Walton County and City Law Enforcement

[booya]

Below is factual information and comparison of local law enforcement in Walton County and the City of DeFuniak Springs. It shows budget cost, crime stats and attrition rates. The truth is very interesting.

Budget comparison for Law Enforcement in Walton County

Total 2008 Walton County SO budget is $15,053,110.00

Total 2007 population living in the county was 51,805

• This equates to $290,572.53 spent per 1000 citizens for law enforcement by the WaltonCountySO.

Total 2008 DeFuniak Springs PD budget is $1,746,480.00

Total 2007 population living in DeFuniak Springs was 5,288

• This equates to $330,272.31 spent per 1000 citizen for law enforcement by the DeFuniak Springs PD.

It is easy to see that the DeFuniak Springs PD spends $39,699.78 per 1000 citizens more than the SO does.

We all know that Johnson has not been a fiscal conservative of county taxpayer money, but if that is so then Adkinson is horrendous. He has a lot higher budget per citizen than the SO.

All above data can be proven by visiting the below websites and page numbers:

ftp://gisftp.co.walton.fl.us/County_Website/OMB/08/FY%2008%20Approved%20Budget.pdf (page 9)

http://www.defuniaksprings.net/budgetexpenditures07-08.pdf (page 5)

http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/FSAC/UCR/2007/CoMuOff2007annual.pdf (page 67)

Comparison of 2007 Crime in the County against 2007 Crime in the City

(How is this wasteful spending Adkinson is doing working?)

MAJOR CRIME NUMBERS FOR WCSO

· Forcible Rapes 4–or 1 for every 12,951 citizens
· Robbery 5 – or 1 for every 10,361 citizens
· Agg Assault 80 – or 1 for every 648 citizens
· Burglary 179 – or 1 for every 289 citizens
· Larceny 756 – or 1 for every 69 citizens

MAJOR CRIME NUMBERS FOR DFSPD

· Forcible Rapes 2– or 1 for every 2,644 citizens
· Robbery 7 – or 1 for every 755 citizens
· Agg Assault 44 – or 1 for every 120 citizens
· Burglary 71 – or 1 for every 74 citizens
· Larceny 109 – or 1 for every 48 citizens

When looking at this data it is easy to see that the law enforcement services provided by the DFSPD which cost taxpayers $39,699.78 more per 1000 citizens is inferior (worse) even though it cost more.

All the above data on population and crimes can be proven by visiting the below website:

http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/FSAC/UCR/2007/CoMuOff2007annual.pdf (page 67)

How Walton County and City Law Enforcement Attrition (officers leaving) rate compares to the state average

The WaltonCounty Sheriff’s Office had a 2007 officer population of 141

The WaltonCounty Sheriff’s Office had a 2007 officer attrition of 21

• This shows that the Walton County Sheriff’s Office had an attrition rate of 15% or 1.5 officers out of every 10 leave.

• The average attrition rate for Sheriff’s Offices in Florida is 5% which is 10% lower than the Walton County SO.

To many officers are leaving the SO


The DeFuniak Springs Police Department had a 2007 officer population of 18

The DeFuniak Springs Police Department had a 2007 officer attrition of 5

• This shows that the DeFuniak Springs Police Department had an attrition rate of 28% or 2.8 officers out of every 10 leave or more than one in every four.

• The average attrition rate for police departments in Florida is 7.5% which is 20.5% lower than the DFSPD.

DeFuniak Springs Police Department has a much larger attrition problem.

All the above data on officer population and attrition can be proven by visiting the below websites:

http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/cjst/cjap/2007/demographics/demo_so_le.html (SO Officer Population)
http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/cjst/cjap/2007/statistics/attr_so_le.html (SO Attrition)

http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/cjst/cjap/2007/demographics/demo_pd.html (PD Officer Population)
http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/cjst/cjap/2007/statistics/attr_pd.html (PD Attrition)

CONCLUSION

DeFuniak Springs Police Department under the management of Michael Adkinson Jr. spends more money per citizen for law enforcement services, has more crime per citizen and even has a higher attrition (officer leaving) rate than the Walton County Sheriff’s office does. We need a change in Walton County but Adkinson is not the change we need. Check the facts out and become an informed voter.

