The news from last nights commission meeting has gotten out by now I am sure. I want to touch on a few key points.
First, it was great to see everyone at the meeting showing the support needed to make MAJOR changes to the Police Department. Without YOU nothing will change and the county manager and commissioners will continue to run this department into the ground. You have to continue to be vigilant in the efforts to force change. Thank you to all the speakers who reached out to county leaders on our behalf. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.
2nd, Tim Lee is a huge jack wagon. The way he belittles citizens with his snide remarks is very unprofessional. The citizens of Cobb should demand that man's job for just the way he talks down to people as if he is any better than the next guy or gal.
3rd, Nothing in this latest vote to add 40 additional police officers will change anything at the department. 40 additional funded positions will only add to the vacancies we cannot fill now. I hate to sound like a broken record here but the fact remains, pay SUCKS, benefits SUCK, and we continue to fall behind the curve with equipment. Without addressing those issues there will be no real change and things will only continue to deteriorate within the Police Department. Acting like 40 more police positions is the answer to the problem for the news media is a diversion tactic to draw attention away from the real issues. The commissioners did absolutely NOTHING last night to help morale in the department.
4th, I want to take this time to address a rumor I heard recently. Word is there are talks of a blue flu on the horizon among a large part of the department. This is NOT a good idea. It is not for many reasons. Mainly because we are all professionals at the department and that is a very UNPROFESSIONAL move. If that were to happen we would be no better than a certain commission chair belittling a citizen wishing to speak or bashing a boy scout troop who wished to thank his mom for her support (good one Mr. Lee). We must continue to remain the professionals that we are and continue to spread the word on the crisis we face. Public support continues to grow and a blue flu would only do harm to our efforts.
5th, this was only the opening round in what will continue to be a fight for a better working environment at the Cobb Police Department. Again we must continue the efforts for a better department.
I would like to hear from you all on the issues. Please feel free to comment and for those Rusty Shackleford types such as myself your comments are anonymous. That in mind keep it clean and above the belt. Be safe out there.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Sunday AJC article
Well it looks as if someone has finally exposed Hankerson for the liar that he really is. He tells everyone public safety is a priority to him while he is blasting the public safety director for putting the Police Department's needs on paper where he cannot sweep them under the rug. It is a well known fact Hankerson despises the Police Department and has held it back for years now. Team him up with Commission Chairman Tim Lee and you have a dream team for ruining the Police Department. Their motto is keep your head in the sand and the problem should go away with time. I have news for them, this problem is way out of hand and keeping your head buried will only make it worse. Cheap attempts at stalling aren't going to work either. Real efforts need to be made to get the Police Department back to where it needs to be and Hankerson and Lee both now it. I guarantee you if the Police Department was the one needing mules for police work they never would have been purchased in the first place by Hankerson. Shame on Hankerson and Lee for telling the public there is nothing wrong while there are mountains of documentation to prove otherwise. Not to mention the 70 plus officers that left last year because of the issues. I guess as long as Hankerson gets his bonus every year and Lee can continue to lie to the public there really isn't a problem in their minds.
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Saturday's Marietta Daily Journal
The FOP published an ad in today's MDJ detailing the issues facing us in the Department. If you haven't seen it go to the MDJ website and check it out. Keep the pressure on and continue to fight for a better Police Department. I also hear there will be front page coverage in the Sunday AJC. Keep spreading the word and continue to do the professional job you always do. Stay Safe.
Friday, February 21, 2014
Just when you thought things couldn't get worse
It absolutely blows my mind how clueless the County Manager and Board of Commissioners are at this point. After reading the email from Director Heaton yesterday detailing the Commissioners plans to improve the department I am at a loss for words. You have a huge problem on your hands and you counter it by saying you are going to authorize 40 more police officers, 37 more patrol cars, and a pay and compensation study. Where do I begin?
40 more officers authorized? That means 40 more vacancies on top of the 60 plus we have now. We can't fill the open positions we have now due to the situation we are in and you want to add more vacancies? Great idea. 37 new patrol cars isn't a drop in the bucket. We have countless vehicles in the fleet with over 100,000 miles tasked with patrol duties. That equals a huge risk for not only the officer driving it but the motoring public as well. 37 new cars will not make a dent in the disrepair our fleet is in. A pay and compensation study again? How many studies do our county manager and commissioners need to look at before they realize they are wasting tax payers money to tell them the Police Department needs a considerable raise to stay competitive with other agencies? The writing is on the wall in every officer that leaves this department. They are all leaving for better pay, better benefits, take home cars etc. That all equals money in the pocket to which Cobb says we will continue to waste money training these officers to watch them leave for better pay. A pay study is a cheap stall tactic the county likes to use to kick the can down the road with no hope of change.
