Serious Issues

Rumor has it that a captain and possibly two and others might be stepping down. This is unfortunate that administrators and supervisors are stepping down due to one persons failure to quit and get the hell out of here. City Officials better wake up and solve this problem now or there will be a "Nightmare on 8th Street." Us citizen's need to band together now and bring this issue to City Council and help save what experienced home grown officers we have left or we will be sorry. As a citizen of this community, please refrain from leaving until this issue gets resolved. We know this outsider chief needs to go! We appreciate your service and protection from the bad element in this community and we will return the favor on your bad element you all are dealing with. Thanks again for your protection 7 days a week 24 hours a day.

I know you are concerned, there is no point in posting anything here. It goes in one ear and out the other, reporters and citizens also read this forum and nothing gets done. If its true what you say about officers stepping down then maybe if thats what it takes to turn heads then its sad. Everytime some one gripes about the chief here he thinks its a joke he loves it, so we need not to give him the satisfaction! He has ran ZPD so far down to look up is gut wrenching. You definitely need to go to a meeting and voice your opinion I know the city manager is pretty much tone deaf but if you get enough people someone will have to listen. See if officers have a problem they have to go thru the chain of command, so if they have a problem with the chief they MUST GO TO THE CHIEF AND SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES IF THEY DONT GO TO THE CHIEF WITH THEIR COMPLAINTS THEY GET WRITTEN UP (catch 22) most of the officers dont say anything and hope for a change, if I were an officer I would say whats the use.... ZPD is ran by a dangerous, ignorant guy ( he has not earned the right to be called a man ) the officers need your voices and prayers....

Clem

Rumor has it that a captain and possibly two and others might be stepping down. This is unfortunate that administrators and supervisors are stepping down due to one persons failure to quit and get the hell out of here. City Officials better wake up and solve this problem now or there will be a "Nightmare on 8th Street." Us citizen's need to band together now and bring this issue to City Council and help save what experienced home grown officers we have left or we will be sorry. As a citizen of this community, please refrain from leaving until this issue gets resolved. We know this outsider chief needs to go! We appreciate your service and protection from the bad element in this community and we will return the favor on your bad element you all are dealing with. Thanks again for your protection 7 days a week 24 hours a day.

Has a Captain stepped down yet? A whole lot has come up since this post. When is this chief going to be fired?

Police Captain Requests Demotion
By NICOLA M. WHITE The Tampa Tribune

Published: Mar 15, 2007

ZEPHYRHILLS - Frustrated by his department's leadership, Randy Belasic, one of the Zephyrhills Police Department's two captains, has asked to be demoted.

Going back to a sergeant's rank would mean a pay cut of at least 10 percent for Belasic, the department's administrative support services captain and public information officer. The starting salary for a Zephyrhills police sergeant is $41,080, and the starting salary for a captain is $49,920. Belasic earns $54,898, according to city records.

On Wednesday, Belasic said he is so tired of his job he would be willing to take a pay cut.

"You work to try to get things accomplished, and it's just aggravating," Belasic said. "The support, it's not there."

Belasic's request to step down from the department's second-highest job may indicate simmering internal problems at the agency, which has seen its share of ups and downs in recent years.

The move also puts heat on Police Chief Russell Barnes, who took over the department in November 2003.

Barnes, who will have the final say about whether Belasic, 38, is demoted, said Wednesday that he had been working with the department's captains and sergeants to resolve internal problems.

"I think there's things that could definitely be improved, and we're working to do that," Barnes said. "I think things are moving in a much better direction now."

Belasic, a Zephyrhills native who has been with the department since 1990, said he has become so frustrated that he contemplated retiring and moving to another state.

"I've been in disagreeance with the direction it's going," he said of the department. "I find myself getting more cynical."

For example, as the department's administrative captain, Belasic said he is supposed to review and approve purchase orders. But he said he is unsure about how much money the department is spending because Barnes has taken control of the budget.

"If you asked me now what was in the budget, I could only tell you what the chief tells me," he said.

As a sergeant, Belasic would work a patrol shift again. By working more closely with line officers, he said he could do more to improve morale.

Barnes said he hopes Belasic will stay on as a captain.

Belasic was one of two internal candidates for the police chief job in 2003 when the job went to Barnes, who was then the police chief in Sequim, Wash.