[Smiling JOe]

It sounds as though you think that law enforcement's job is to prevent crime. If a district has more crime, wouldn't it be reasonable to think that it would cost more to police that area? Walton County has much rural land, and it doesn't cost as much to patrol rural areas as it does more dense populations. Your comparison sure looks like some statistics, but comparing a City's cost to a County's cost is not apples to apples.

[scooterbug44]

Since you seem to have good sources, I would love to see a breakdown of how many calls/dispatches each area averages.

I don't think per resident is a very accurate way to compare the two considering how many visitors and tourists we get.

[sunspotbaby]

Since you seem to have good sources, I would love to see a breakdown of how many calls/dispatches each area averages.

I don't think per resident is a very accurate way to compare the two considering how many visitors and tourists we get.

That's probably on the Uniform Crime Report as well. When I was a dispatcher we had to document EVERYTHING for this report ...15 yrs. ago.

I just looked at it, and my bad, it DOES NOT have number of calls recieved. The radio logs are probably public information though...

[idlewind]

It sounds as though you think that law enforcement's job is to prevent crime. If a district has more crime, wouldn't it be reasonable to think that it would cost more to police that area? Walton County has much rural land, and it doesn't cost as much to patrol rural areas as it does more dense populations. Your comparison sure looks like some statistics, but comparing a City's cost to a County's cost is not apples to apples.

My friend, all the tv shows tell us that law enforcement's mission is to "protect and Serve." The "protect" part of "protect and serve" certainly indicates that one of law enforcements functions is to prevent crime. They always tell us when they have their hand out at budget meetings that more police on the streets means less crime. So, I would expect higher spending to equate to lower crime, which in DeFuniak Springs is surely not the case. The comparison did not include how WCSD does against the state averages, but I bet they are not doing so hot either for the money they spend. Another fact that I have seen elsewhere is that both WCSD and DFSPD have far higher officer ratios than the state average. Yet I have not heard one candidate speak about possibly cutting back and easing our tax burden. Finally, the attrition rate of both departments is higher than the state average and that is a red flag to any objective person. I think the Daily News has exposed in detail why WCSD has problems, but someone should tell us why the DFSPD has the same issues. I for one would like to thank Booya for bringing proveable facts to the discussion so that we can begin to cut through the political slogans and partisan bickering and talk about the substanative issues.

[HenryHawk]

I, as well, would like to thank the person that posted these facts.
Adkinson's campaign is being run on his claimed fiscal conservative ideology. This report sheds some doubt in that area, does it not?

[idlewind]

I, as well, would like to thank the person that posted these facts.
Adkinson's campaign is being run on his claimed fiscal conservative ideology. This report sheds some doubt in that area, does it not?

On a completely different note, I LOVE your avatar!

[Smiling JOe]

Idlewind, how many rapes do police officers prevent? How many murders do officers prevent. How many break ins do they prevent. I don't care what TV cops jobs are, but I can tell you that police may try to be proactive, but the officers typically show up to investigate crimes AFTER the crime has been committed. That is the biggest reason to learn how to protect yourself and your family and neighbors. When you call the cops, they have to drive to your house before they can do anything, and that is usually too late for prevention.

[drivingthru]

Robberies burglaries and larcenies are more "preventable" than are rapes and assaults. This is done through proactive, responsible law enforcement. Consider this...A seasoned police officer has more street knkowledge than your every day rookie and has learned what looks right and what doesnt, and who the players are and where they live. When an agency has alot of turn over (attrition) then you lose those streetwise officers and many are replaced by those that are just beginning their career. I believe attrition can play a huge role in crime stats. Its a vicious circle sometimes isnt it?

[beachmouse]

Average family income in DFS in 2000- $28,750
Per capita income in DFS in 2000- $13,298

Median family income for Walton County in 2000- $37,663
Per capita income for Walton County in 2000- $18,198

There's simply more crime in lower income areas, especially low income areas with higher population density. So it's to be expected that DFS will need a higher level of police service and will see a higher level of crime than the county as a whole.

[sunspotbaby]

Robberies burglaries and larcenies are more "preventable" than are rapes and assaults. This is done through proactive, responsible law enforcement. Consider this...A seasoned police officer has more street knkowledge than your every day rookie and has learned what looks right and what doesnt, and who the players are and where they live. When an agency has alot of turn over (attrition) then you lose those streetwise officers and many are replaced by those that are just beginning their career. I believe attrition can play a huge role in crime stats. Its a vicious circle sometimes isnt it?

