Sheriff race expands

[Matt J]

No, thank you for posting. I will have to disagree with you on the federal law part. WCSO cannot enforce federal laws, illegal aliens, and counterfeit currency. Those cases get deferred to the appropriate federal agency.

As for the track, I was of the impression that a large scale project should have several competitive bids to ensure the best project is undertaken. Maybe I just expect too much?

So the track that is in discussion here is for deputies to practice driving on? If that's the case I wouldn't think you would want a proffesional track so much as something that mimicked our current roads. Hence I would assume that the county could do instead of a contractor.

 

[The Watcher]

So the track that is in discussion here is for deputies to practice driving on? If that's the case I wouldn't think you would want a proffesional track so much as something that mimicked our current roads. Hence I would assume that the county could do instead of a contractor.

As I understand it, the track is a standarized driving track that is used to conduct training of law enforcment and first responders on a regular basis. It is used for both high and slow speed courses and in certain training I believe it is given a coating of H20 so that ABS breaking can be tested as well as spin control.

The cost of the land, building and contracting would all factor into the project bid. As I said, maybe I expect too much.

This would not work well on most of the roads I know of in the county, at least not mine !!! ha ha ha. Can you say wash board.

 

[Matt J]

As I understand it, the track is a standarized driving track that is used to conduct training of law enforcment and first responders on a regular basis. It is used for both high and slow speed courses and in certain training I believe it is given a coating of H20 so that ABS breaking can be tested as well as spin control.

The cost of the land, building and contracting would all factor into the project bid. As I said, maybe I expect too much.

This would not work well on most of the roads I know of in the county, at least not mine !!! ha ha ha. Can you say wash board.

Well if they owned the land already it may have simply been the cost of building the track itself. Anybody know at what point (dollar wise) they have to go to the county commission for approval?

 

[wrobert]

As for this part, I'd be interested to hear what Mr. Beasley has to say about this "Act" and its use, or lack there of, in previous Walton County elections. How does selective enforcement of an obscure act make anything right?

Let us make sure of something here. I am not defending the current Sheriff. I am defending the office. Personally, I believe that what was done was done with the wrong motives. But no matter, it was a violation of the law, and even if it is a law that has rarely been enforced in the past, never before in the State of Florida to this degree, it is still a law. If it is not liked, it needs to be removed. To me this is no different than complaining about a developement being approved because it is legal but not liked, yet no one ever changes the process to prevent a repeat.

Again, campaigning on the job by a deputy is illegal. Not to mention a total lack of respect and loyalty for the guy who signs your check every month. The right thing would have been to resign and then run. But again, just my opinion. There have been instances of people campaigning for their bosses on the job in this county that resulted in civil fines, last one I remember was about 15 years ago.

The BCC approves the budget of the Sheriff, but since the office is constitutional, once it is approved, he can move funds around within that budget however he sees fit. He is not subject to any specific purchasing policies unless he subjects himself to them. Neither are any of the other constitutional officers.

And how would you prove your point as to him using the funds for his campaign, since at the time he had not taken even the first step toward getting re-elected? It is not what you know, but what can be proven.

 

[wrobert]

The cost of the land, building and contracting would all factor into the project bid. As I said, maybe I expect too much.

What I understood is that the track is similar to the one at the Pat Thomas Law Enforcement Academy over toward Tallahassee. That is where the state police train. Supposedly Okaloosa county just built one and we could use it. I understand now Santa Rosa county is building one. Must have been an article in some sort of law enforcement magazine about how one is needed everywhere. The land was already owned by the county. There was about $300K left in the budget so that is how it is being used. Again, they got it so they spend it, never thinking to turn it back and reduce the tax burden. I also heard that they were building a rappelling(sp?) tower for training. I guess the deputies are either going to start dropping out of helicopters or from rooftops in the near future.

 

[Matt J]

What I understood is that the track is similar to the one at the Pat Thomas Law Enforcement Academy over toward Tallahassee. That is where the state police train. Supposedly Okaloosa county just built one and we could use it. I understand now Santa Rosa county is building one. Must have been an article in some sort of law enforcement magazine about how one is needed everywhere. The land was already owned by the county. There was about $300K left in the budget so that is how it is being used. Again, they got it so they spend it, never thinking to turn it back and reduce the tax burden. I also heard that they were building a rappelling(sp?) tower for training. I guess the deputies are either going to start dropping out of helicopters or from rooftops in the near future.

