Consolidation

FYI, watch Patch.com and you will note Gualtieri saying he never told FOP President Walser he would not attempt consolidation of Clearwater PD. This was after he told the audience that consolidation make sense, saves money and that further consolidations are needed for the sheriffs office. How you guys look in green and white?

Hey Walser. What about the above post? Did you read it? I guess BG fooled you as he has done with everyone he makes promises to. What do you have to say about that? You need to be removed as President. Does anyone know when the next election is?

Next election should be in November for the Fraternal board NOT the Labor board. Please make sure you have your required amount of meetings if you choose to run. oh, and you better brush up on the by laws of the FOP too.

To Whom it may concern;

No Guest name here.... This is Walser if you would like a public copy of this email it is at the Lodge and is a permanent record at the Lodge Minutes. Say what you will, or type what you won't say in person, but what is in written form below was communicated to the membership by Gualtieri himself, but here is his written response.

From: W******
Sent: Friday
To: Gualtieri,Robert
Subject: Fraternal Order of Police Endorsement
Importance: High

Bob-

I wanted to again thank you for coming out to our membership meeting and speaking with our members. I would like to re-emphasize our concern over the issues of consolidation of Police Services for the City of Clearwater. We understand that these are unprecedented economic times and I know with your tenured time and service in Law Enforcement Community and your personal experience as a Dunedin Police Officer you can appreciate our heartfelt position. I am asking you to please clarify and assure our membership in the clearest understanding your views on consolidation. I am asking for your assurance that you will not actively engage in pursuing consolidation of Police Services for the City of Clearwater. Thank you for your time.

Jonathan Walser
President Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 10

From: Bob Gualtieri
Sent: Friday,
To: ********
Cc:
Subject: Fraternal Order of Police Endorsement

Jon,

Thank you for the opportunity to speak to FOP 10 and I very much appreciate your endorsement. As we discussed, my position on city police departments contracting with the Sheriff's Office is that it is a "local" issue for the city to decide and the Sheriff's role should be limited to answering questions and providing factual information as requested by the city. If I am asked by a city for information I will provide facts and answer questions directly but I will NOT lobby for or work to drive an outcome. I will not actively engage in pursuing consolidation of police services between the Sheriff's Office and the City of Clearwater, or any other city. I respect the right of the city commission or council and its citizens to make their own informed decision and my role will be limited to providing the information so they can make their own choice. Please let me know if you have any other questions.

Thanks...
Sheriff Bob Gualtieri

Ha Ha Ha there will be no Green and White for us, it is locked in the Contract until 2015 guess we'll see you on this board then........

[Lenny Briscoe]

It certainly is difficult to understand why many CPD officers are so intent on endorsing Mr. Rice over the Sheriff. Did Mr. Rice bother come and address our membership and request our endorsment? At least the Sheriff did. Did Mr. Rice make a written statement as the Sheriff did to FOP 10 about consolidation? At least the Sheriff did. Mr. Rice makes it perfectly clear that he wants to take over all the police services in the county. It would seem logical that one would support the lesser of the two evils, the one that is least likely to kick you to the curb and not bat an eyelash. Otherwise, who cares who is Sheriff?? Certainly not I. We need to stick together and protect out own department and jobs, not give a hoot about who is elected the next sheriff.

FYI, watch Patch.com and you will note Gualtieri saying he never told FOP President Walser he would not attempt consolidation of Clearwater PD. This was after he told the audience that consolidation make sense, saves money and that further consolidations are needed for the sheriffs office. How you guys look in green and white?

I couldn't find the above mention on patch.com but i did find this and it is completely different then what the above mentioned is saying.....

Bob Gualtieri answers:

There are three certainties about the Sheriff's Office contracting with a city to be its law enforcement provider: 1) the city and its citizens will save a significant amount of money, if for no other reason than economies of scale; 2) the city will receive as good or better law enforcement services than it is currently receiving from its own police department, including "personalized service" and maintaining control of its policing; and 3) it is an emotionally charged issue that evokes significant debate on both sides of the issue.

I believe strongly in intergovernmental consolidations because they allow for a better, more efficient and cost effective delivery of services to our citizens. Government consolidations need to be the focus of future budget savings efforts as the unilateral cuts have largely been exhausted. Nevertheless, I also respect the right of city commissions/councils and their citizens to make their own decisions whether to contract with the Sheriff's Office or maintain their own police departments.

I believe the Sheriff's role in the process is to provide accurate fiscal and service level information, answer questions directly and then let the cities and their residents make their decision. I do not believe the Sheriff should "lobby" or work behind the scenes to advocate for "taking over" a police department.

There are many consolidation opportunities in Pinellas County but whether they will materialize is another question. I have and will continue to advocate for certain "functional consolidations." This is short of full consolidation and merges certain functions, such as forensics, property and evidence storage and dispatch.

I am a strong advocate for merging police dispatch centers throughout the county and especially the Sheriff's emergency communications with the County 911 call center. There is redundancy and wasted taxpayer resources by having both a Sheriff's emergency communications center and a County 911 call center when there can be greater efficiency and better service delivery by consolidating the two centers. Today, the different call centers cost Pinellas County taxpayers approximately $4.5 million each. Significant money can be saved by consolidating into one emergency communications center and the right time is now for that to happen. I am actively working with the County Commission to make this a reality.


The only thing I found him really wanting to consolidate is Comm. Centers...huh!

Here is Rice's response to consolidation....

Everett Rice answers:

The sheriff’s approach when a city is considering to consolidate its police department with the sheriff’s office is one in which I have unique and extensive experience. When I previously served as your sheriff I merged six city police departments into the sheriff’s office. This was unprecedented, in that, no prior sheriff merged so many police departments into the sheriff’s office. For years Pinellas County led the state in this regard.

My approach has been to meet the city’s request for information and educate both the city officials and citizens as to the advantages and disadvantages of the merger. In every case except one the city officials voted for the merger. In Dunedin, the citizens voted three to one to contract their police services from the sheriff’s office. Those mergers of police services have saved local taxpayers tens of millions of dollars.

One of the key policy decisions that I made in these mergers was that I would hire all existing line officers as deputy sheriff’s so they would not lose their jobs.

Incidentally, I would not promise the city police union that I would not seek to consolidate their police departm in order to get that union’s political endorsement. To put the local police union’s wishes ahead of the city commission and citizens for the sole purpose of getting their endorsement is a gross abuse of the office of sheriff.

A city’s decision to turn all police services over to the sheriff belongs to the city council and/or the citizens. The decision is not for the sheriff or the police union, but when the city initiates the discussion the sheriff should be ready to inform the citizens what to expect.

I am proud of my record and my approach when a city considers consolidating its police with the sheriff.


City of Clearwater did not and does not want to cosolidate and neither does a lot of the citizens because of the quality of professionalism that the clearwater police has to offer vs. the Sheriffs Department. Rice is willing to consolidate in a blink of an eye and his own words prove it.

That was his written response to Patch, what he said last night at the debate was different, different audience in attendance. If you have it in your contract till 2015 thats great, deputies could give a sht really. If Everett told you he is for it, at least he told you the truth. If Bob told you he wasnt, hes telling lies. We are use to it.

[Rahl]

When the latest scandal hits Clearwater PD your own city isn't going to want you and the citizens won't have you.

RAHL please get back on your meds!