Sun Sentinel Article October 14, 2008

[quote=Bored By U Losers][quote="The Gatekeeper":3alzko2e]

SO this is what we were all supposed to be waiting breathlessly for?!?!?!?! This article is typical of the drivel this woman always writes. She's once again spouting off at the mouth without bothering to verify any of her facts. No wonder they let her cover Wilton Manors. The only place with less going on would be Sea Ranch Lakes. Sorry, DR, your big, bad, explosive expose is a bust. GET A LIFE.

This is only the beginning. Just a little poke at the buffoons who run the city. Told you much more will come out when the time and place are right. Elizabeth actually had the facts right. This story will be published nationwide before the clock strikes 12. :P[/quote:3alzko2e]

"Published Nationwide" Yeah right! And what difference would it make to you? I doubt Highlights for Children will be carrying it, so none of your friends will be reading it. And beyond that little group, who are only interested because of your problems, really, NO ONE cares what goes on in WM. As I said before, why don't you GET A LIFE?!?Q You aren't part of this community in any way anymore, so butt out.[/quote:3alzko2e]\
Oh it will be published around the nation. This will be part of a lawsuit.It has nothing to do with children but if you want it to be it will. I AM part of this community so I have NO PROBLEMS but this CITY has I have Big problems with Joe Angelo and Scotty Boy Newton so lets put all the cards onb the table. If You have the balls....You guys and I use that term loosley have big, big problems, check the archived website, loved the sun sentinel article but it was only a poke.

This article was only the beginning. EC , GG & KJ , RP, DS have big problems. It will get wicked around halloween. Love it .The BISHOP>

[quote="Veteran Cop"]I know there a few people that feel the need to come on here and say all kinds of things about other people. I have bad news for you. I know of several Wilton Manors residents that are not city employees and are aware of this site. Whatever you may have been trying to accomplish, in some warped way, it is not going to happen. All of the garbage that is being said about others has turned these residents away from whatever you were trying to accomplish. You have turned these people against you rather than gaining their support. These people have their beliefs about who is posting all of this nonsense. I do not think they are far off the mark. There are a few malcontents that have many, many personalities on the site. They are some former employees as well as some current employees. The names may change by the minute, but the garbage remains the same. It has grown really stale. It is time to step back into reality, get on with your life, and do something productive instead of all of this garbage.

Do not be so stupid as to trash the sun-sentinel. RICK PEREZ IS A JOKE, and should be fired on 10/15/07/.

[quote=Rock On][quote="Bored By U Losers":1dd5jv5u][quote="The Gatekeeper":1dd5jv5u]

SO this is what we were all supposed to be waiting breathlessly for?!?!?!?! This article is typical of the drivel this woman always writes. She's once again spouting off at the mouth without bothering to verify any of her facts. No wonder they let her cover Wilton Manors. The only place with less going on would be Sea Ranch Lakes. Sorry, DR, your big, bad, explosive expose is a bust. GET A LIFE.

This is only the beginning. Just a little poke at the buffoons who run the city. Told you much more will come out when the time and place are right. Elizabeth actually had the facts right. This story will be published nationwide before the clock strikes 12. :P[/quote:1dd5jv5u]

"Published Nationwide" Yeah right! And what difference would it make to you? I doubt Highlights for Children will be carrying it, so none of your friends will be reading it. And beyond that little group, who are only interested because of your problems, really, NO ONE cares what goes on in WM. As I said before, why don't you GET A LIFE?!?Q You aren't part of this community in any way anymore, so butt out.[/quote:1dd5jv5u]\
Oh it will be published around the nation. This will be part of a lawsuit.It has nothing to do with children but if you want it to be it will. I AM part of this community so I have NO PROBLEMS but this CITY has I have Big problems with Joe Angelo and Scotty Boy Newton so lets put all the cards onb the table. If You have the balls....You guys and I use that term loosley have big, big problems, check the archived website, loved the sun sentinel article but it was only a poke.[/quote:1dd5jv5u]
Sent via E Mail to a national mag as it should be. PEREZ IS TOAST as he should be. He is nothing more than a pimple on real cops butt but he cannot match up to the past .

