Walton commissioners deny Sheriff's request

[wrobert]

I have the paperwork on it. I believe it is a new system that is considered an "upgrade" from the existing one.:scratch:

Well if you have a computer and you buy a new computer, I do not consider that an upgrade, but a replacement. I guess it is all semantics.

 

[Jdarg]

It's really an easy mistake, since the story is on Sheriff Johnson, but I wonder how many readers will think that County Commissioner Chairman "Larry Johnson" and Sheriff Johnson are related.

And you can probably find lots of "Johnson" t-shirts in the PCB and Destin souvenir stores. Located on the shelves next to the rebel flag beach towels.

uh oh I bet this post gets deleted......

 

[idlewind]

The Sheriff was in a booth at the WZEP cooking show at the time of the BCC hearing. Once again he sent his attorney and a subordinate to plead his case to the Commission and the public.

One more "In your face".

This issue is far from over - next come the legal issues from the State.

What could possibly be more important than expanding your training horizons when you are about to be phased out of your job? Come on people, give the guy a break, he can't help being like this, he was born this way.:rofl:

 

[The Watcher]

Spend, spend, spend. Who paid for the cooking school? What was to featured topic on the agenda, "Learning how to cook the books?"

More on the costly project - The Driving Track...
Proposed Sheriff?s driving course to cost $40,000 more than Okaloosa?s

You can comment on this story below


Sean Boone
2008-02-28 10:59:00

The newly proposed Walton County Sheriff?s driving safety facility is expected to cost approximately $43,000 more than the one the Okaloosa Sheriff?s Office uses.
The proposed safety driving course, which Sheriff Ralph Johnson has said would train Walton Emergency Operations vehicles as well sheriff?s deputies, is estimated to cost nearly $358,000 and would model the Pat Thomas Academy training facility in Tallahassee. A press release from the sheriff?s office last month said the course would provide ?room for precision maneuvers, such as backing, emergency braking, serpentine maneuvers, parking, J-turns, going between objects and other aspects of both law enforcement driving and basic defensive driving skills.?
According to Okaloosa Walton College Director of Public Safety/Criminal Justice Brian Shank, the driving facility built in 2005 on the OWC campus cost roughly $315,000 to build and much like the Thomas facility, allows civilians to enroll in programs and use it. The facility is used by not only the Okaloosa Sheriff?s Office, but also enrolled students in the criminal justice and law enforcement training classes.
?It costs us roughly $365 per student for a 48 hour course,? he said. ?The cost per person is $198. The difference in cost is paid for by the state.?
Captain Eddie Farris of the sheriff?s office said the new course is not scheduled to offer classes to civilians and unlike the Pat Thomas center, which uses adjunct officers to teach the courses, would be using on-duty officers.
The course has come under scrutiny due to a recent proposal from the sheriff to obtain money from last year?s surplus budget to build it.

 

[Smiling JOe]

I know nothing about either of the driving courses, but if they are built to the same specs, I don't see a story behind a 13.6% increase in price. I'd guess that most of the costs comes from paving, and I'd almost bet money that asphalt/paving prices have risen more than 13% over the last three years (Okaloosa's driving course was completed in 2005, and probably contracted in 2004). Heck, I just heard that the price of eggs has risen 40% in the last year.

 

[gremlin]

Ralph was at cooking class in Freeport. What was he cooking? The Books?

 

[The Watcher]

... Heck, I just heard that the price of eggs has risen 40% in the last year.

Ask Chef Ralph next time he makes an omlette, bet that budget wasn't approved either. I hear he is opening a new restaurant called -
Che' dei Ralphies... I recommend the trout. ;-)

 

[scooterbug44]

Why can't we just pay and use the Okaloosa track too?

I question the amount of use 2 tracks in neighboring counties would get when they're not even being used by training facilities.

 

[The Watcher]

Why can't we just pay and use the Okaloosa track too?

I question the amount of use 2 tracks in neighboring counties would get when they're not even being used by training facilities.

That would mean that WCSO would have to cooperate with other agencies, which they do not, by the choice of the current sheriff. This is a core issue of the upcoming election, how to start to develop partnerships with other surrounding agencies (local) not to mention both State and Federal. It all comes down to EGO.

 

[Alicia Leonard]

That would mean that WCSO would have to cooperate with other agencies, which they do not, by the choice of the current sheriff. This is a core issue of the upcoming election, how to start to develop partnerships with other surrounding agencies (local) not to mention both State and Federal. It all comes down to EGO.

Hi Watcher,

I enjoy reading your post but wanted to comment on this one. I try and stay out of conversations on the board over subjects I've covered or are working on but I felt the need to comment on this post. In my investigations and subsequent articles on county and city law enforcement, I've found and published information contrary to this.

The WCSO seems to work well with other outside agencies, such as ICE and other county sheriff's agencies. They have coordinated raids for Federal task force such as the one that netted the human trafficking suspects.County PD has also had in-office training supplied by federal agencies where illegal immigration is concerned. They also took part in forming a task force with Okaloosa and Santa Rosa over illegal immigration.

I documented that our city PD had a much harder time getting government agencies to work with them, during my illegal immigration series I wrote last year. I believe both agencies in Walton have had a hard time getting along with each other. Why that is, is as much your guess as mine and I won't speculate, but the ability for the WCSO to work with other agencies outside of Walton is well documented in many area newspapers.

As far as the track, my understanding is Okaloosa has something referred to as a "skid track" where as the Walton track is proposed to be an actual defensive driving course that would be unique among NW Fla.

The press release quoted over the track was sent out over a month ago, yet comes out now We didn't print it because it was a rehash of prior articles we had already covered.

Like I said, The first three paragraphs are documented, the fourth is just my understanding of the facilities in questions and the last is just an observation, not an opinion. If you know different, I would appreciate being informed, not only as a writer but as a voter who is a life long resident as well.

Thanks
AL