An independent candidate is running for city sheriff, Christine Mora reports for NBC-29. Charlottesville Police Department detective Paul Best works on the Jefferson Area Drug Enforcement Task Force, and says that if elected he’d implement the Gang Reduction and Intervention Program in Charlottesville. The only other candidate in the race is Democrat James Brown.
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
Sideblog
Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
foursix and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
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It’s nice to see that we have another choice for Sheriff. Detective Best definatly seems to exceed the qualifications for this office and has some great proven ideas that wont cost the local tax payers anything.
I totaly agree that party affliation doesn’t belong in law enforcement!
What’s his clearance rate on crimes assigned to him to investigate? Simply calling himself a candidate as “Detective Best” tells me very little. I’ve never heard of the guy or seen his name mentioned in local crime stories.
To begin with Detective Best has been with the City of Charlottesville Police Dept. for over 15 years. Starting out in Patrol and working his way up to the J.A.D.E. T/F. Perhaps you haven’t heard of him because he has been working behind the scenes for the past six years.
Not everyone gets selected to become a detective with the Charlottesville Poilce Dept. Investigations Bureau. On top of that be selected to be a member of the Jefferson Area Drug Enforcment Task Force.
Those positions are held by intelligent and pro-active officers only, so that says alot for his record!
Well, if you actually believe all of what you have said above, at least Best has one vote. After seeing Baird go down to James Brown in the democrtatic nomination (Thank God!), I don’t have a dog in this fight any longer. I don’t care who the next City Sheriff is.
I would debate the “intelligent officer” remark above though. Being a detective doesn’t make a person smart. One detective led the department on a high speed pursuit and crashed his personal car while off duty one night. Another was arrested for prescription fraud. And another was arrested for child molestation recently. And that’s just 3 examples off the top of my head in a split second.
Demo/Sicko is up to his old tricks again telling stories of events that “may” have occurred decades ago.
Let’s focus on the candidate here and not those that you feel burned you so long ago. I am interested to hear about this guy and what drives him to run for sheriff and what he can do for his community. Not really interested in seeing you rehash all this crap from the 70’s or 80’s.
I clearly said “3 examples off the top of my head”. And the child molestation arrest jut took place last year. It wasn’t 30 or 40 years ago. You must not keep up with local news much.
And who burned me? I have never been convicted of a crime in my entire life.
Wow, did I ever accuse you of being convicted of a crime? Some cops in the police department obviously pissed you off in the 70’s & 80’s and that is why you come on here and spew the same accusations over and over again. Maybe its time for you to get sued….
When somebody says cops “burned” another person, it usually implies ARREST. As in CRIME.
But, moving on, you have no clue. Not sure where you came up with the 70’s and 80’s theory. It was 1997 and 2005. And every cop I have sued has settled out of court shortly before a scheduled jury trial date to hear my claims. Except one of course, and I still have a $4 million lawsuit pending against him, a former recently retired Charlottesville cop. The lawsuit probably won’t land in front of a jury until late 2010.
As far as my being sued, the first time I say anything that isn’t true and commit lible againat whoever, they should sue me. You don’t believe a Charlottesville cop led his own department on a high speed pursuit and wrecked his personal car while off duty? You don’t believe a Charlottesville detective was arrested for prescription fraud? You don’t belive a Charlottesville detective was recently arrested for child molestation? What is it you think I should be sued for? :)
IN REGARDS TO “DEMOPUPLICAN”
I hardly think this is the place to be airing all of your dirty laundry.
We clearly get the point that you do not like Police Officers!
Detective Best is by far more qualified then his opponent.
He gave a well, articulated speech that told the citizens exactly what he planned on doing in office and the programs he would implement.
It is about time a Sheriff makes the office an Accredited Agency.
I have no dirty laundry. You’re the one who said it takes an intelligent person to be a “detective”. Some of ’em must not be too intelligent if they are molesting children, forging drug prescriptions, leading their own department on high speed pursuits while off duty, etc….
