03-14-2011, 06:22 PM
I would like to begin by noting that most of us are aware that the media, namely the Herald Tribune is not law enforcement's friend. The papers only like to publish what may shade a negative light on Leo's. The local media also chooses not to publish things that may make our sunny little town look negative I.e. A man shot in the street of St. Armands Circle a year ago and this never made the news.
I digress, the reason I'm writing hear today is in the hopes that a media outlet like the Herald Tribune will read this and maybe run with some of the information I will be providing.
First, the city of Sarasota has a gag order on it's employees in regards to anything that may be deemed negative, regardless of the truth. Our agency has downsized tremendously in the past year. Most recently we are down to ONE district Lieutenant who is assigned to the North District (Newtown). We are not allowed to speak of this. We no longer have a transient coordinator. There is one guy now in charge of the civilian volunteers, silver alert, crime prevention, and all the duties that the transient coordinator had. We got rid of most of our career development positions, and we have reduced the Street Crimes Unit (TAC) in charge of warrants, prostitution stings etc. From ten to six. The city has also not filled the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force position.
All of these cuts in mind we are getting emails from the command staff how to reduce our budget further. Here are some suggestions:
1. don't pay the city manager 220,000 a year (includes maxing out his 401K)
2. don't pay $200.00 an oil change from our cost center to the city's public works cost center.
3. Don't pay an outside consultant $60,000 to review 240 level of resistance forms that have no complainant.
4. Don't have the police have to pay to maintain and clean the new city parking garage on Palm Ave.
The City of Sarasota utilizes a shell game in order to funnel money put into the police budget to fund other city cost centers. The city used to over inflate the cost of our fleet fuel to subsidize other city departments. Once people discovered this, the city decided to make the police fleet maintenance department part of the city's public works and bill the Police for all fleet maintenance at $100.00 an hour rounding up to the next hour. The current rate for one standard oil service for a police car is $200.00.
Our cost center pays for the maintenance and cleaning of the new public parking garage.
The city, namely the city manager and deputy manager, assumed because SPD had 240 level of resistance reports that it meant we had 240 level of resistance complaints.NO that simply meant we document all of our use of force for liability and accountability. Instead of allowing our command staff run the department, the city manager and deputy manager took it upon themselves to hire and pay a consultant $60,000 to review 240 reports with no complaints.
The poor spending practices of the city manager and the trickery with the police budget is what should be focused on and not the men and women who devote and sometimes give their lives to this city.
The manager knows people will pay for public safety so he puts the money in the police budget so he can then funnel it out and pay for other non essential projects like parking garages, more parks, and an overpriced piece of grass once known as the Score Board.
Lastly, I hope this makes it to someone who will be as outraged as I am. I know the command staff will read this since this was the only way we got them to attend the last funeral of a fallen fellow officer.
I digress, the reason I'm writing hear today is in the hopes that a media outlet like the Herald Tribune will read this and maybe run with some of the information I will be providing.
First, the city of Sarasota has a gag order on it's employees in regards to anything that may be deemed negative, regardless of the truth. Our agency has downsized tremendously in the past year. Most recently we are down to ONE district Lieutenant who is assigned to the North District (Newtown). We are not allowed to speak of this. We no longer have a transient coordinator. There is one guy now in charge of the civilian volunteers, silver alert, crime prevention, and all the duties that the transient coordinator had. We got rid of most of our career development positions, and we have reduced the Street Crimes Unit (TAC) in charge of warrants, prostitution stings etc. From ten to six. The city has also not filled the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force position.
All of these cuts in mind we are getting emails from the command staff how to reduce our budget further. Here are some suggestions:
1. don't pay the city manager 220,000 a year (includes maxing out his 401K)
2. don't pay $200.00 an oil change from our cost center to the city's public works cost center.
3. Don't pay an outside consultant $60,000 to review 240 level of resistance forms that have no complainant.
4. Don't have the police have to pay to maintain and clean the new city parking garage on Palm Ave.
The City of Sarasota utilizes a shell game in order to funnel money put into the police budget to fund other city cost centers. The city used to over inflate the cost of our fleet fuel to subsidize other city departments. Once people discovered this, the city decided to make the police fleet maintenance department part of the city's public works and bill the Police for all fleet maintenance at $100.00 an hour rounding up to the next hour. The current rate for one standard oil service for a police car is $200.00.
Our cost center pays for the maintenance and cleaning of the new public parking garage.
The city, namely the city manager and deputy manager, assumed because SPD had 240 level of resistance reports that it meant we had 240 level of resistance complaints.NO that simply meant we document all of our use of force for liability and accountability. Instead of allowing our command staff run the department, the city manager and deputy manager took it upon themselves to hire and pay a consultant $60,000 to review 240 reports with no complaints.
The poor spending practices of the city manager and the trickery with the police budget is what should be focused on and not the men and women who devote and sometimes give their lives to this city.
The manager knows people will pay for public safety so he puts the money in the police budget so he can then funnel it out and pay for other non essential projects like parking garages, more parks, and an overpriced piece of grass once known as the Score Board.
Lastly, I hope this makes it to someone who will be as outraged as I am. I know the command staff will read this since this was the only way we got them to attend the last funeral of a fallen fellow officer.