SO where is all the other national press??? 12 has come and gone, Just like you DR...SO go bother BSO NOW and leave WM alone...Dont you think everyone has figured out that you complain about everything and everyone....the citizens of WM are happy with our police Dept and city goverment.

SO where is all the other national press??? 12 has come and gone, Just like you DR...SO go bother BSO NOW and leave WM alone...Dont you think everyone has figured out that you complain about everything and everyone....the citizens of WM are happy with our police Dept and city goverment.

It was sent to a national magazine which will be doing a follow up. WMPD is going to look bad, really bad. As a resident and CITY EMPLOYEE, I am very UNHAPPY with the city goverment and police department, so how can you speak for every resident.Mayor Newton has to be the most clueless politician in Broward County. The issues are FAR removed from the PBA contract. The issues are Chief Perez and the Mayor calling the shots at the WMPD. I mean lets face it, Newton is nothing more than a person who fixes seats and headliners in cars. He thinks he can run a Police Department with a puppet on a string police chief and administration. Thats why over 25 people have left since Perez came in. Mr and Mrs Taxpayer think of what this has cost you as their is no retention done by the PD or HR ( whow that is a whole other story) in this city. And it gets worse each and every day that the both of them remain in office with the other puppet city manager, Joseph Gallegos. You all need to start asking some serious questions about how goverment is run in this city, real soon. Remeber elections are next year so go out and get some good candidates to run, not some retreads like Ellich or Boyko.

As a person who worked with Rick Perez for over 14 years at Fort Lauderdale Police Department I cannot tell you what joy the article in the Sun Sentinel gave to me and others he screwed over. He is nothing more than a rogue cop who enjoyed stepping on every person he could. Cared nothing about his co-workers just how fast he could put a knife in our backs.Dig into his personnel file and IA file and see what pops up. We laughed when he got hired by Wilton Manors as CHIEF. He had to use the race card to get promoted in Ft. Lauderdale, not once but twice if memorey serves me correct. Doesn't your city do a background check or interview his co-workers? The man was a failure at FLPD that they put him in charge of the fleet were he could do a little damage to the organization as possible. Man you really got what you paid for, bargain basement leadership.

Time for BSO to police Wilton Manors?
Vehicle search raises serious Fourth Amendment concerns

By PHIL LAPADULA
Friday, February 02, 2007


About a year and a half ago when former Wilton Manors Police Chief Richard Wierzbicki announced his retirement, some members of the gay community rushed to the defense of the beleaguered Manors police department, believing that a small local police force would be more sensitive to the concerns of gay residents than the behemoth known as the Broward Sheriff’s Office. But after recent events came to light, many people are now reassessing that position.

On Nov. 29, a Wilton Manors police officer stopped John Pfaff, a local gay resident, allegedly because a tag light was out on his Chevy pickup truck. During the stop, Officer Gary Blocker asked Pfaff for permission to search his person and his vehicle. Pfaff said he consented to the search because he had nothing to hide and felt intimidated by a man with a badge and a gun. As he began the search, Blocker asked Pfaff if he would “find anything strange like a **** ring, lube or condoms,” according to Pfaff’s complaint.

Pfaff later filed a complaint against Blocker. In his complaint, Pfaff states that when he got home, he checked his lights and discovered that all of them, including the tag lights, were working. He now wonders why he was stopped in the first place and why Blocker asked to search his vehicle. He thinks he may have been pulled over because of gay bumper stickers on his truck. But Officer Pfaff has denied that he pulled over Pfaff because he is gay, according to an internal investigation of Pfaff’s complaint by the Wilton Manors Police Department.

I gave Officer Blocker a chance to explain why he searched Pfaff’s truck, but he did not return my phone calls.