And for the record, I hate cops who lie in court under oath. I hate cops who steal. I hate cops who drive drunk after arresting other people for the same thing. I hate cops who beat their wives or girlfriends, oh yes, this BS is still alive and well… been quite a few in this area fired for it. I hate cops who conspire, lie and deny in order to keep “fellow officers” out of trouble, also known as the “Blue Wall of Silence”.
Did you know the Virginia Beach cop, Bryan K. Womble, who arrested NFL star Bruce Smith on a drunken driving charge last month has now been charged with driving under the influence himself. And to think he was part of the department’s eight-member task force that specializes in enforcing drunken-driving laws.
Oh well…. I wish Brown and Best both the best of luck.
Demopublican has made some good points about intelligence. I suspect Bright Side is not offering an unbiased opinion since she speaks a great deal about Best’s intelligence. Marriedn to him?
I don’t see how being a part of a highly successful team charged with arresting drug traffickers provides direct experience in managing a sheriff’s office and its staff any more how being a great teacher qualifies a person for a principleship.
CVille Eye, I don’t actually see where the drug task force has been a huge success. There’s still as many drugs in Charlottesville, if not more, than there has ever been. Maybe the drug task force is keeping the flow of drugs into this area “steady”, as opposed to letting it get totally out of control.
It’s also my firm belief that Dave Duncan, now part time since retiring and drawing a second city check each month, has run the sheriff’s office for as long as I can recall. At least from 1980 to the present time. If some of those guys didn’t have Dave on speed dial, they wouldn’t know which way to turn when a real question arose. So any candidate for sheriff doesn’t have to really know much at all, as long they keep Dave on the payroll.
“CVille Eye, I don’t actually see where the drug task force has been a huge success.” Do you see 10 – 30 people standing on multiple street corners selling drugs as it was 10 years ago? Of course the task force will never eradicate drugs in Charlottesville. There’s too much affluence, mobility and demand.
Is this the Duncan that was convicted of prescription fraud in Augusta County or was that another one. What expertise does this Duncan have that does not reside in the Sheriff’s department?
With cell phones, text messaging, etc… drug dealers are mobile now. Just like Domino’s pizza, they deliver.
Excellent question about the Daves! I forgot there were two. This is not the Dave who was convicted of prescription fraud. The Dave Duncan I speak of started work in the City Sheriff’s Office about 1977. He’s been employed there ever since. Like myself, he simply knows the job inside and out. In my opinion, from firsthand observation, several sheriffs in the past have filled the position and worn the badge. But Dave ran the office for them and made them look good.
First of all you will find bad people in every proffesion from the president to the janitor, but the police officer is held to the highest standard of them all. You are right, we will never win the war on drugs but we will also never win the war on crime. Does that me we should just give up and revert to the wild west ways of the past. What you guys are missing is that J.A.D.E does have a huge impact on the community by taking violent offenders off the streets and preventing other crimes from happening. Drugs are the root of a lot of crimes like car larcenies, burgalries, robberies, malicious woundings, and the majority of the homicides in charlottesville. If your solution is to legalize drugs think about all the problems that it will bring. Most people are law abiding citizens preventing them from using. Now think about this your kids are using drugs because it is legal and your surgeon just snorted some cocaine on his lunch break before your operation. He did not do this before but now he is an addict.
Agreed , lawdog, drugs do play a large part in crime.And one of the drugs is a legal one, alcohol. Fuels a lot of our homicides, domestic violence,and destruction of property, not to mention the death and injuries caused by drunken drivers, someone who has had “one more for the road.”
And don’t forget the health care costs from another legal drug, tobacco.
No, I don’t advocate banning beer and wine, anymore than I advocate legalizing crack and heroin.In the end it all comes down to personal responsibility and making the right choice(saying, “no thanks, I’m driving”).