Actually a rappelling tower makes sense to me. Lets not forget that Walton County extends over into highriseville to the west and you just never know when the S.W.A.T. team might need to rappel (sp?) down from a roof. I guess my point that they are spending it on things that law enforcement generally does need; S.W.A.T. training, driving training, etc. not the latest goofy gadget that got a good review in Law Enforcement Budget Surplus Monthly.

 

[scooterbug44]

Why do we need to build a driving track? Sounds like someone is living out a NASCAR fantasy w/ our tax dollars. :roll:

Wouldn't it be far less $$ and far more efficient just to have officers go to a much more highly equipped track complete w/ instructors on a regular basis?

 

[Alicia Leonard]

Just a little background..........

Sheriff?s projects: the permitted and the unpermitted

By BRUCE COLLIER
The Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) held a public hearing at its Nov. 27 regular meeting to consider using $650,056 solid waste landfill fund reserve funds to pay remaining amounts for renovation of the Walton County Courthouse and to assist the Walton County Sheriff?s Office (WCSO), including additional parking, an impound yard, and a helipad in the vicinity of the sheriff?s administrative facility north of DeFuniak Springs. Use of the reserve funds was approved unanimously at the Nov. 27 meeting.
Sheriff Ralph Johnson had made a personal presentation at the BCC?s Nov. 13 meeting, requesting a total of $491,000 worth of improvements. Some of the commissioners balked at the cost and the lateness of the request. The commissioners ended up agreeing to a helipad, parking lot and impound yard as being most immediately needed. The cost of those approved items was determined at that meeting to be $161,636.
This project is the most recent construction project undertaken by Johnson this year. Earlier in 2007, Johnson had cleared land near the jail/administration building for the purpose of building a ?driving range,? a training area for law enforcement vehicles. Land was cleared, Gum Creek Farms was reportedly the contractor on the project, but the work was stopped. Gum Creek could not be reached for confirmation.
Unclear is the amount of funding needed for the driving range project, and whether the project went through a formal bidding process. According to Walton County Finance Director William Imfeld, the county budgets for 2006 and 2007 contain no funding for such a project, nor was any bidding process held in either year. Any construction project on county-owned property that is estimated to cost more than $200,000 must undergo a bidding process, said Imfeld. The project must also be approved by the BCC.
BCC Chairman Kenneth Pridgen agreed that no funds had been set aside for a driving range. ?I think [Sheriff Johnson] did this on his own.? Pridgen said funding for such a project is not likely to be forthcoming. ?We?re looking at more cuts next year.? Pridgen questioned the need for a driving range at this point. ?How do we know it?s a needed project? Are there any specifics that show it?s justifiable??
However, the BCC has now earmarked $650,056 in solid landfill waste reserve funds for both the courthouse and the sheriff?s needs, although the sheriff has not yet made a specific presentation to the BCC on the driving range project.
The Herald was informed that Preble-Rish, Inc. consulting engineers is in the process of preliminary work on the driving range, including securing necessary permits. Preble-Rish engineer Cliff Knauer confirmed this. ?We have designed the test track and grading plan, and have submitted plans to Northwest Florida Water Management District for stormwater permits.? Knauer said that he expects to hear from the district in about 30 days. Preble-Rish is not performing the actual construction work. ?I think a contractor?s been selected, but don?t know who it is,? said Knauer.

 

[The Watcher]

Actually a rappelling tower makes sense to me. Lets not forget that Walton County extends over into highriseville to the west and you just never know when the S.W.A.T. team might need to rappel (sp?) down from a roof. I guess my point that they are spending it on things that law enforcement generally does need; S.W.A.T. training, driving training, etc. not the latest goofy gadget that got a good review in Law Enforcement Budget Surplus Monthly.

Great Points. However... tell me why the department refused to provide quality radio service (perhaps the #1 most important part of a response = communication) to its Criminal Investigations Team. If you are not aware of this lapse in judgement by the sheerif himself, ask the next Investigator you see about their ability to effectively communicate with their peers and the dispatchers. In car radios (investigatons) are not properly installed, causing potential safety hazards to officers. Further, the Evidence Custodian turned Captain had a great idea to switch from Southern Linc (800mhz) direct phone systems to Nextel/Sprint (800mhz). When it was found there was not much difference and after many complaints, WCSO now reportly uses both phone systems paying two different service plan bills. I guess what ever works, works, right?

 

[The Watcher]

Why do we need to build a driving track? Sounds like someone is living out a NASCAR fantasy w/ our tax dollars. :roll:

Wouldn't it be far less $$ and far more efficient just to have officers go to a much more highly equipped track complete w/ instructors on a regular basis?

I, for one, appreciate your logic. Thank you.