Example of more waste

[IUPA comrade]

This was just posted on NBC-2.com and in my opinion, they did not do a thorough enough investigation. Martha is the same person who was given a raise last year with NO title change and thus far due to this lack luster performance, has shown no reason for deserving this raise. So, why was it given? The agency is spending tens of thousands of dollars monthly to maintain a program we were supposed to have implemented over 18 months ago. How is that fiscal responsibility by our administration? When is the public and certified employees of this agency going to start holding them accountable for their actions, including those of the sheriff? We all know and it has been proven the civilians have been taken care of by this administration. Time is up. We must act now, vote in the union for our own protection to prevent further waste and cuts to certified officers. CORRECTIONS, YOU NEED TO GET YOUR HEADS OUT OF THE SAND AND START GETTING CARDS SIGNED NOW! Sergeants and below in corrections are eligible for a vote, take the initiative and go to our site and download a card and send it in to start the campaign. NO ONE will know you did, they cannot be subpoenaed and cannot be 119'd http://www.leecountysheriffsdeputiesforiupa.org/.


http://www.nbc-2.com/Global/story.asp?S=12964479
Lee County sitting on $1M in unused resources

Posted: Aug 11, 2010 4:43 PM
Updated: Aug 11, 2010 6:22 PM
LEE COUNTY: The Lee County Sheriff's Office bought computer software in 2007 that could help catch criminals faster, but it has since gone unused. NBC2 Investigator Andy Pierotti found out why there has been a delay and how much taxpayers have lost.

With 10-foot razor-sharp fences, and guards watching in towers above, it's hard to think anyone could escape from the Indian River County Jail. A few years ago Keith Carter did, and he almost got away with it.

"We knew he was supposed to be in custody," said IT Director Carol Greenlee of the Indian River County Sheriff's Office.

She says deputies caught him after he was pulled over for a traffic stop shortly after the escape. After running his name into computer software called New World Systems, the county realized he was supposed to be behind bars.

"Prior to this system, there would have been no way for our dispatch to know that this guy should have been in jail and that he had just escaped," Greenlee said.

New World Systems is designed to consolidate many records into one system. So, when a deputy searches for someone's name, it finds their criminal history, warrants, sex offender registry, and prior bookings at the same time.

The NBC2 Investigators discovered the Lee County Sheriff's Office purchased the same software in 2007 for $704,500 and pays about $100,000 a year to maintain it.

The problem is that it has never been used.

"We've had difficulties getting it all working smoothly, just writing the code. We've also had some difficulty with New World, not meeting schedules as well as they thought they would," said Martha Stevenson of the Lee County Sheriff's Office. Maybe they should have planned this entire process out better. Consulted some other people in the agency who have I.T degrees that could have offered advice and saved us some money.

Stevenson is the programming manager who is in charge of maintaining the computer systems at the sheriff's office.

Stevenson says the sheriff's office did not anticipate problems with the installation before purchasing it. sounds like poor planning, or "poor judgment" can we have a raise too if we waste $1 million in tax payer money?

"I can pretty much tell you that we hadn't seen as big of a problem as it turned out to be," she said. really ya think?

Indian River was able to install the system in just a few months. Greenlee said it saves time and taxpayer dollars and, "it gives them a lot more tools to know what they've got when they first stopped [criminals]." I wonder if Martha reached out to them and asked for help? Some people here have egos that are too big for that to happen.

Greenlee says it installed its software in about nine months, but didn't install it with as much archived data as Lee County is currently trying to do.

The sheriff's office hopes to get the software running in six to eight weeks. Hopes? Wow, I think we all hope to have Publishers Clearing House come to our home with that big check too. 6 months ago they said the same thing '6-8 weeks.' Tick-Tock. Since when do we run law enforcement agencies on hope. What kind of answer is that? Planning needs to go into a massive I.T undertaking like this to make sure all systems are compatible. If not, figure out what needs to change and the most cost effective way to do it.

By Andy Pierotti

Speaking of waste,

Frontline, how much more money are we going to throw away? Let's switch to Smart Cop, FHP tested and they love it!

Booking station computers at the district. You can make 2 trips to the jail in the amount of time it takes you to use one of these things.

Wasting money on cell phone minutes, instead of Nextel's PTT, which was free.

PREACH ON !!!

MS civilans running the tech department; and weren't they the ones who received a raise in pay, waste tax dollars. Now we see what it takes to get a raise. :shock:

Can someone please bring me a barf bucket? Thank you....

[IUPA comrade]

Can someone please bring me a barf bucket? Thank you....

I know, it does make you sick. Worse, this is the type of waste we KNOW about. What other waste of money and resources is happening that we heard is going on but can only speculate? An outside independent audit and forensic review will reveal this. I know MS will say they had an audit and they passed. But I can hire anyone and that person will do and say what I tell them, they work for me, right? Further, should we agree the audit passed just because he smiled and said so? I don't think so. Those smiles and handshakes have run their course and we all know, based on opinion of their practices, what is said is different than what is done.

Cars need to be pulled from civilians immediately. If they need one for company use, take a pool car. This begins with the budget director and attorneys and trickles all the way down to the victim advocates and tech services. Did you know that civilians given cars for company use that are used for off duty time or for transportation to and from work must claim that use as a benefit on their income taxes and track the mileage (sworn LEO's are exempt)? How many of them do it? Sounds like IRS may need to do some auditing on some income tax returns. Not only do some of these civilians drive new cars, but SUV's!

Can someone please bring me a barf bucket? Thank you....

I know, it does make you sick. Worse, this is the type of waste we KNOW about. What other waste of money and resources is happening that we heard is going on but can only speculate? An outside independent audit and forensic review will reveal this. I know MS will say they had an audit and they passed. But I can hire anyone and that person will do and say what I tell them, they work for me, right? Further, should we agree the audit passed just because he smiled and said so? I don't think so. Those smiles and handshakes have run their course and we all know, based on opinion of their practices, what is said is different than what is done.

Cars need to be pulled from civilians immediately. If they need one for company use, take a pool car. This begins with the budget director and attorneys and trickles all the way down to the victim advocates and tech services. Did you know that civilians given cars for company use that are used for off duty time or for transportation to and from work must claim that use as a benefit on their income taxes and track the mileage (sworn LEO's are exempt)? How many of them do it? Sounds like IRS may need to do some auditing on some income tax returns. Not only do some of these civilians drive new cars, but SUV's!

Let me see If can answer this question .... NONE. That's correct their car is an added benefit.