The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states: “the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue but upon probable cause…”

While Officer Blocker apparently did not technically violate the Fourth Amendment because he asked permission to search Mr. Pfaff’s truck, it seems obvious that he has shown disrespect for the Fourth Amendment’s intent. The amendment was clearly intended to prohibit searches in which there is no probable cause to suspect a crime has been committed.

The internal “investigation” of Mr. Pfaff’s complaint by the Wilton Manors Police Department did not even address the issue of probable cause. It gave no reason for the search of Mr. Pfaff’s truck and his person. In fact, based on the report, Officer Blocker did not identify anything about Mr. Pfaff or his truck that would lead him to suspect that illegal drugs were present.

Furthermore, the report on Mr. Pfaff’s complaint contains the ridiculous assertion that “it has become increasingly usual for homosexual male subjects in Wilton Manors to advise they have a ‘**** right’ either in their pocket or on their penis at the time of the search.”

First of all, I can’t imagine that there are gay guys out there riding around town wearing **** rings. Secondly, I can’t imagine a police search stemming from a traffic stop that would venture into the area of a ringed penis.

We are told that the searches of Mr. Pfaff and his vehicle were permissible simply because Officer Blocker asked permission and Mr. Pfaff consented to the searches. Who wouldn’t consent when confronted by a man with a badge and a gun? Who would not be intimidated by such a request?

It appears that this was nothing more than a random search. The people of this community, gay and heterosexual, at least have the right to know under what circumstances they can expect to be subjected to a humiliating search when they are out going about their business in a law-abiding manner. It’s bad enough dealing with the mindless car culture down here, being chained to our cars and having no choice but to drive everywhere, without thinking that we could be stopped and searched for no apparent reason every time we venture out the door.


I would like to point out that the Express did not go out on a muckraking mission trying to dig up dirt on the Wilton Manors Police Department. Mr. Pfaff came to us and asked us to tell his story, feeling that he had been treated in a humiliating manner. Since we first reported on his story, three other people have come forward with similar stories. We reported on one of the incidents. The other two have asked to keep their names out of print for now. We have also received several letters to the editor denouncing the search.

Fortunately, Mr. Pfaff was not arrested during this incident, nor was he even cited. In fact, Mr. Pfaff stated that Officer Blocker was polite and generally conducted himself in a professional manner. It’s apparent that Officer Blocker believes such searches are needed to stem the drug-abuse problem in South Florida.

I disagree. Anyone who reads my writing in the Express has probably surmised that I am very much against illegal drugs. In fact, I do not support legalization of the various poisons that the drug dealers are peddling out there (a subject for a future editorial). But I do not support trampling on the Bill of Rights either. I think more and better drug education and access to treatment are the answers.

This controversy is swirling at a time when violent street crime is on the rise both in South Florida and nationwide. Don’t the police have better things to do than conduct searches of law-abiding motorists? As reported in this week’s Express, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department announced a crime-prevention seminar at the gay community center in response to concerns about violent street crime voiced by gay residents.

By the way, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department has a gay community liaison, Det. Brice Brittenum, who also happens to be gay. The Broward Sheriff’s Office has an openly lesbian community liaison, Adrian Reesey, whose job involves serving as a sounding board for the gay community and various other ethnic and neighborhood groups. Both BSO and the Fort Lauderdale Police Department have independent review boards to investigate complaints against police officers.

So why is it that the new “gay paradise,” Wilton Manors, currently with openly gay city commissioners and two past gay mayors, has no official gay liaison officer and no independent civilian complaint review board?

The Pfaff incident takes place at a time when former Wilton Manors Police Chief Richard Wierzbicki is suing the city in a dispute over his pension. By almost all accounts, Chief Richard Wierzbicki was an excellent public servant who understood and respected the diversity of the community he served. He reached out to the gay community, even dropping by the Express office on more than one occasion. But since his departure, things appear to be going south fast.

In fact, Wierzbicki’s lawsuit comes at a time when the Wilton Manors Police Department is under increased pressure to justify its existence in a city with soaring tax rates. At a recent city commission meeting, former Mayor Sandra Steen urged the city to cut costs and consider eliminating the police department and bringing in BSO. Maybe it is time for the increased professionalism and resources of BSO in Wilton Manors.