Barnes has overseen growth in the department and has pushed the city to hire more police officers to keep pace with the city's growing population.

At the same time, he has weathered a fair amount of criticism.

In 2006, after the rank-and-file spoke loudly about low morale and poor equipment, Zephyrhills officers voted unanimously to form a union. Shortly after that, Barnes fired Officer Ron Clark, a former pastor of a Tampa megachurch whose rancorous divorce drew unwanted attention - an officer many said he should not have hired.

Last month, the chief came under fire for not following city purchasing procedure in buying a batch of stun guns and apologized before the city council.

Clem here back on the attack! Boy oh boy chief I leave for a while and when I think you cant drag the department any lower lookey what you went and done! You know that you should be the one busting your self down or resigning, the job is taking a toll on you boy, last time I saw that much white hair well was on santa clause. Any way come clean chief we need truthfullness not, I made a mistake, they misunderstood me oh I didnt understand the rules???? Cant an officer get written up for using the same explinations? Do us a favor and get lost! Keep the Captains and you leave!!!! No matter how you sugar coat it ITS YOUR FAULT THAT THE DEPARTMENT MORAL IS SO LOW! Gee what would happen if everyone wanted to go back to patrol? Keep up the good work you waste of space.

If it happened on your watch & your the boss -its your bag.

Enough of hiding behind buildings, peaering aroung corners and working on your personal vendettas. Since your a sworn officer, try acting like one.
Instead of playing games try to enforce the law for a change.

You have a pedestrian crossing that is clearly marked on 5th Ave. But do you do anything about the speeders there and the drivers that dont obey the law when someone is in the crosswalk. Heck No, your conviently somewhere else hiding, peeking and sendings officers to take care of any vilations that you witness. The officers are very apologetic. If it was up to me, I'd give you a warning but the chief ordered it.

Low and behold, look around quickly, and you will see the pompus authority peeking aroung the corner, sitting down the street to see if the officer did what he told them.

Perhaps that's why, I can sit in the parking area of radiant and count 34 red light vilations and asome near misses in an hour in the middle of the day in one hour. Where are your officers? Out doing some of you idiotic assignments.

You have good officers in this city. Once in a while you may get one that's not up to par and before long it catches up with them and they are sent packing, or quit. Don't lose the good ones that you have. It's time the council wakes up and does something about the current problem with morale. No one else can do it. I've known a lot of the officers for years, I respect them and the job they do. They deserve the kudosI THINK SOME OF THE POLICE EXPLORES COULD DO THE JOB BETTER THAN YOU CAN CHIEF. Other agencies are willing to take your officers gladly and give them a sign on bonus as well. Oh by the way some of the other agencies that have to deal with you - can't stand you either. Has your vehicle been towed from Chili's lately because you couldn't drive it?

If it happened on your watch & your the boss -its your bag.

Enough of hiding behind buildings, peaering aroung corners and working on your personal vendettas. Since your a sworn officer, try acting like one.
Instead of playing games try to enforce the law for a change.

You have a pedestrian crossing that is clearly marked on 5th Ave. But do you do anything about the speeders there and the drivers that dont obey the law when someone is in the crosswalk. Heck No, your conviently somewhere else hiding, peeking and sendings officers to take care of any violations that you witness. The officers are very apologetic. If it was up to me, I'd give you a warning but the chief ordered it.

Low and behold, look around quickly, and you will see the pompus authority peeking aroung the corner, sitting down the street to see if the officer did what he told them.

Perhaps that's why, I can sit in the parking area of radiant and count 34 red light vilations and some near misses in an hour in the middle of the day in one hour. Where are your officers? Out doing some of you idiotic assignments.

You have good officers in this city. Once in a while you may get one that's not up to par and before long it catches up with them and they are sent packing, or quit. Don't lose the good ones that you have. It's time the council wakes up and does something about the current problem with morale. No one else can do it. I've known a lot of the officers for years, I respect them and the job they do. They deserve the kudosI THINK SOME OF THE POLICE EXPLORERS COULD DO THE JOB BETTER THAN YOU CAN CHIEF. Other agencies are willing to take your officers gladly and give them a sign on bonus as well. Oh by the way some of the other agencies that have to deal with you - can't stand you either. Has your vehicle been towed from Chili's lately because you couldn't drive it?
The city and council may be blind or at there other jobs, but the citizens see it and enough is enough.