Thursday, August 6, 2015

August open comments

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

I just saw Commissioner Cupid's remarks regarding the Cobb County Police Department. I take great pride in being a member of this department, which has a history of being proactive to protect the citizens who entrust us with that duty.

How dare you Commissioner Cupid question the integrity and dedication of the men and women who protect this county? I challenge you to find a better trained, more professional department. You won't find one.

And yet you trample on the men and women who risk it all to live out our oath; to serve this community. Your actions are divisive and not what this county represents.

Anonymous said...

Cupid can stomp and scream all she wants, Its just noise. She is fooled, if she thinks anyone except her small circle of thug body guards gives a rats ass about her. Bob Weatherford put her in her place and was a voice of reason Tuesday. I hope for the sake of Mableton she resigns soon.

J.M. Byrum said...

Part I:

I had been out of the state all week and just had an opportunity to watch the Commissioners’ comments from August 11, 2015. I thank Commissioner Weatherford for his continued support of public safety as a whole. I was, however, deeply disappointed in the comments made by Commissioner Cupid. It is obvious that she has a severe lack of understanding of police tactics and the reasoning behind those tactics. I think it is time to start the education process of not only Commissioners who don’t understand, but the community as a whole; both here and across this nation.

There was a time when I felt that the only Commissioner who supported us was Commissioner Cupid. Maybe it’s just me, but that seemed to change on or around August 9, 2014. This was the day that criminals became heroes and the police became villains. Mainstream and social media has become the third party friend that has been instigating trouble between the citizens and law enforcement. We need to find better ways to communicate directly with those we serve and come to an understanding.

Commissioner Cupid stated her concerns that the officer who “pursued her” (for less than 2 minutes) was never brought before her. Certainly she knows that is not the way things work. This is for the same reason that she never went to that officer directly herself. There is a chain of command and a flow of information. I am certain she is aware of that. Maybe with all of her “authority” she can make one of her “subordinates” set her up with a ride along. I think she needs to spend a Friday night in a police car with an officer in her district. I have been told I know a little bit about teaching people how to do this job, so she can spend a week riding with me if she would like. We can go down and work 215 beat together so she can see firsthand that 3% of the population actually is responsible for 22% of the crime.

J.M. Byrum said...

Part II:

I am concerned about the narrative that has been spread across this country about racism and profiling. I just need to understand when it was in my life that I became a racist (according to popular opinion). My parents did not teach me hatred toward anyone else. My church taught me to love everyone, to include my enemies (I don’t always get that one right). I did not have a teacher in any of my schooling that taught me racism or to hate anyone else. At no time in my life did I experience segregation. I went through a 19 week police academy that taught me Constitutional Rights and that we can only detain people under fairly specific sets of circumstances. I earned a degree in Criminal Justice which included courses on Constitutional Law and Multicultural Law Enforcement. I recall each year reviewing a policy that prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind for any reason. I can only assume there is a very dangerous misunderstanding right now.

I have spent a substantial portion of my life serving as a police officer in Cobb County. I have been here long enough to know that the people I work with are the most professional officers I have had the opportunity to be around. I just spent a week in Pittsburgh at the F.O.P. National Convention with about 5000 officers from all around the United States and Canada. This just confirmed my confidence in the men and women I work with here. I have been and am still involved in the training of our officers. I have every confidence that Commissioner Cupid and some members of our community are misinformed. I would be glad to have the opportunity to try to teach them. I would willingly put myself before a forum of youth in our community to have a dialogue about what we do, what they perceive we do, and attempt to clarify false truths that they have been told. I am certain the video feeds on the social media pages of our high school kids is very different from those that I find sent to mine.

This is a new era of policing that we are being thrust into. We are being scrutinized more than ever publicly, but we do not have the opportunity to respond, to educate, or to defend ourselves. We have to do something, so reasonable ideas would be helpful. This….this is what Ducimus is all about…what it was meant to be about. We need to find solutions to problems not just identify and complain about them. Sgt. J.M. Byrum

Anonymous said...

Dear Blog Master, Would you please be kind enough to delete the above post? We’ve had too many officers here in Cobb shooting themselves in the foot lately. He’s a good guy; he might have a grandiose sense of self-importance, and require excessive admiration, but he means well. I would hate to see him called to the carpet because he is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success and power. I mean, yea he might exaggerate his achievements and talents a little… Ok a lot… but he really thinks he’s special and unique. It’s great he’s willing to volunteer, go down to Zone 2 and inform the misinformed, including Commissioner Cupid. Apparently Public Safety Director Heaton and Chief Houser aren’t able to work their magic. Heaton and Houser’s combined careers in public safety totaling over 60 years, is no match to his 13. So if you would delete the above post, we might be able to keep Sgt Byrum from being transferred to Zone 2 as an FTO. Maybe someone can council him not to expose his arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes next time before he hits PUBLISH!

Anonymous said...

Hey Sgt, I would pat you on the back, but I see you're doing a pretty good job all by yourself.

Anonymous said...

My liege, and madam, to expostulate
What majesty should be, what duty is,
What day is day, night is night, and time is time,
We’re nothing but to waste night, day, and time;
Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit,
And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes,
I will be brief. Your noble son is mad. . . .

Hamlet Act 2 scene 2

Anonymous said...

Hamlet....way old school, I like it.

Anonymous said...

Oh.....snap!

Anonymous said...

Does'th thou have some mugs of ale for me and me mates while we enjoy'th these posts?

Anonymous said...

Proverbs 16:18.
- Bishop Bullwinkle

Anonymous said...

