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Post by Anonymous on Oct 14, 2006 5:04:17 GMT -4
I have read the posts on this under some of the other listed subjects. This seems to be a hot topic for both citizens and the police themselves. Would like to hear some more opinions. I would think that the candidates for the Sheriff election would probably be interested in what people are saying. After all what we are hearing is that this has been a long existing practice here in the Sheriff's Office.
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Post by Alan W on Oct 14, 2006 11:45:54 GMT -4
I am of the opinion that the county police should be policing the neighborhoods that have known problems. We all which neighborhoods that I am talking about, so do the police. I think that they focus entirely too much on traffic tickets and DUI traps compared to policing for drug probmlems, vandals, etc. I also think that we need to more than double the force in numbers to fix any real problems other than traffic tickets.
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Post by bchevy on Oct 14, 2006 15:16:07 GMT -4
I am of the opinion that the county police should be policing the neighborhoods that have known problems. We all which neighborhoods that I am talking about, so do the police. I think that they focus entirely too much on traffic tickets and DUI traps compared to policing for drug probmlems, vandals, etc. I also think that we need to more than double the force in numbers to fix any real problems other than traffic tickets. Pretty much hit the nail on the head right there. Problem is that fighting crime takes money, and traffic tickets make money.
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Post by QA Deputy on Oct 14, 2006 21:12:11 GMT -4
Bchevy,
Here is the thing about the traffic tickets. Ready for this! Every ticket that the deputy writes to a citizen it bring's back 0 dollars to the county. The county does not see a dime of that high ticket! It all goes to the state. Our Sheriff's Dept. makes noting off the tickets, so why hammer everybody! I have no clue either and i'm a cop. Now don't get me wrong. I think that traffic enforcment is an important part of police work and we need to keep kids and adults safe while they are on the public roadways. Expecially in the developments where their are lots of kids. But traffic is not the only aspect of police work. Just a portion. When an officer enforces the traffic laws it is the sole descretion of that officer to issue a ticket or a citation. It is wrong for any law enforcement agency to make officers issue more citations to people just because we can and disiplinary actions may come to the deputies shoud more tickets not be issued or more arrests not made. Police have a great power and with all great powers they must be distributed with fairness and compassion.
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Post by bchevy on Oct 14, 2006 21:54:56 GMT -4
Don't take me wrong. I was in no way supporting the system, quotas or not.
Policing needs to be in the neighborhoods as mentioned on other threads.
I did not know that 0$ goes to the county though, amazing.
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Post by Another Deputy on Oct 14, 2006 22:55:54 GMT -4
Bchevy,
You have made it clear that you do not support quota's. I have never meet any citizen who has and most cops do not support this type of illegal system. It's time that the citizens of Queen Anne's County knew what was really going on with there local police agency (Sheriff's Office) and how crazy the system is made by the current administration (Crossley & Benton) and command staff. As police we are to protect and serve. We are the peace keepers and try to maintain a balance of order. It is our job to bring a sense of salvation and ease when the you know what hits the fan. Majority of law enforcement are not out to harras the good citizens. It's our job to find the bad ones and arrest them. For that we are not on most peoples fan club list. Were just people like you who do a thankless, hard and challanging job. You know whats really ironic and sad about the whole thing. If you ask most of the deputies they will tell you they are not that worried about getting shot by some crack head or stabbed during a fight or domestic disturbance. They are more worried about getting knifed in their back by their administration and command staff they work for.
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guest
New Member
Posts: 30
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Post by guest on Oct 15, 2006 18:09:18 GMT -4
It seems like the first time I heard about traffic quota's and a deputy's pay being based on his tickets and such was when some of the other candidates for sheriff spoke about this months ago.. I guess my question is, if this is a such a bad thing, why didn't Deputy Hoffman try to stop it since his is the senior deputy? It must not bee too bad if he does not think so. Am I missing something here?
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Post by Common Sense on Oct 15, 2006 23:59:31 GMT -4
Dear Quest
You are definitly missing something and I would like to help you find it. First, Deputy Hoffman is not a senior deputy. He is a Sergeant (fair and respectful) and apart of the command staff. Second, just because Mr. Hofmann does not see this as a problem that does not make it not a problem. Mr. Hofmann is a very nice person and good supervisor, however just because he may not see this as a problem does not make it the word of god. Being in law enforcement is not a factory worker job or selling cars. It's not about how much, but the quality of the job. It's about keeping the peace and providing the public with a safe living environment. Not threaten your workers because they did not make enough drug arrests or drunk driving arrests or make more on view arrests. I quess next your going to tell me there is nothing wrong with locking someone up who has not broken the law. It's okay because I needed that stat. I want to get a high raise this year so I quess I will make bad arrests. Anything to get that stat. I THINK NOT KING QUEST! I can tell you are not a cop with what you wrote! If you are a cop then you to must be apart of a command staff and like I said, your not a cop then! No real cops think quota's are a fair practice and the public is being taken advantage of.
