.

    "I do think that we should not be primary on the Rivas crash," Boliek wrote. "Too many Deputies have been to him either during their hiring process or later when they have problems at home and can’t figure things out on their own, that alone should preclude the agency from being number one."

    Boliek also made comments about the lead traffic homicide investigator on the case, Cpl. Karen Hebebrand, identifying her as KH.

    "KH has some issues that she needs to work out," Boliek wrote. "Maybe that’s why she is doing the Rivas crash, she might have a debt to pay. ... My crash knowledge is weak at best but shortly after I went to my one and only crash class I saw KH work a crash. That’s (sic) put it this way. One of my instructors spit coffee on me when I told him she was one of our thi’s."

    According to his memo, Minch learned about the comments when someone copied them and left them in his office.

    Minch called the Boliek’s comments "insulting, defaming, and ... malicious." When Minch confronted him about the comments, Boliek admitted to writing them.

    Minch requested that Boliek be transferred out of the unit, calling the comments "a public embarrassment for the entire agency."

    In a separate memo, Commander Bob Lewis recommended that Boliek be transferred to corrections, but also questioned whether termination was appropriate.

    "To terminate his employment may seem retaliatory and corrective measures are not retaliatory, although termination is certainly within the realm of possibility based on the infractions listed," Lewis wrote.

    Boliek earns $76,985.74 a year, the Sheriff’s Office reported.

    "They just reviewed all the circumstances and the (discipline and) appeals committee felt this was the appropriate action to take," Partington said.

    In his memo, Minch also called out another poster on the thread, identified only as "guestus," who said he or she is in the traffic unit, made disparaging comments about Hebebrand and said the Rivas investigation is "a monster and our unit can not weather this approaching storm."

    "I have not identified the other individual involved," Minch wrote, "and will not be conducting any type of Witch Hunt to find them."

    On June 5, the Sheriff’s Office released a new non-agency Web site policy that prohibits agency employees from posting "references to or about" the Sheriff’s Office, agency staff or agency information obtained in a member’s official capacity. Chief Greg Smith said at the time that the new policy was in the works at least three months before Boliek’s posts.

  2. #2
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    Re: Speak up & get shafted it's the way of the CCSO

    suggest you see this posting at hcso

    http://forums.leoaffairs.com/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=88067

  3. #3
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    Re: Speak up & get shafted it's the way of the CCSO

    Who is Minch to say someone violated policy by making disperaging comments. Thats calling the kettle black!

    He did exactly the same thing a few years ago when he thought he was going out west to be a cop. He bad mouthed this agency and all of the command staff for months on end. We all had to hear him go on and on about how bad the agency was but I guess somehow he found Christ and became a born-again deputy. Well too bad someone didn't jam paper on him. Now he wants to jam up a veteran deputy for stating what he believed to be the truth?

    If I were PB supervisor I would have handled this in my own unit. There is no need to run to the chief over something like this in my opinion.

    The ony one who looks foolish in this article is Minch himself in my opinion.

    Good luck PB, it does not matter where they put you, you will shine because you have work ethics and integrity. And if they did not tell you I will, thanks for telling the truth. At some point the command staff will be forced to deal with the issues in STEB.

  4. #4
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    Re: Speak up & get shafted it's the way of the CCSO

    Quote Originally Posted by Anti-Hyprocrite
    Who is Minch to say someone violated policy by making disperaging comments. Thats calling the kettle black!

    He did exactly the same thing a few years ago when he thought he was going out west to be a cop. He bad mouthed this agency and all of the command staff for months on end. We all had to hear him go on and on about how bad the agency was but I guess somehow he found Christ and became a born-again deputy. Well too bad someone didn't jam paper on him. Now he wants to jam up a veteran deputy for stating what he believed to be the truth?

    If I were PB supervisor I would have handled this in my own unit. There is no need to run to the chief over something like this in my opinion.

    The ony one who looks foolish in this article is Minch himself in my opinion.

    Good luck PB, it does not matter where they put you, you will shine because you have work ethics and integrity. And if they did not tell you I will, thanks for telling the truth. At some point the command staff will be forced to deal with the issues in STEB.
    Now now, don't upset HM or he'll have his mom get involved!

  5. #5
    Guest

    Re: Speak up & get shafted it's the way of the CCSO

    Do you honestly think that you can say those types of things about a fellow co-worker and your supervisors and still be allowed to work along side of them? How well would you work with someone on a daily basis if they had just talked smack about you publicly. If you want to be able to talk freely about your boss is an idiot without repercussions, go work for yourself.

  6. #6
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    Re: Speak up & get shafted it's the way of the CCSO

    Ladies and Gentlemen-

    YOU WILL RESPECT MY AUTHORITY!

  7. #7
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    Re: Speak up & get shafted it's the way of the CCSO

    Quote Originally Posted by Guest
    Do you honestly think that you can say those types of things about a fellow co-worker and your supervisors and still be allowed to work along side of them? How well would you work with someone on a daily basis if they had just talked smack about you publicly. If you want to be able to talk freely about your boss is an idiot without repercussions, go work for yourself.

    In law enforcement you are talked about everyday by all of your co-workers, that is just the nature of the job. At least on LeoAffairs you actually know what they are saying. Who says it really does not matter...

  8. #8
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    Re: Speak up & get shafted it's the way of the CCSO

    I agree that we should not be posting negative things on a public site. But I am also tried of the double standards. Do your job the best you can, don't post or talk negative about the agency outside. And when you hear your COC talking negative or criticizing, as they often do, document time, place, who was present and what was said. If they play favorites with the rules, document that too. Start now. Even if you don't feel you need it. You never know when you will be the targeted one.

  9. #9
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    Re: Speak up & get shafted it's the way of the CCSO

    Post Removed

  10. #10
    Guest

    Re: Speak up & get shafted it's the way of the CCSO

    Ok. Here is my 2 cents.
    I honestly believe that Sheriff Rambosk is trying to make things better. I do not think he knows or would approve of the way some of the supervisors do things or treat people. They create a very negative work environment.
    If you report the problems the way you are suppose to, it just makes things worse. First, you are told there is nothing the next in line can do about the problem and then they tell your supervisor you complained and it makes things worse.
    I too agree that this is not the place to air these problems but there is no other way to do it. Let me repeat, the proper channels don't always work.

    We all know that the Admin people read this site. Please give us a way to report and deal with these problems. Lets handle our problems in private.

    We are initiating a lot of programs for the public to communicate their problems and concerns. Give the agency members the same opportunity. Lets bridge our gap and get back to providing the best service we can for our community.

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