Time for BSO to police Wilton Manors?
Vehicle search raises serious Fourth Amendment concerns

By PHIL LAPADULA
Friday, February 02, 2007


About a year and a half ago when former Wilton Manors Police Chief Richard Wierzbicki announced his retirement, some members of the gay community rushed to the defense of the beleaguered Manors police department, believing that a small local police force would be more sensitive to the concerns of gay residents than the behemoth known as the Broward Sheriff’s Office. But after recent events came to light, many people are now reassessing that position.

On Nov. 29, a Wilton Manors police officer stopped John Pfaff, a local gay resident, allegedly because a tag light was out on his Chevy pickup truck. During the stop, Officer Gary Blocker asked Pfaff for permission to search his person and his vehicle. Pfaff said he consented to the search because he had nothing to hide and felt intimidated by a man with a badge and a gun. As he began the search, Blocker asked Pfaff if he would “find anything strange like a **** ring, lube or condoms,” according to Pfaff’s complaint.

Pfaff later filed a complaint against Blocker. In his complaint, Pfaff states that when he got home, he checked his lights and discovered that all of them, including the tag lights, were working. He now wonders why he was stopped in the first place and why Blocker asked to search his vehicle. He thinks he may have been pulled over because of gay bumper stickers on his truck. But Officer Pfaff has denied that he pulled over Pfaff because he is gay, according to an internal investigation of Pfaff’s complaint by the Wilton Manors Police Department.

I gave Officer Blocker a chance to explain why he searched Pfaff’s truck, but he did not return my phone calls.

The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states: “the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue but upon probable cause…”

While Officer Blocker apparently did not technically violate the Fourth Amendment because he asked permission to search Mr. Pfaff’s truck, it seems obvious that he has shown disrespect for the Fourth Amendment’s intent. The amendment was clearly intended to prohibit searches in which there is no probable cause to suspect a crime has been committed.

The internal “investigation” of Mr. Pfaff’s complaint by the Wilton Manors Police Department did not even address the issue of probable cause. It gave no reason for the search of Mr. Pfaff’s truck and his person. In fact, based on the report, Officer Blocker did not identify anything about Mr. Pfaff or his truck that would lead him to suspect that illegal drugs were present.

Furthermore, the report on Mr. Pfaff’s complaint contains the ridiculous assertion that “it has become increasingly usual for homosexual male subjects in Wilton Manors to advise they have a ‘**** right’ either in their pocket or on their penis at the time of the search.”

First of all, I can’t imagine that there are gay guys out there riding around town wearing **** rings. Secondly, I can’t imagine a police search stemming from a traffic stop that would venture into the area of a ringed penis.

We are told that the searches of Mr. Pfaff and his vehicle were permissible simply because Officer Blocker asked permission and Mr. Pfaff consented to the searches. Who wouldn’t consent when confronted by a man with a badge and a gun? Who would not be intimidated by such a request?

It appears that this was nothing more than a random search. The people of this community, gay and heterosexual, at least have the right to know under what circumstances they can expect to be subjected to a humiliating search when they are out going about their business in a law-abiding manner. It’s bad enough dealing with the mindless car culture down here, being chained to our cars and having no choice but to drive everywhere, without thinking that we could be stopped and searched for no apparent reason every time we venture out the door.


I would like to point out that the Express did not go out on a muckraking mission trying to dig up dirt on the Wilton Manors Police Department. Mr. Pfaff came to us and asked us to tell his story, feeling that he had been treated in a humiliating manner. Since we first reported on his story, three other people have come forward with similar stories. We reported on one of the incidents. The other two have asked to keep their names out of print for now. We have also received several letters to the editor denouncing the search.

Fortunately, Mr. Pfaff was not arrested during this incident, nor was he even cited. In fact, Mr. Pfaff stated that Officer Blocker was polite and generally conducted himself in a professional manner. It’s apparent that Officer Blocker believes such searches are needed to stem the drug-abuse problem in South Florida.

