At the first meeting of December, it was made clear that a group of business owners were displeased with the performance of the police department. They claim that since the police are now enforcing the traffic laws, we are running tourists out of Cedar Key. Since the meetings, I have received numerous phone calls from out-of-towners who have a different opinion: Many of them have blamed a $10.00 launch fee while making it clear that they used to gas up at the Jiffy, buy snacks and then go out on their boat. Some of them also stated that they would come in during the afternoon, load their boat and park it, and then head to a local restaurant. They will not be coming to Cedar Key anymore. Still others, including local residents, blame the prices in town for their desire to go elsewhere. More have claimed that Cedar Key was too rowdy or lawless for them to return. Remember: Perception is reality. If we want to look, finger pointing is a two-way street.
As I looked at the crowd who was loud and highly vocal against the police, it was no surprise to see who some of the biggest supporters were. I would probably be loud and highly vocal against the police too if I were arrested for DUI or caught driving with a suspended license. I guess that these offences are supposed to be OK as long as you live in Cedar Key or bring in money.
In my opinion, the police have become the whipping boy. Police are law enforcement officers and if this group is correct we are not needed here in Cedar Key. If this group is correct, I would suggest that you get rid of the police and hire a group of good will alcoholics to get drunk and drive people around town just to show that it`s ok. I have seen what not enforcing the law leads too. I am trying to serve this community by enforcing laws that were put into effect by your legislature in an attempt to protect YOU from injuries and death. It seems to me that as long as people die out of town on 24, that is a risk you are willing to take. But, I AM NOT. You made me swear to uphold the laws of the Federal Government, state, and the city -- the same oath that you, the board members, took. It means something to me and if it was just lip service from the board members, then shame on you. It seems that I have spent a good deal of my time here preparing for and attempting to find ways for you all to understand where I am coming from. One of you on the board ran for office on an anti-police platform. In an ad that you ran, you stated that you believed in a police department that doesn`t arrest and punish. I have even heard that one of you is upset because someone received a ticket for doing 60 in a 35. "Protect and serve" as opposed to "arrest and punish". I want to make it clear that by protecting and serving it can mean giving tickets and enforcing laws that if broken, lead to higher incidents of the innocent being hurt. If I am to understand you correctly, you do not want the department to give tickets for speeding. So, do you want us to take action when a pedestrian gets hit by a car driving at 60 miles per hour, or do you just want us to welcome the person driving to Cedar Key and give him a discount card for the local businesses?!? Perception is reality. I knew the consequences of taking this job. I was warned about working in Cedar Key. I firmly believe that it is time for the board to stand up and honor their oath, or step down and admit to a hidden agenda. The voters deserve that from each of you. If my stand on the law is wrong, you can vote me out of here. But before you do, you need to look at those who elected you and tell them that you will be responsible if they, or one of their loved ones gets hit by a drunk driver. I will do all I can to prevent this from happening while I am here. That is what I, and each of you, promised to do.
Further, I find it an irony that a former board member who voted for increasing the police department to what it is today, would now come forward and say we have too many officers. All the while fighting the city on alleged code violations, thereby costing the city money and time. Could it be that he wants back on the board to try to further his agenda? Answer that question for yourself. He has, as well as others, made an issue of the fact that I live fifty miles away. First of all, it is about forty miles. The petitioners are the ones who decided to make this an issue not me. So let`s get our facts straight. Secondly, I pay for the gas in the car. Not just for going back and forth but for all of the city business. I have been to Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Deland, St. Petersburg, Gainesville, and Bronson numerous times on city business. Not one drop of fuel has been paid for by the city. Further, I declined a step pay raise back when I was taken off of probation. That would cost the city about $1,500 per year. Also, all of my uniforms, leather gear, gun, and vest were purchased by me at no cost to the city. This alone easily amounts to well over $1,000 that the city has not spent on me.
I also had to go to a two-week class that is state required. This class was in St. Petersburg. I paid for my motel room, meals, and used my own car to go back and forth. This saved the city over $700. Also, for the record, of the four police cruisers that the city owns, only one was purchased using tax dollars from the residents of Cedar Key. That is the`99 Lumina. The two 2000 Crown Victorias were purchased using drug forfeiture money, and the car I drive was donated to us by Sheriff Smith.
The next issue I want to address is the moving to Cedar Key issue. First of all, as former Mayor Heath Davis will attest to, I told him that I needed to purchase two homes side by side because I have a young handicapped daughter whom, even though she is an adult is dependent upon my wife and me for help. I have looked and cannot find this in a price range I can afford. My take home pay is about $367 per week. How can I afford a mortgage of $600-1500 per month, taxes, and insurance of $200 or more on that? I currently own two residences that only cost about $560 per month with insurance and taxes included. Plus I think we need to be honest here. I know that at least two board members have been trying to get me removed since shortly after I was hired, or when they were elected in 2002. I do not consider it fair to ask me to take on expenses that I cannot afford to keep a job that some of you do not want me to have.
Next, I want to address again the traffic enforcement. According to Florida Department of Transportation records, 2,400 vehicles per day in average come or go across the #4 Bridge. That amounts to 876,000 vehicles per year. The speeding tickets that the overzealous, wild-eyed, crazy officers have written in all of 2002 amount to FORTY-FOUR. We have been compared to Waldo who, according to their chief, wrote about 6,205 speeding tickets last year. To me it is like we are comparing Cedar key Market to Wal-Mart or Frog`s Landing to McDonalds Corporation. The reality is the numbers just aren`t there to live up to the perception that seems to be so prevalent among some.
Concerning over-all ticket writing: the city commission has budgeted for us to take in $7,500 in traffic fines for 2002. We took in $6,427, which caused a budget shortfall of over $1,000. Since 1995 these are the amounts generated by the police for traffic fines: 95-96 $14,966
96-97 $8,153
97-98 $9,005
98-99 $10,377
99-00 $11,583
00-01 $7,882
01-02 $6,427 It is now easy to see that the fact is that we wrote less traffic tickets in 2002 that have ever been written in Cedar Key since before 1995. Perception may be reality, but perception can be wrong.
The only phase of traffic enforcement that has increased in Cedar Key is D.U.I. In 2001 there were zero drunken driving arrests in Cedar Key. In 2000, there were two, both that I found were from accidents. This year, we are at a whole nine. It would be obvious to any reasonable person that our traffic enforcement is low, by using the averages of Cedar Keys past, by the amounts that you, the board have budgeted and by almost any other police department that I am aware of. I believe the real issue is that now, we are enforcing the laws across the board and locals are now held responsible for the way they drive. However, that goes back to the oath that we ALL took. Therefore, I would ask the board to stand up with the police department and uphold our promise. You have heard the perception ... I have given you the reality. It is your job to decide between the two. There are no problems within the police department. The problem seems to me that some of us may have forgotten our oath. |