The county manager and board of commissioners claim they are supportive of public safety and it is a top priority in Cobb. This plan shows us that is exactly the opposite. Their priority is obviously to continue the status quo and keep the Department in a crisis. Why invest in your Police Department when you can spend the money at will in other ventures? That seems to be their thought process for the past several years.
Kudos to the Chief and Public Safety Director for telling the county manager and commissioners what is needed to keep this place afloat. Shame on the county manager and commissioners for turning a blind eye.
Again I can not express how important the February 25 commission meeting is. Be there to support public safety and let our county leaders know they are being held accountable for the welfare of Cobb public safety.
40 more officers authorized? That means 40 more vacancies on top of the 60 plus we have now. We can't fill the open positions we have now due to the situation we are in and you want to add more vacancies? Great idea. 37 new patrol cars isn't a drop in the bucket. We have countless vehicles in the fleet with over 100,000 miles tasked with patrol duties. That equals a huge risk for not only the officer driving it but the motoring public as well. 37 new cars will not make a dent in the disrepair our fleet is in. A pay and compensation study again? How many studies do our county manager and commissioners need to look at before they realize they are wasting tax payers money to tell them the Police Department needs a considerable raise to stay competitive with other agencies? The writing is on the wall in every officer that leaves this department. They are all leaving for better pay, better benefits, take home cars etc. That all equals money in the pocket to which Cobb says we will continue to waste money training these officers to watch them leave for better pay. A pay study is a cheap stall tactic the county likes to use to kick the can down the road with no hope of change.
The county manager and board of commissioners claim they are supportive of public safety and it is a top priority in Cobb. This plan shows us that is exactly the opposite. Their priority is obviously to continue the status quo and keep the Department in a crisis. Why invest in your Police Department when you can spend the money at will in other ventures? That seems to be their thought process for the past several years.
Kudos to the Chief and Public Safety Director for telling the county manager and commissioners what is needed to keep this place afloat. Shame on the county manager and commissioners for turning a blind eye.
Again I can not express how important the February 25 commission meeting is. Be there to support public safety and let our county leaders know they are being held accountable for the welfare of Cobb public safety.
Saturday, February 15, 2014
February Commissioner's meeting and other news
The Cobb County Board of Commissioner's meeting will be held February 25th at 1900 hours. As we all know the January meeting was cancelled due to inclement weather. Speakers are scheduled to speak on behalf of the Department of Public Safety. We all need to rally together and show support for the Department and those who are fighting to make the needed changes to get Cobb Police back to where it needs to be. If you sit on the sidelines and do nothing then you can expect things to stay the same and continue to deteriorate. Bring your family and friends with you to show support. It is easy to get discouraged and throw in the towel, but I implore you to stay the course and continue to strive for a better department that we all know can exist and once did. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither was the situation that we find ourselves in at the moment. However with significant changes this department can get back on track to be one of the greatest departments in the country once again.
It has been brought to our attention that the Commissioner's are planning on recognizing members of our department for work done in deteriorated areas in the county. It has a hint of suspicion due to the fact the event was planned the day of the January meeting. Nonetheless we all know why we are at the meeting and should remain professional and refrain from taking the low road if in fact the event was planned to draw attention away from the real issues facing our department.
I learned Dunwoody Police is looking to hire 5 new officers in the very near future and 7 more by the start of summer. Word around town is they are actively recruiting Cobb PD officers for their training and experience. The same trend seems to continue. Other agencies such as Roswell PD are also looking for officers. One can only hope things change for the better soon around Cobb or it would stand to reason we will keep hemorrhaging well trained and experienced officers to other agencies for the same old reasons: better pay, take home cars, better benefits, etc.
We have become victims of our own success when it comes to the problem facing our department. We do more with less and remain professional in the face of manpower shortages, deteriorated equipment, poor morale, etc. Yet we continue to get the job done and keep the ship afloat. That is until a major event such as an officer involved shooting show how understaffed our department is and what deplorable conditions our equipment is in. Not enough cars to adequately respond to an officer in need is a serious issue. Pulling cars off an active manhunt for a potential cop killer to change out personnel is alarming to say the least. Officers stacked four to a car being shuttled back and forth without all the gear necessary to adequately do their job. That's not exactly what someone would expect to see from Cobb County.
It seems attacks on Police Officers are up in recent weeks. Remember to watch each others backs and go home at the end of the day. Your safety is paramount in the game we play. Keep your heads on a swivel and back each other up.