On the other hand, is the way we are conducting our War on Drugs really the best way to do it? Senator Jim Webb is studying the issue of our huge prison population,many of whom are nonviolent drug offenders. And the Obama administration deserves compliments for its approach to medical marijuana(not going after people in states where its legal). Likewise our own Drug Court is to be commended for the changes it has helped bring about in some peoples lives, If only the General Assembly could see that so they didnt have to struggle to get the necessary funding every year.
Jim Webb does not live in any neighborhood that has been ravaged by drug use. His children do not hang out on the street in drug dealers’ huddles and his daughters are not trading sex for drugs nor involved in prostitution to support a habit. His parents did not lose him to foster care. Violence is not the only major factor in the degradation of some city neighborhoods and the people in jail are there because they do not qualify for Drug Court or Family Drug Court. Just because he does not recognize the costs to society and to individuals does not mean he has a clue. Just ask the vast majority of people who deal with gun shots coming through their windows and shooting their children. Just ask the people living in the countries where our drug money supports the drug cartel or the terrorists. This issue alone tells prohibits from ever voting for Jim Webb and I hope he is soon voted out.
Lawdog, specialized units like JADE is the main reason crime is out of control in this city. There’s so many cops assigned to it and other specialized units that there’s few officers left to work in patrol. Neighborhoods are not safe after midnight. Once a person goes to bed, they have no idea what they will wake up to the next morning. In just the past few days two cars have been broken in the block I live in. One was a cop’s sister car. Last night, in this same block, a neighbor had 4 brand new tires on his SUV slashed. Let there be no mistake, the little 14 and 15 year old wannabe gangstas rule the neighborhoods after midnight. And there doesn’t seem to be a single thing the cop shoppe can do about it except respond and take reports the next morning as the residents discover the latest thefts, breakins, and vandalisms to their property.
Another interesting point I might ask about, JADE cops used to be off on weekends. They only worked Monday through Friday. Drug enforcement was left up to patrol officers on Saturday and Sunday nights. Is this still the case? Just another gravy train specialized unit?
“Neighborhoods are not safe after midnight.” What’s new? The fact that more people are reporting more crime, vandalism, etc. doesn’t mean that the neighborhood are less safe. I, personally, have never thought of Charlottesville as being a “safe” town (nor other place for that matter) and don’t feel that deploying our police differently would make it more so. Nowhere that I know of that police or guards prevent crime. Ask a museum or bank guard or prison guard.
My question was simply what is it about a JADE officer’s job that would add to his qualifications to manage a sheriff’s office and I haven’t heard an answer yet.
Ohh, sorry CVille Eye, we bad! Being a detective or a JADE cop doesn’t qualify anybody to run the Sheriff’s Office. The work that a detective or JADE cop performs is not even remotely similar to the duties at the Sheriff’s Office. I could hand both announced candidate thus far a “Writ of Possession in Unlawful Detainer” or a “Writ of Fieri Facias”, and I doubt if either candidate would know what they are or what to do with them.
On the other hand, I don’t see where knowing the job and all of it’s responsibilities and duties has ever been a requirement for the position since Raymond Pace passed away on or around 1979 or 1980.
Ok, “Use To Be” Glorified Security Guard.
IT IS Obvious That You Dont Have A Glue.
Gravy train???? I don’t think so. The men in J.A.D.E.
work 60 hours a week most of the time and are on call 24/7. (checked for the record).
What do you think their duties involve since you seem to know it all?!
You need to stop spreading your nonsense, because you couldn’t investigate your way out of a paper bag!
@Demopublican, are you going to criticize the police for this crime:http://www.dailyprogress.com/cdp/news/local/article/albemarle_man_shot_after_home_break-in/41866/#When:04:01:13Z ?
MoonDog2, stop exaggerating. JADE members will not and do not work 60 hours a week. Unless of course they want the extra 20 hours of overtime. Now, wanting 20 hours of overtime I can easily believe. A 40 hour work week and 20 hours overtime per week would certainly toss all of them over a $100,000 a year salary.