I disagree. Anyone who reads my writing in the Express has probably surmised that I am very much against illegal drugs. In fact, I do not support legalization of the various poisons that the drug dealers are peddling out there (a subject for a future editorial). But I do not support trampling on the Bill of Rights either. I think more and better drug education and access to treatment are the answers.

This controversy is swirling at a time when violent street crime is on the rise both in South Florida and nationwide. Don’t the police have better things to do than conduct searches of law-abiding motorists? As reported in this week’s Express, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department announced a crime-prevention seminar at the gay community center in response to concerns about violent street crime voiced by gay residents.

By the way, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department has a gay community liaison, Det. Brice Brittenum, who also happens to be gay. The Broward Sheriff’s Office has an openly lesbian community liaison, Adrian Reesey, whose job involves serving as a sounding board for the gay community and various other ethnic and neighborhood groups. Both BSO and the Fort Lauderdale Police Department have independent review boards to investigate complaints against police officers.

So why is it that the new “gay paradise,” Wilton Manors, currently with openly gay city commissioners and two past gay mayors, has no official gay liaison officer and no independent civilian complaint review board?

The Pfaff incident takes place at a time when former Wilton Manors Police Chief Richard Wierzbicki is suing the city in a dispute over his pension. By almost all accounts, Chief Richard Wierzbicki was an excellent public servant who understood and respected the diversity of the community he served. He reached out to the gay community, even dropping by the Express office on more than one occasion. But since his departure, things appear to be going south fast.

In fact, Wierzbicki’s lawsuit comes at a time when the Wilton Manors Police Department is under increased pressure to justify its existence in a city with soaring tax rates. At a recent city commission meeting, former Mayor Sandra Steen urged the city to cut costs and consider eliminating the police department and bringing in BSO. Maybe it is time for the increased professionalism and resources of BSO in Wilton Manors.

As a " straight" taxpayer with a family in this city who lives on NW 5 ave and knows Officer Blocker I just cannot understand what has happend to this police department. I moved here over 9 years ago and thought this was a great city to live in. Coming to live and socialize in a diverse city was a dream of my wife Kathy's and our families. What has happend. This WAMH is nothing more than a political organization trying to further a few persons political goals. I thought they were organized to help secure our neighborhood. Their have been so many break in's around us we are thinking of moving out of Wilton Manors. Every time I try to call to talk to a detective or supervisor ( they told me he was out 3 months on a training school) they are out. My wife and I wonder what "out "is. We always see 2-3 cars at dunkin donuts or the 7/11 is that what "out "is. In reviewing this site since the article in Sunday's Sun Sentinel, is "out "for the chief eating a 2 hour lunch at J. Alexanders each day. How is that helping my property values with our esculating crime stats.With the lower tax revenues, management needs to be held more accountable to justify their positions & salary.Shame on you police chief and city management.

As a person who worked with Rick Perez for over 14 years at Fort Lauderdale Police Department I cannot tell you what joy the article in the Sun Sentinel gave to me and others he screwed over. He is nothing more than a rogue cop who enjoyed stepping on every person he could. Cared nothing about his co-workers just how fast he could put a knife in our backs.Dig into his personnel file and IA file and see what pops up. We laughed when he got hired by Wilton Manors as CHIEF. He had to use the race card to get promoted in Ft. Lauderdale, not once but twice if memorey serves me correct. Doesn't your city do a background check or interview his co-workers? The man was a failure at FLPD that they put him in charge of the fleet were he could do a little damage to the organization as possible. Man you really got what you paid for, bargain basement leadership.

I cannot agree with this writer more. He was a cancer at FLPD and your council should be fired for incompetence that they brought him in to direct ( destroy) your police agency. Man, I feel sorry for the people I know at Wilton Manors because they are good people, but Perez could care less. Think about going bigger my friends because that is your only hope come the vote in January.