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BradleySheriff.com
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BradleySheriff.com
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Friday, 15 February 2008 |
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Let me ask you a question. Are any of you spending the same amount for gasoline that you were spending three years ago? Or even last year? If your livelihood depends upon traveling or being on the road or using your automobile in any way, are your gasoline bills the same as they were three years ago? Are they lower? Are they higher? I doubt anyone can answer that their gas expenses are lower today than they were three years ago, or even lower than they were last year. How much more, then, does that apply to a law enforcement agency charged with protecting a community comprising 333 square miles? Three years ago, the BCSO fuel budget, as set by the Bradley County Commission, was $277,756. In this past budget, that fuel allowance ~ in the face or ever-increasing fuel costs ~ was $275,000. That is actually $2,756 less than three years ago. No where else in the country have fuel costs decreased over the last three years. Yet, our commission has seen fit to budget the BSCO fuel needs at $2,756 less this year than three years ago!
This gas problem is compounded by the fact that we have increased patrols in the county. Understand that Bradley County is made of up of four zones. Each of these county zones is larger in land mass than the entire city of Cleveland, and similar in population. On a recent Thursday evening, the city of Cleveland had close to 20 officers covering the city. On that same Thursday evening (as with every evening), the county had two deputies per zone (a total of eight deputies covering the entire county). Remember, each zone is larger in size than the entire city and similar in population. I don’t think two deputies per zone is too many.
When I took office in September 2006, there was often only one deputy per county zone. In other words, four deputies to cover an area over four times larger than the city (the county being 333 sq. mi., the city being 25 sq. mi.). One of the first changes I made as sheriff was to reassign top-heavy BCSO management and shift those resources to the field. In this way I was able to, first of all, increase starting pay for deputies from approximately $24,000 a year to $26,000 (city police officers start out at $32,000); and secondly, I increased county patrols to two deputies per zone instead of just one deputy per zone (two per zone is minimal; we really need more).
Shifting resources to the field and increasing patrols has proven instrumental in a 30 percent reduction in burglaries in the county last year over the year before, and an overall clearance rate of all crime in Bradley County by 45 percent. That clearance rate is actually 15 percent above the national average. Obviously, adding another patrol deputy to each zone increased gasoline usage. But it has also increased security for the citizens of Bradley County, as well as the deputies who patrol the four county zones.
When I took office, I knew gas prices and calls for service would increase because of the growing population, and I asked the county commission that $55,000 be added to the existing fuel budget in order to accommodate the anticipated increase. They made the choice not to give the BCSO an increase, but to fund us $2,756 less than three years before.
There has been a continual and unfair barrage of criticism aimed at the BCSO ever since I took office and it is harmful to the citizens of Bradley County. I have even read where some commissioners are actually calling on the BCSO to park our patrol cars and pull our drug cars out of service. I cannot overstate how ill-advised such a course of action would be. My command staff and I have been brainstorming on ways to compensate for the fuel shortfall, and we have been able to identify a combined $70,000 from other operational line items that can be transferred without substantially impacting operations in an adverse way. But this is a temporary fix at best and further transfers would require cutting services, which I do not consider a viable option.
The BCSO is statutorily mandated to keep the peace, investigate crime, patrol the roadways, protect the courts, serve criminal and civil warrants, and operate the county jail. Additionally, our duties and responsibilities cover a whole host of other areas relating to public safety, including protecting schools, traffic enforcement, environmental enforcement, and disaster preparedness and response (whether natural or manmade).
I won’t reiterate all the cost-cutting measures we have implemented at the BCSO or all the savings we have been able to achieve, as I have already done so a number of times in the past. To familiarize yourself with accurate and unfiltered information regarding the operations of the BCSO, visit this website often. I think we have done a remarkable job with limited resources; or, in the case of fuel, reduced resources.
The BCSO continues to perform in an exemplary manner. I credit the many positive accomplishments of the Sheriff’s Office to the exceptional performance and dedication of BCSO deputies. And I will continue to make their case as often and as vocally as I can. They deserve no less.
As ever, if you want to find out more about the BCSO or if you want to read the stories you won’t find anywhere else, visit our website. If you want to contact me directly with confidential and/or candid comments, you can email me at comments@bradleysheriff.com. I always enjoy hearing from you. There are solutions to every problem, and together we will find them. |
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Thursday, 07 February 2008 |
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I would like to share some positive news with you this week regarding the BCSO jail operations. Being charged with the incarceration and care of some many people who have run afoul of the law is a huge responsibility, and I want to acknowledge and thank Capt. Gabe Thomas and all the deputies who have shouldered that responsibility so well. The potential liabilities that come with operating a jail our size that houses state, federal and local inmates are not to be taken lightly, and the men and women who work back there are doing a terrific job. In fact, all our deputies are doing a terrific job and they’re all to be commended. Most of you know the Bradley County jail regularly generates revenue for the county. Most of this money comes from housing state and federal inmates. Bradley County receives $35 a day for housing state inmates and $49.60 a day for federal. This money goes into the General Fund.