You are correct, I could not investigate my way out of a paper bag. I just hope I never find myself trapped in a paper bag.
CVille Eye, the residents in Albemarle County have much less protection than city residents do. Just like took place in Botetourt County recently (April 2009), an Albemarle County resident would have to shot and kill an intruder in a critical incident before the police could get to them in most cases. The county police also have so many cops assigned to specialized units that there’s few left to respond to emergencys.
Man, you are a know-it-all when it comes to law enforcement. Its amazing with all of this “knowledge” that you couldn’t have excelled in your career when you had it. Selling engraved rocks ain’t too exciting now is it? If you could actually get paid for being an internet troll you would be a rich man.
You hate cops because all of the local one know you and think you are a joke. And you know what, I’m not even a cop and I know that!
@This guy’s a joke, you’re obviously related to one.
Probably the son or daughter of a JADE officer, CVille Eye. I know a former JADE cop who had his wife believing he was working 60 hours a week too. When the truth became known, he was spending the extra 20 hours at his girlfriend’s house.
Still waiting for a reply from the Once Glorified Security Guard.
Since you seem to be the ALL knowing, what are the duties of the JADE Task Force Detectives? Hmmmm, doesn’t sound like you know as much as you would like for everyone to beleive???
Also, according to other peoples comments on here it doesn’t sound like you are very well liked. Any paricular reason? Perhaps you were fired?
Why can’t you just except that their are two candidates to choose from and you don’t have to like either one of them but stop bashing law enforcement.
Every thing you say is negative. These men and women put their lives on the line every day for us.
Guess what, there is a GOD and your not it!!!!
MoonDog2, drug trafficking and terrorist activities (since 2001). Thanks for proving my point quite well by the way. How many terrorism arrests have you seen them make? Jade has at least 17 cops from various agencies now, and I don’t recall but one terrorism arrest since 2001. And that was some BS down at the Klockner-Pentaplast plant in Gordonsville, Virginia.
Let me take another guess at this here now, are you in one of the police Cadet programs locally? Or do you wish to remain anonymous like most of the spineless people in these blogs?
Demopublican,
JADE, in fact, currently has ten members:
One Virginia State officer
One University of Virginia officer
Three County of Albermarle officers
Five City of Charlottesville officers
Rarely do any of them work weekends.
None of you still have a clue on how much JADE really does but don’t recieve credit for.
They may not work a lot of weekends, but they are on call 24/7.
Oh, I think I have a clue on how much JADE really does. But MOONDOG2, since you seem to know more than everyone else, when they are “on call,” how often do they actually get called out?
I HeArTE JADE, you could be right. I have never known any of them to work a regular scheduled shift on Saturdays or Sunday on a regular basis. It’s just one of the specialized gravy train units, in my opinion.
I also wish I had a dollar for every time I heard dispatch call out on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and say “Any JADE unit on the air?” Nobody could ever find them when needed.
One of them thought I had the JADE unit under surveillance a few years ago. But I had taken my daughter to her ballet lesson at the Old Armory building and was sitting in my vehicle waiting for her. I had parked beside the JADE office in a public parking. His biggest problem was he spent 15 hours a week “working”, and the other 25 at his girlfriend’s house. And when he needed extra time with his girlfriend’s house for whatever reason, he simply told his wife he was working overtime. While working this “overtime”, he would also tell his wife he had to take his personal vehicle so the crack heads and dope addicts wouldn’t recognize his JADE issued vehicle. Man, what a tool he was! He then lied to his supervisor about coming outside and confronting me for allegedly “following” him. In typical “cop style lying”, he claimed he had just stepped outside to get some fresh air. (None of this surprised me though, I had also watched his supervisor sit in court and commit perjury. The Thin Blue Line mentality, lie and deny, cover for each other, the us vs them mentality)
While telling these tales, and in all fairness to the JADE unit, he was later fired for wrongdoings.