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Post by pete jr on Oct 16, 2006 0:14:05 GMT -4
Reply to Another Guest Deputy. You state that most cops don't support illegal quotas on traffic tickets. Then some do support this illegal, and UN-American practice. Who are these men? Better yet, what kind of men are they? They took an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States, and the laws of this State. The Judges, States Attorneys Office, along with the County Commissioners are supporting this illegal behavior by remaining silent. What a disgrace to those who went before us and paid the ultimate price for our freedom. Shame on these publicly paid wimps...........pete jr
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guest
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Post by guest on Oct 17, 2006 21:28:11 GMT -4
I'm sorry I do not know more about this. Also, I was only going by what Mr Hofmann put in his advertisement, that he is a Senior Command Deputy. I would think that with a title like that, he would certainly have a say in something that is wrong in the police department.
I do know that I do not like quotas that make the deputy get a pay raise if that is the case. I just thought that if it is that bad, Mr. Hofmann would have said a lot about it by now. I'm still learning here so bear with me!
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Post by Insider on Oct 17, 2006 22:51:52 GMT -4
Quest, Mr. Hofmann may support having quota's or he may not. He is apart of the command staff and he and the other command staff could of done something about this had they wanted to. The command staff could of stood up to the Sheriff and Captain, however they chose to do nothing because they were to busy sucking up to them. Lets not rock the boat! There not the ones who have to produce all these numbers so the command staff does not care. Funny though! When most of these supervisors were on the road they did nothing and wouldn't know real police work if it bit them in the back side. And yes the deputies get raises based upon how many tickets issued, drug arrests and drunk driving arrests they make. More tickets, more arrest, equals higher pay raise. CALL ME CRAZY, BUT THERE IS A PROBLEM THERE!
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Post by anonymous deputy on Oct 18, 2006 7:59:35 GMT -4
Amen!!!! to "INSIDER" To Guest and any other interested voter or citizen. What people must realize, is that whether one is a deputy, first line or mid line supervisor under this current administration, you have NO OPINION. When dealing with Chief Deputy (Captain) Benton you are not permitted to voice a opinion or stand up for yourself or subordinates. If you would even attempt to stand up for what you believe is right when it goes against the administrations "WANTS", you will pay dearly with punitive actions or reprisals. This is a agency that is run as a dictatorship by Capt. Benton. The real sad thing is that Sheriff Crossley being the top leader, has sat back for years and helped keep this from the public and most of all, has allowed this to go on. It's obvious he himself is also afraid to stand up to the Chief Deputy. So you see if the Sheriff himself will not stand up for what is right, then where do you think the Deputies, first line and mid level supervisors stand? VOTERS IT IS TIME FOR CHANGE BIGTIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! "You and your families could depend on it".
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Post by bchevy on Oct 25, 2006 15:37:01 GMT -4
OK, I'll ask.
Why isn't this "quota" system annonymousley (sp) reported, with proof, (memos mentioned on other threads) to the proper authorities for investigation?
yeah, a whistle blower....
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Post by Deputy on Oct 25, 2006 22:01:25 GMT -4
bchevy. I will say that this has been reported to the County Commissioners, the County Administrator Mr. Comfort, the Director of Personnel. And most of all Sheriff Crossley knows of it. If all of these people in high places have known of this practice for several years, what do you think that a DEPUTY could do about it? You're right NOTHING!!!!! In this County there is no such thing as a whistle blower. If you even entertain the thought of calling the Bay Times, after given the information Angela Price calls her inside connections and that is as far as it goes. So now you see how the system works.
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Post by Deputy who knows on Oct 25, 2006 23:52:39 GMT -4
Bchevy. This issue has been told to the county commissioners, the county administrator and the human resources department. The problem is that the county does not have any authority or say over what goes on at the sheriff's office. The Sheriff is an elected position and answers to now one person. The commissioners couldn't do anything about this as long as the sheriff allows this practice to go on. The sheriff can tell the county to go pack sand and there is nothing they can do about it. The only people who can really change this illegal system are the citizens of Queen Anne's County who vote. Vote for the candidate who will not tolerate pay for performance evaluations (AKA Quota's). Vote for a sheriff that is not worried about the quanity of the work done but the quality of the work. Get back to the very basics of police work! Protect and serve! We are PEACE OFFICERS! Our goal is to protect life and property! WE KEEP THE PEACE, NOT STALK AND HARASS THE PUBLIC FOR EVERY LITTLE THING. On November 7th, 2006 make the right choose for sheriff and not for the person who you think is just a really nice guy. Their is more to being a sheriff than just being nice! You have to get down in the thick of things and sometimes get your hands dirty with the criminals. Being a nice person is a great thing but that won't keep your family and friends safe.