As with most revenue-generating operations across the country, there is a billing process, so it generally takes a few months between billing and payment. This week we received payment for the month of November which totaled $230,201.23. That breaks down thusly:
State inmates: $107,625.
Federal inmates: $110,159.86
Evercom (inmate phone system): $6,438.94
Sex Offender Registry: $340.
Data Processing: $112.
Sheriff’s Offices fees: $1,831.
Commissary: $3,694.43 For the current fiscal year, which is July through November, 2006, BCSO jail operations generated a total of $1,153,345.30. That is a substantial amount that doesn’t even include booking fees, fees from serving warrants and fees collected through the Circuit Court clerks. When all revenue generated by the BCSO is collected, the total is approximately $4 million a year, give or take. For a more complete breakdown of annual revenues brought into the county by the BCSO, view my podcast entitled “Show Me the Money.”
Speaking of the jail, let me address a more personal issue. During my time as sheriff, folks have suggested (some seriously, some maybe not so seriously) that I should follow the example of sheriffs in other parts of the country that make life uncomfortable and even humiliating for prisoners. For example, some have suggested I force male inmates to wear pick underwear and pink jumpsuits, or even house them in pink cells. Some suggest housing inmates in tents or take away all but the basic necessities, that kind of thing. But that isn’t the way I see it. |
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Tuesday, 05 February 2008 |
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A Statement From Sheriff Tim Gobble Dear Citizens: In order to save gasoline without cutting services, the BCSO must first have been wasting gasoline. Since the BCSO has not been wasting gasoline, the only way to save would be to cut the level of existing services. This is something I am not willing to do because it will jeopardize your personal safety, the safety of the community as a whole and the safety of the BCSO deputies who do a very difficult and dangerous job.
Recently, a county commissioner cited in a public meeting that on one occasion he observed a patrol car idling while on a call and claimed this was evidence the BCSO was wasting money. There are many legitimate reasons why patrol cars may be left idling while the deputy is away. For one, the deputy may have needed quick, reliable access to the police radio or NCIC computer. Maybe there was a K-9 in the car that needed cool air. Maybe the deputy needed to have the blue lights activated for official purposes or to promote public safety.
Studies show that an idling vehicle consumes approximately one gallon of gas per hour (around $2.60, county pricing). While the BCSO routinely strives to conserve energy, an incident such as the one cited by the county commissioner seems more designed for political grandstanding as opposed to genuine concern for conservation. It is very rare for any BCSO vehicle to be left running for any extended period without a legitimate public safety related purpose. |
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Thursday, 31 January 2008 |
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Since taking office 17 months ago, some local officials have engaged in a public effort to create the illusion that the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office is wasting taxpayer money in its operation. So I have decided to set the record straight. When Bradley County deputies continue to drive 33 vehicles with over 250,000+ miles on them, not counting the 20 vehicles with 150,000+ miles ~ that is not wasting taxpayer money. However, it would be a waste of taxpayer money if one of those unsafe, unreliable vehicles were involved in an avoidable accident with injuries due to mechanical failure. That could create a huge liability for the county and even result in a lawsuit that would cost more than the money to replace the entire BCSO fleet. The BCSO Drug Fund doesn’t involve any taxpayer money. It is totally funded through drug seizures and the hard work of our drug detectives and patrol deputies. Through this drug fund, the BCSO pays the salaries and benefits of six employees and has financed the tax-free purchase of 40 vehicles with less than150,000 that are currently in use. The drug fund is also used to pay 21 percent of the garage lease ~ that is not wasting taxpayer money. The average wage of our deputies is 23 to 25 percent behind their city counterparts and the regional average. The starting salary of a BCSO deputy is $26,000, as opposed to a $32,000 starting salary for their city and regional counterparts in departments of the same size and responsibilities ~ that is not wasting taxpayer money. |
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Sunday, 27 January 2008 |
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Over the past several weeks, I have been writing about the accomplishments of the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office, as well as the many plans we have in place for the future. I have stressed the fact that our community is growing at a strong and steady pace and pointed out the necessity of keeping up with that growth in order to provide a safe and progressive environment that our children will want to call home. Last year, Bradley County Trustee Mike Smith gave a very positive annual report detailing the fiscal health of Bradley County. He cited total interest returns of $1,376,162 over the budgeted interest, investments of $25,087,000 (maturity dates from 7/18/07 to 11/15/08), and a bank balance of $30,447,466.93. Mr. Smith also cited other areas of reduced county expenses and increased revenue for the general fund. I believe Mr. Smith is doing a terrific job as Trustee and should be commended.
Last week, during his annual “State of the City” speech before the Kiwanis Club, Cleveland City Mayor Tom Rowland also presented a positive report regarding the financial growth of our community. Mayor Rowland predicted that 2008 will usher in a “retail explosion,” economic expansion, transportation improvements and increased tourism. According to the mayor, we will soon see many retail outlets coming into the area people have been wanting for a number of years, including a Target, Kohl’s, Circuit City and more.
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