MoonDoggie, let’s pretend you are right. You say JADE does a lot that they never get credit for. How does any of it qualify a JADE cop to be City Sheriff?
Before you answer I will say I also don’t feel James Brown is qualified. The only reason I was glad to see James Brown win the Democratic nomination to run for the position was so Baird wouldn’t get it. I don’t think Baird was qualified either simply because his father, a former sheriff, hired him and promoted him. If a well qualified candidate, whether he/she be a republican or independent, they could probably win that position easily.
No, Actually Demopublican seems to know more then anyone, but you have already proved him wrong, IHEARTEJADE. Im still waiting for him to tell me what the duties of a JADE DET. ARE?
MOONDOG2,
It’s not a matter of proving Demopublican wrong, rather I hope to help him get it right next time ’round.
While you’re waiting for him to tell you what the duties of a JADE Det. are, perhaps you could answer my question to you, which I’ll repeat in case you missed it:
When they are “on call,” how often do they actually get called out?
Well, I answered the question above. Sorry you can’t keep up in the disccussion, MoonDoggie. But just for the sport of it, I will import their mission statement here and now:
———————–
The Jefferson Area Drug Enforcement (JADE) has been in existence since 1995 as a regional narcotics task force made up of officers from the Charlottesville Police Department, Albemarle County Police Department, University of Virginia Police Department, Virginia State Police and agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration. In the year 2001, with the advent of the terrorist attack of September 11th, the police chiefs of the Charlottesville, Albemarle and University of Virginia Police Departments agreed to expand the duties of the JADE Task Force to include the investigation of possible terrorist activities. A mission statement was prepared by the chairman of the JADE Advisory Group and signed by the chairman, the three chiefs and the SAC with the Virginia State Police that addressed the concerns of the parent agencies empowering JADE as a anti terrorism task force (ATTF) . This mission statement was agreed to by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and a Special Agent was assigned to the task force to act as liaison between JADE and the FBI. The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms has worked closely with the JADE Task Force and has assigned two agents to work in conjunction with the task force.
Currently the task force is manned by one lieutenant (commander), one sergeant and four detectives from the Charlottesville Police Department (CPD). The Albemarle County Police Department (APD) has one corporal and two detectives. The University of Virginia Police (UPD) has assigned one sergeant and two detectives. The Virginia State Police (VSP), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) each has a special agent assigned to the task force. The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) has two agents assigned to work the Charlottesville area and are stationed within the JADE office, working closely with the JADE personnel and investigations divisions of the three police departments.
Charlottesville Police Department 6 personnel
Albemarle County Police Department 3 personnel
University of Virginia Police Department 3 personnel
Virginia State Police 1 person
Drug Enforcement Administration 1 person
Federal Bureau of Investigations 1 person
Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms 2 personnel
Total: 17 personnel
Currently the Federal Agents from the DEA, FBI and ATF are assigned part time. The DEA works with the task force three days a week, the FBI works on a case by case basis on terrorism and the ATF works basically on a case by case method dealing with firearms.
The JADEATTF is a tightly knit organization that has welcomed the addition of federal agents in the accomplishment of the mission in fighting drug trafficking and terrorist activities. Two Special Weapons and Tactic Teams (SWAT) from the Charlottesville Police Department and the Albemarle County Police Department support the task force in the execution of the more dangerous and tactical operations encountered by the task force.
MoonDoggie, your turn to answer my question now. How does being a JADE cop qualify one to be City Sheriff? The duties and responsibilities aren’t even remotely similar between being a JADE cop and being City Sheriff.
Demopublican,
I’ve no doubt you’ve got quite the interesting stories to tell about local Law Enforcement.
By the by, the info about JADE you’ve copied from the City of Charlottesville website is vastly outdated. They know it, too.