It has been brought to our attention that the Commissioner's are planning on recognizing members of our department for work done in deteriorated areas in the county. It has a hint of suspicion due to the fact the event was planned the day of the January meeting. Nonetheless we all know why we are at the meeting and should remain professional and refrain from taking the low road if in fact the event was planned to draw attention away from the real issues facing our department.
I learned Dunwoody Police is looking to hire 5 new officers in the very near future and 7 more by the start of summer. Word around town is they are actively recruiting Cobb PD officers for their training and experience. The same trend seems to continue. Other agencies such as Roswell PD are also looking for officers. One can only hope things change for the better soon around Cobb or it would stand to reason we will keep hemorrhaging well trained and experienced officers to other agencies for the same old reasons: better pay, take home cars, better benefits, etc.
We have become victims of our own success when it comes to the problem facing our department. We do more with less and remain professional in the face of manpower shortages, deteriorated equipment, poor morale, etc. Yet we continue to get the job done and keep the ship afloat. That is until a major event such as an officer involved shooting show how understaffed our department is and what deplorable conditions our equipment is in. Not enough cars to adequately respond to an officer in need is a serious issue. Pulling cars off an active manhunt for a potential cop killer to change out personnel is alarming to say the least. Officers stacked four to a car being shuttled back and forth without all the gear necessary to adequately do their job. That's not exactly what someone would expect to see from Cobb County.
It seems attacks on Police Officers are up in recent weeks. Remember to watch each others backs and go home at the end of the day. Your safety is paramount in the game we play. Keep your heads on a swivel and back each other up.
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Recent news
As we all know one of our own was shot and wounded in the line of duty yesterday. It was good to see everyone rally and find the trash responsible for the attack. Even with the problems facing us within the department we still continue to show that we are the best in the country at doing our chosen profession.
On that note I will also point out it was aggravating to hear that our brothers and sisters did not have enough vehicles available to them to respond to the scene to assist with the manhunt. It is a shame that a county as large as Cobb fails to emphasize the importance of a well equipped and sufficiently staffed police force to deal with major incidents such as the one the department encountered yesterday morning. What will it take to make our county leaders see that our department is at critical levels with staffing and equipment? Our Chief and Director have certainly made this abundantly clear to the leaders in Cobb but it appears to be falling on deaf ears thus far.
Officers continue to leave for better paying jobs with a take home car and better benefits. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see Cobb will continue to fall to the rear as long as the status quo is maintained. It's hard to fault someone for leaving with the current state of affairs at the police department. We all agree no one gets into law enforcement to get rich but you do expect to be able to pay bills and provide for a family. I have been informed that several officers within the department are watching to see what will happen at the board of commissioners meeting on February 25. One can only hope our county leaders are making public safety a priority.
Continue to support your Chief and Public Safety Director as they fight for the department and it's CRITICAL needs. In the meantime keep your heads on a swivel and watch each others backs. The most important thing is to go home at the end of your shift. Stay safe.
On that note I will also point out it was aggravating to hear that our brothers and sisters did not have enough vehicles available to them to respond to the scene to assist with the manhunt. It is a shame that a county as large as Cobb fails to emphasize the importance of a well equipped and sufficiently staffed police force to deal with major incidents such as the one the department encountered yesterday morning. What will it take to make our county leaders see that our department is at critical levels with staffing and equipment? Our Chief and Director have certainly made this abundantly clear to the leaders in Cobb but it appears to be falling on deaf ears thus far.
Officers continue to leave for better paying jobs with a take home car and better benefits. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see Cobb will continue to fall to the rear as long as the status quo is maintained. It's hard to fault someone for leaving with the current state of affairs at the police department. We all agree no one gets into law enforcement to get rich but you do expect to be able to pay bills and provide for a family. I have been informed that several officers within the department are watching to see what will happen at the board of commissioners meeting on February 25. One can only hope our county leaders are making public safety a priority.
Continue to support your Chief and Public Safety Director as they fight for the department and it's CRITICAL needs. In the meantime keep your heads on a swivel and watch each others backs. The most important thing is to go home at the end of your shift. Stay safe.
Monday, February 3, 2014
The ship appears to continue sinking
Unconfirmed reports suggest three more officers are leaving the Police Department in the near future for the same reasons we keep losing experienced and well trained officers (better base pay, take home car program, better benefits etc.) It is yet to be seen if the County leaders will address this issue and get Cobb County Public Safety back to where it needs to be. I would like to hear from the masses on what they think it might to take to get Cobb Public Safety back where it needs to be.
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