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Post by Pete Richter on Oct 26, 2006 6:05:49 GMT -4
To Deputy Guest, and the rest of the world. Angela Price prints lies in the Bay Times, and she did it to me. My name is Pete Richter 410-643-0286. Her boss Mr. Effingham condones this behavior by failing to take action on complaints. I will be posting a web in the near future exposing the corruption that runs rampant in this county with the knowledge of the Politicians, Law Enforcement, the Court System, and the States Attorneys Office. God Bless America.....Pete Richter
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Post by Deputy on Oct 26, 2006 6:37:08 GMT -4
To Mr. Richter I agree with you. She is very one sided. After you talk to her about issues regarding the Sheriff's Office she calls Crossley or Benton. She has caused problems for the Deputies over the years. I would never give her any information again.
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Post by niff on Oct 26, 2006 13:20:48 GMT -4
I have never even read the Bay Times. Do a lot of people read that, and do they have home delivery? Is it a conservative rag or liberal drivel paper? I though that it was something like the KI Update being nothing but a bunch of commercials from cover to cover.
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Post by Brian Schwaab on Oct 26, 2006 17:41:28 GMT -4
To niff; it is a local paper, however, certain things will not get printed. it depends on what it is and who it is about. for example, i mailed them a "Letter to the Editor" for printing 3 weeks ago. This was about voters taking the election of the Sheriff seriously. Because it was a blow to the current sheriff and chief deputy and the serious change needed in the agency so it was not printed. so you see what i'm talking about. ;D
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Post by bchevy on Oct 27, 2006 17:21:46 GMT -4
While I'm sure there's no easy answer, it sounds obvious to me that this needs to be handled above anything at the county level,
county commissioners, the county administrator, the human resources department, Angela Price, The Bay Times, are all too close and have no power to fix something like this.
SOMEONE SOMEWHERE has power over the Sheriff's dept. State's attorney? Attorney General? State Police.
It sounds to me like if the wrong person wins that this system will not change? If it's as illegal as it sounds, there should be person higher up that would love to take this case.
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Another Brother in Blue
Guest
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Post by Another Brother in Blue on Oct 27, 2006 18:11:37 GMT -4
Bchevy, The solution is very simple. November 7th, 2006 election day. The current sheriff (Sheriff Crossley) is not running (thank god) and is retiring after 16 years. The two candadates are Mr. Hofmann and Mr. Rhodes. Either candidate will be an improvement over what is their now. It is imperative that you vote and vote for the right candidate. Vote for the person who is best for the job. Not just the really nice guy but the person who will get the job done. The person who will stand up to the county commissioners and fight tooth and nail to get the manpower needed to serve & protect you the citizen. That person will be more than just a nice guy. He will be a leader. I would look for big things to come for the democrats this election.
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Post by fisherman on Nov 2, 2006 17:15:28 GMT -4
There's alot of talk about quotas and the S.O. Truth is the county instituted a "Pay for Performance" system for all QA employees years ago. In order to assess performance, traffic statistics are included with other ares of work as well such as Calls for service, reports submitted and Civil Papers served. The problem has been that Adminstration - Captains and Lieutenants have put the emphasis on traffic stats and DWI Arrests.
Before the Pay for Performance can be removed a pay scale would need to be implemented and funding approved by the County Commisioners. Of course the Sheriff's Office answers to a higher up - remember that the Commissioners control the purse strings.
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Post by bchevy on Nov 2, 2006 18:43:56 GMT -4
There's alot of talk about quotas and the S.O. Truth is the county instituted a "Pay for Performance" system for all QA employees years ago. In order to assess performance, traffic statistics are included with other ares of work as well such as Calls for service, reports submitted and Civil Papers served. The problem has been that Adminstration - Captains and Lieutenants have put the emphasis on traffic stats and DWI Arrests. Before the Pay for Performance can be removed a pay scale would need to be implemented and funding approved by the County Commisioners. Of course the Sheriff's Office answers to a higher up - remember that the Commissioners control the purse strings. That doesn't float, QUOTAS for traffic stops are ILLEGAL "Pay for performance" is NOT. They are quite different, and one needs to go.
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Post by Former Deputy on Nov 3, 2006 7:52:44 GMT -4
to fisherman I agree that the pay performance evaluation is the current system used by the county. I met with Mr. Comfort some time ago and discussed this system with him. The common understanding was that it was implemented to be a employee evaluation system only. I explained to him how the bosses at the Sheriff's Office were using this in a way it was not probably intended to be used. I personally had one supervisor tell me that "I like the system in place because if you really did not care for a person you could stick it to them". Not only was this unprofessional, but, shows you what has been going on for a long time. The current evaluation has been used against deputies in a negative way for a long time. In ending I will say that being in law enforcement for many years the evaluation form used is a generic one and really is not designed to evaluate law enforcement personnel. A supervisor is generally able to evaluate and observe officers in the field under all types of conditions. This is how it is supposed to work. It is not based on numbers!!! In this county it does not work since the Sergeants are not required to patrol the communities. They are required to stay in the station.
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