Ohh, you got that right for sure! I can tell you tales from 1970 to 2009 that you simply wouldn’t believe. Tales of bravery. Human interest tales. Comical tales. The whole nine yards!
But sadly enough, something terrible has happened in law enforcement in the last 15 to 20 years. Cops went from being big muscular men to little sniveling cowards. In 1970, if your mother was being hurt in some way and had been able to call 911, the first cop on the scene would rush in and save her. Now the cops “stage” and wait until they have 2 or 3 cops to go in. They call it “officer safety”. I call it cowardice. The profession shifted from “protect and serve” to “how much will my paycheck be this month?” The profession also shifted from working an honest day for an honest dollar. Nowadays it’s all about how they can get promoted up to and land in a gravy train job within their department the fastest. I personally watched one moron tell another moron that his latest arrest was going to get him a long awaited promotion within his department. That didn’t take place, because his arrest was a “false arrest” and he got sued instead. Next, the hiring standards have been reduced over the last decade or two just to attract applicants. They seem to hire anybody who can successfully dress themselves in the morning without assistance. And if you recall a few years back, the cops then attempted to sue for the time it actually took them to get dressed. They felt they should get paid for every minute of every day it took them to put their pants on. If we estimate that 3% to 5% of the cops out there are crooked corrupt lying thieves, that’s not really the problem, believe it or not. The problem is the portion of the 95% who lie, deny and cover for them. All the way from the newest rookie to the chief or sheriff. The “Thin Blue Line” used to mean so few cops attempting to do so much with limited resources. Nowadays it means a wall of silence when cops do wrong. You don’t rat out a fellow brother of the “The Thin Blue Line”.
Having said all of the above, I will support a good decent honest hard working cop until the cows come home. I will not support a DUI Task Force cop who gets arrested for DUI himself (Petersburg, Virginia). I will not support a large fat cop who assaults a female bartender while he’s off duty and in a druken rage (Chicago). I will honor and respect good decent cops who do testify against another cop, we will see this locally in an upcoming case in 2010. I hope to see the media sitting on the front row taking notes as several cops testify against another. And the list goes on and on. I could cite 500 examples just from the last year or two.
I might also add, in the Chicago reference I made above, that fat drunk cop is damn lucky he didn’t kill that female bartender. He forced his way behind the bar and was gonna take over. All she was trying to was get him out from behind the bar. (Yeah, some of the defense was that she assaulted him first)
But, guess what? He’s still on the job even after having been convicted.
See the video….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49kgG0s7lVk
Demopublican,
I believe that, unfortunately, in this day and age, the kind of person it takes to be a cop is precisely the kind of person who has no business being a cop. I also think when it comes to corruption and incompetence, it’s often difficult to tell the difference.
That being said, based on the law of averages, at least one guy in JADE I imagine is — to quote you — “a good decent honest hard working cop.” He might even be the man running for Sheriff.
Demopublican, I can’t believe you are still on here spreading your BS. “Oh, hear we go again” was right about you, you are a sicko!
We all know you are “Cop SUE Happy”. Had you not been fired from your position Im sure you wouldn’t be spreading all this nonsene and hatred!
You know their are bad people in every profession.
My best friend Eric Sutphin was an Albemarle police officer at one time then became a Deputy with Montgomery Co.Sheriffs Office. He was shot and killed in 2006 on the Tech Campus as well as a guard.
Sutphin was the type of person that would give anyone the shirt off his back and was always willing to help. (If you don’t believe me google his name and look at the hundreds of comment’s)
At the time he was killed he had already worked his shift and was on his way home to be with his two little girls but decided that the officers could probably use some extra assistance. He lost his life to protect people like me and you. Oh, but I guess he was just looking for that extra money on his pay check??????
My Grandfather lost his job in the line of duty as well. Hmmm, trying to protect!
