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Change in 2008

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T

The Watcher

Beach Fanatic
Dear Citizens, Business Owners and Visitors of Walton County, Florida:

I, for one, am growing very concerned about what I have heard and what I have been reading about Ralph Johnson, the current elected Sheriff of Walton County, Florida.
  • Termination of two very qualified officers ((one a dedicated patrol officer and the other a highly-trained (paid for by your tax dollars) criminal investigator)), due to their being pregnant.
  • Reported loss of thousands of tax pay dollars due to a reported "Internet Scam".
  • The unthinkable appointment of inexperienced and unqualified "officers" to fill positions left by those who have elected to resign their positions (some high ranking) due to issues with current "management".
  • Exactly what are the qualifications of the current management? (High School Degree, College Degree, Masters Degree, CURRENT Florida State Law Enforcement Certification, Previous work/career experience)
  • Why have three of the top Captains under R. Johnson, either left the department or requested to return to road patrol?
  • How many of the Sworn Law Enforcement Officers, currently employed with WCSO, actually live in Walton County? ...or, for that matter, in the State of Florida?
  • Why have several dedicated employees, with very qualified law enforcement backgrounds, been forced to stomach the fact that an "evidence closet maintenance man", has been given two high level promotions (first to a Sr. Lieutenant of Criminal Investigations, second to Captain of Criminal Investigations, all within only a few months) while others, with superior qualifications and experience sit back and dedicate years, some 10 to 15+, of their law enforcement careers, to now be managed by an evidence custodian (previously responsible for carrying boxes of evidence to and from court and transportation of evidence from South to North Walton County Stations)?
  • Why was Walton County excluded (or maybe, not invited) to participate in a recent U.S. Marshall's Task Force (to include DEA, ATF, Okaloosa County SO, Escambia County SO, Jackson County SO, FDLE and others)? This Task Force was assembled to seek out active arrest warrants on wanted violent felons, several of which were actually arrested in Walton County and it is reported that these arrestees actually had Walton County Arrest Warrants at the time of their arrest in Walton County. (WCSO officers did respond to transport the arrested).
These are only a few items to discuss. I hope that there are others in the community who share these concerns and that you are ready for a change in 2008. I, for one, welcome change.

:welcome: CHANGE.
 
:welcome: The Watcher :wave: What did they do, harass the pregnant women before firing them to try and make them quit first, or keep writing them up for nothin' but 'made up' bullsheeet? Or did they do them a big favor and not do any of that, just came out and fired them straight away without any hassle? I really doubt it. It is terrible when these ladies most assuredly trained very hard to get in to these careers in the first place. Not to mentin, pregnancy should be a happy time for an expectant mother. When one human being does this meaness to their fellow human being it just is really sinful. All I can say is good luck to these ladies. Were they fired by a man or another woman? JUst curious? Who knows maybe it was God's way of protecting them from something worse. :wub:
 
From what I understand, they were not technically fired. The Sheriff just changed the policy regarding the light duty, thereby eliminating their ability to work.
 
30A Skunkape said:
Don't let facts get in the way of a good scandal:nono1:
Click to expand...
I won't do that. It is a good scandal either way you slice it, and I think it is an even better "scandal" since the Sheriff didn't technically fire them. That twisting of the law makes it such. If he had just fired them, it would be a cut and dry no-brainer of a case. This method is a classic example of small town poliTRICKS at its finest.
 
They were both effected by a "change in policy" which eliminated the potential for an employee to be assigned to light duty (Desk Job) while injured or...Pregnant. Just prior to these two being pregnant, another female deputy was allowed to work light duty (you can check public record and payroll to verify this fact), working at the South Walton Substation during the day, taking reports, answering phones, etc. The policy change was allegedly enacted due to more and more female officers being pregnant and these two were the first victims. Sound fair? Not to me.
 
The policy change was enacted as a direct repercussion toward female law enforcement officers more frequently becoming pregnant and the elected sheriff is very much against supporting pregnant females. As I understand it, the women were unable to return to duty, after being forced to use fellow officers sick leave, due to being PREGNANT, and were terminated. This would be public record under the Sunshine Law of Florida State. The elected sheriff did not even have the respect and decency of providing the termination to the deputies. He had one of his unqualified, uncertified supervisors (male) do the deed. Sad.
 
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Joe,

Sounds like you are ready for a Change in 2008. May I plagiarize your word; "poliTRICKS"? I'd like to use it in the future.
 
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