    As the command staff does visit this blog, I have some questions maybe they can help with.  Every time we are asked if there is anything we recommend about these cars it is always brought up that we need hard molded backseats in the patrol cars.  When we bring this up we are told that other officers have told them that we prefer the factory backseats.  I don't know of anyone who prefers the factory backseats.  If someone does prefer factory backseats please explain on this forum.  The factory backseats of the Tuaruses are nearly impossible to remove and then if you do get them out it is nearly impossible to put it back.  And the risk of poking yourself while checking is greatly increased in the Tauruses.  As I said, if anybody has a "pro" as to why we factory backseats are better, please explain.  So far all I see are "cons".   
  On a another note, are we ordering any SUVs for patrol?  If you are a tall person it is very painful to work an 8 hour shift in a Taurus.  I don't mean uncomfortable, I mean painful.  And getting out of a Taurus takes a minute leaving you a sitting duck.  We have been told several times that the department is going to issue SUVs to larger officers for take homes, so I am curious if we have ordered any?  If any command staff could answer these questions it would be appreciated.

Anonymous said...

The last I heard (last month) from DC Prince was that the next batch of cars will have the molded back seats and that eventually all the Interceptors with factory seats would be retro fitted. I have not heard that has changed, and I have not heard anything definite about SUV's. The rumor goes back and forth on that one.

Anonymous said...

This blog on multiple occasions has been used to attack officers or supervisors in the past. The command staff has asked several times that we please not use such an open form to air our laundry. But then again, it would behoove us not to post a blog like the above one and then post your name to it. Believe it or not, a google search will bring up the above post. So for a County employee to document for all time, his personal feelings about his County Commissioner is asking for trouble. I’ll admit that I’m a bit dumbfounded in a field Supervisor’s decision making process and that left him self-open for such comments. I believe that no responses would have portrayed a “deafening silence” effect or maybe not. Having said all that, don’t use the blog to bloviate about your self-perceived talents and you won’t get your feelings hurt, again for the entire world to see.

K. O. Ramirez said...

Jon, I think your letter was on point, and I have already talked to a church about doing an answer and question session with their congregation to educate them on what and why the police do some of the things that we do. You are welcome to attend.

Oh, by the way I am happy you signed your name to this and did not go by anonymous. The fact that you publicly shared your opinion says a lot about you. I respect that you will speak your mind and not be held silent for fear of losing status within the department or possibly being transferred for voicing your opinion. Just because we decided serve our communities does not mean we signed away our rights as citizens to voice our opinions.

Anonymous said...

You can say a lot of things about this blog, but you can't say its not educational !!! I had to look up some 100 dollar word's, read up on Shakespeare and open my bible. I've learned a great new bible verse, refreshed up on my Hamlet, that there are some really very smart officers and a not so bright Sgt. Lastly I had to google Bishop Bullwinkle, LMAO

Anonymous said...

well that escalated quickly

Unknown said...

From a Fleet stand point; the 57 patrol cars coming in mid September were not ordered with the Pro Guard plastic rear seats from Ford. If the intent is to upfit these after delivery, then that has not yet been discussed with me. I have asked about this in the past on previous orders but no decision was awarded; however I was told that the five FTO cars in this current order of cars were to receive the plastic rear seats with a divider. I will update this if there is discussion on any changes. We also appreciate the patience shown during this last batch of 60 cars going into service. It has been a tedious and arduous venture for the Fleet and PD staff. We are at the mercy of any available upfitters and their work schedules to fit us in for builds. We have had some bumps in the road but IS, 800Mhz, PD, and Fleet have worked very hard in order to support the beginning stages of implementation of the assigned cars program. As we move forward with this second batch, we are continuing to find ways to improve and streamline this process. I just want to commend the CCPD as a whole on the cooperation that has been shown during this project. Thank you ALL!!

Anonymous said...

In regards to the inquiry of hard back seats for the Taurus. A decision was made to put the hard back seats into the cars that are to be delivered to us in September. The vehicles will not be delivered from Ford with these seats installed but instead will be installed during the installation of the other emergency equipment. These seats have already been ordered. After completing this order of vehicles, we will then begin to retrofit the previous Taurus vehicles that we already have in the fleet.

In regards to SUVs, the Department is still exploring the best manner to fairly implement a SUV vehicle into the precinct's fleet while also maintaining the integrity of the points system to determine who is assigned a take home vehicle first. For clarification, if we are committed to assigning vehicles through the established points system, we need to be careful not to assign a SUV vehicle to an officer that may have been with the Department for a few years and by pass a more veteran officer that the points system has designated for the next take home vehicle. We want to be fair in the issuing of take home vehicles.

Deputy Chief Cox

Anonymous said...

I appreciate the responses David George and Deputy Chief Cox. Thanks to them for responding and keeping the rumor mill down.
Regarding the SUVs DC Coxs point is on target. With the points program I am getting close to my turn for an issue car. I am hoping I will be able to request an older Crown Vic from my Captain and use it until SUVs are available to replace the older Crowns.
Brandon Moore

.. said...

Not being disrespectful by any means, and this program is very appreciated, but in several PCTs 3 -5 year officers are getting cars the same time 20+ year officers are. Point system works, but when you have one shift full of rookies and another full of veterans, this happens. D.C. Cox thank you for being a leader vs. a administrator.

Anonymous said...

Why not put the suv's at the pct and let the taller officers drive them until it time to assign them to the taller officers. The pct's are running out of cars for taller officers to drive fast to the take home program.