I know of so many good officers out there and all you can do is come up with pointless stories! It’s a very good thing that I am not a Police Officer because I wouldn’t help you if my job depended on it.
You could really use some professional help.
Also, in regards to “Cville Eye” I am not married to the Detective that is running for Sheriff. I did however listen to his speech and thought he had alot of good ideas for the community and could tell he would be an excellent candidate. Also, Sounds like in his 15 years of Law Enforcement he has gained alot of valuable experience as he has worked his way up from Patrol. Compare the two candidates qualifications.
Demo,
Meant to say my Grandfather lost his LIFE,
protecting and serving people like me and you.
Do you really think that their small amount of salary brings these family members back to us?
@Thebrightside, I have no doubt that he is a good employee. What makes you think he will be a good leader? I have no evidence that the other candidate will be a good leader either, so I won’t be comparing the two.
-1- Thebrightside, who made me “Cop SUE Happy”?
I will give you a free clue. After fighting tooth and nail for years, every one of them settle out of court just days or weeks before a jury is to hear whether I have any legitimate claims and should be awarded compensatory and punitive damages or not.
If you guessed the right answer, what are they scared of? Are they afraid the jury might burn ’em a new one?
-2- CVille Eye, I don’t see any evidence that either are qualified to be City Sheriff. But, as I have said before, I don’t feel knowing the job’s duties and responsibilities has been a requirement for the last three decades. New sheriffs coming into office are taught the ropes by the existing staff. A trained chimpanzee can sit in office and be City Sheriff… as long as they have a good staff to make them look good. Therefore, I would say being a “good leader” isn’t really a necessity when running for the office.
-3- Brightside, you gotta pull out that Sympathy Card now, don’t you? It doesn’t cut any ice with me. Cop work isn’t even in the top 10 of the most dangerous professions. Put your Sympathy Card back in your pocket. It’s not a perfect world. I wish truck drivers didn’t get killed. I wish DC Metrorail engineers didn’t get killed. I wish airline pilots, lumberjacks, deep sea fisherman, taxi drivers, store clerks, and others didn’t get killed at work. But their death rate per 100,000 employess is higher than that of cops.
Here’s a typical Top 10
Logging workers 92.4 per 100,000
Aircraft pilots 92.4 per 100,000
Fishers and fishing workers 86.4 per 100,000
Structural iron and steel workers 47.0 per 100,000
Refuse and recyclable material collectors 43.2 35
Farmers and ranchers 37.5 per 100,000
Roofers 34.9 per 100,000
Electrical power line installers/repairers 30.0 per 100,000
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers 27.6 per 100,000
Taxi drivers and chauffeurs 24.2 per 100,000
I guess I should cite my source:
Top 10 Deadliest Professions
http://money.cnn.com/2005/08/26/pf/jobs_jeopardy/
Frankly, I have never understood why a sheriff’s position is elected, so I don’t bother to vote for that position.
is an outdated position that if kept, should not be elected. The problem with sheriffs is that since they are elected, they have no “boss” so-to-speak and they get a very cavalier attitude. They can also hire and fire at-will and the employee has no way to grieve or fight for their position.
This position should be abolished or renamed chiefs of police and be appointed by a council or city/county manager. Keeps them in check. They also shouldn’t be pledging loyalty to any political party. To me, that oozes corruption. Demo, do you agree with this?
Well, actually, Charlottesville deputy sheriffs used to have access to the city’s grievance procedure. It was part of the sheriff’s “contract” with the then City Manager Cole Hendrix. But after a deputy sheriff had filed 2 greivance complaints against former sheriff Carlton Baird, and prevailed in both, he was fired by the incoming former sheriff Rittenhouse when he filed a third grievance complaint against Rittenhouse in 1996. Rittenhouse at that time revoked the right of access to the City’s greivance procedure. I have no idea if the right to the grievance procedure was ever restored to city deputy sheriffs or not, just never have asked anybody. I also do not know if and have never asked about whether the City Sheriff still has a contract with the city Manager. While some people may say a contract between the City Sheriff and the City Manager isn’t worth the paper it’s written on since the sheriff is elected, the City Manager can withhold the supplemental salary they provide to the City Sheriff if they do not enter into a contract.
In my opinion, the City lost a lot of good employees during Rittenhouse’s term as sheriff. Every person below the rank of sergeant either resigned or was terminated. Linwood Shifflett was absolutely one of the best employees the department has ever had. He resigned. Linda Bowles resigned. Steve Shifflett was fired for attempting to file a grievance complaint, also known as “contempt of sheriff”. (And please don’t even get me started on all the lies, deceptions and coverups that took place during the “Sick Building Syndrome” in the Circuit Court! I have an audio tape of deception pulled on the City Manager that would knock your socks off!) If it wasn’t so late and I wasn’t so tired, I suppose I could think of the other employees that either resigned or got fired. I’m simply exhausted and can’t run with the Big Dog’s nightlife like I once could.
Being an elected position, and having no “boss” as you say, certainly has it’s benefits. They can do as they please. Like when former sheriff Carlton Baird hired and promoted his own son. I just don’t feel any sheriff has any business hiring and promoting their own family members. (It’s rumored this is why a former Nelson County sheriff lost re-election… he hired his own son as a deputy sheriff too.) Personally, I hated my job after all of this foolishness took place. And I felt it was an uphill battle just to keep my job after all of it took place.
At this time, I simply don’t care if the position is an elected position or an abolished position. The salary is the only thing I see attractive about the position. For any city employee wishing to enhance their retirement benefits, all they have to do is serve the final years of their career as City Sheriff. The last four recent sheriffs have increased their retirement benfits by becoming sheriff. Mannie Norford, Carlton Baird, Buddy Rittenhouse, and Cornelia Johnson.
Demopublican,
From reading all of your previous comments I have to wonder why you are so anti law enforcement?
You are so far from the trueth in saying that JADE has made the crimes in the City worse.
They have taken alot of really bad dudes off the street.
You ramble on about this person and that person, why don’t you tell us why you got Fired.
I am anti law enforcement because I have seen it all in the last 13 years. Things that the public wouldn’t even believe unless they saw it on some TV show or a movie. Lies, deception, cops covering for each other, cops committing perjury under oath on more than one occasion. Have two well documented events where the judges themselves called the cops liars. Once to their face and while still on record in open court. It’s in the trial transcript. The second when a judge retired to his chambers at the conclusion of a criminal case and told his baliff he couldn’t believe an entire chain of police command had just committed perjury in his courtroom. The judge retired shortly after this trial, I personally think he had finally got fed up with not being able to trust testimony from cops. I think he might even have thought about how many innocent people he had sent to jail based on lies from cops. I know I would have. As I said the above, the 3% to 5% of crooked courrupt lying cops isn’t the problem. The portion of the other 95% that lie and deny for them rather than testify against and prosecute them is the MAJOR problem in this city and county.
But, you have the right to your opinion, I have the right to mine. I clearly said all these ~SPECIALIZED UNITS~ have taken much needed manpower out of the patrol division. It’s not just the JADE unit. Patrol is left with so few men and women to cover the steets they have to ask cops to hang over and work another shift all the time. Some nights after midnight they have one cop working two sectors. It’s hard enough for one cop to work one sector. You do the math, take all the ~SPECIALIZED UNITS~, add up the total manpower alloted to each, and see what you come up with. When you don’t have cops out on patrol, neighborhoods are left without any protection whatsoever. The days of routine patrol seem to be over forever. That’s why this city is currently being busted wide open by a small band of gangsta wannabe kids terrorizing the public with thefts, vandalism and automobile breakins all over town. And it’s the same in the city and county.
As far as to who got fired and why, read the reply above again. You should be able to figure it out.