This is so true. I worked for my hometown city police dept. for several years and while we had some "veterans" in the dept. we also had our fair share of "rookies".
The vets on the force are probably the biggest asset for law enforcement. They "know" the criminal element, where they live, what they drive, who they're related to and who they associate with . This is valuable knowledge that rookies just don't bring to the table, so high turnover is never a good thing when it comes to solving crime or preventing it.

[HenryHawk]

Robberies burglaries and larcenies are more "preventable" than are rapes and assaults. This is done through proactive, responsible law enforcement. Consider this...A seasoned police officer has more street knkowledge than your every day rookie and has learned what looks right and what doesnt, and who the players are and where they live. When an agency has alot of turn over (attrition) then you lose those streetwise officers and many are replaced by those that are just beginning their career. I believe attrition can play a huge role in crime stats. Its a vicious circle sometimes isnt it?

Oh, I so agree with your statement...thank you.

And for the rest that want to paint DFS with it's staggering population of just over 5100 folks as NYC South...think again.

Chief Adkinson will bring that sense of DFS espirit de corps to the WCSO -- no thanks Mike, and no thanks to your so-called fiscal responsibility, and one last thing: someone please settle the rumor that Adkinson plans on moving his officers over to th SO, effectively shutting down the DFSPD and then 'offering' to patrol DFS???? Is it just rumor????

[idlewind]

Oh, I so agree with your statement...thank you.

And for the rest that want to paint DFS with it's staggering population of just over 5100 folks as NYC South...think again.

Chief Adkinson will bring that sense of DFS espirit de corps to the WCSO -- no thanks Mike, and no thanks to your so-called fiscal responsibility, and one last thing: someone please settle the rumor that Adkinson plans on moving his officers over to th SO, effectively shutting down the DFSPD and then 'offering' to patrol DFS???? Is it just rumor????

I hate to disappoint you my friend, but I clearly remember Chief Adkinson standing up to Ralph and Glidewell when they tried to take over the city police dept a couple of years ago. Therefore, it would be a bit hypocritical to go back on that strong stand which was the first time he called Ralph out.

[idlewind]

Idlewind, how many rapes do police officers prevent? How many murders do officers prevent. How many break ins do they prevent. I don't care what TV cops jobs are, but I can tell you that police may try to be proactive, but the officers typically show up to investigate crimes AFTER the crime has been committed. That is the biggest reason to learn how to protect yourself and your family and neighbors. When you call the cops, they have to drive to your house before they can do anything, and that is usually too late for prevention.

Hey, I'm with ya Bro. Let us get together and petition both the County Commission and the City Council to cut out all of these expensive patrol cars that burn a huge amount of expensive gasoline riding around the country.Since they do not prevent crime, we don't need um and the savings can be returned to the taxpayers. All we need is a small number of investigators to take reports and we can use the tax rebates to buy the large number of guns and ammo we'll need to fend off the miscreants.

[drivingthru]

I hate to disappoint you my friend, but I clearly remember Chief Adkinson standing up to Ralph and Glidewell when they tried to take over the city police dept a couple of years ago. Therefore, it would be a bit hypocritical to go back on that strong stand which was the first time he called Ralph out.

Alas Ma' Dear....Ever heard of "I promise not to run for Sheriff for six years"? Maybe thats his big scheme...I can hear it now..."...after further reasearch I believe we can be more fiscally responsible and provide the citizens of DeFuniak with a higher quality of Law Enforcement Service than they are currently recieving" Oh wait...that was my department.

[Mike AdkinsonJr]

I appreciate the effort the previous poster put into educating the public about budgetary considerations; however, I must point out a few problem areas in his comparison:

At the time, I took over the DFSP there were 14 officers (including chief) and there had not been an officer added to that department in 25 years. In 1985, 14 officers handled around 2,500 calls for service. In 2005, the same number of officers (14) handled around 14,000 calls for service. Officers routinely worked by themselves, which presented serious safety concerns.

The current population of DeFuniak Springs is around 8500. This does not take into account the average daily population. This refers to the fact that as the county seat, large numbers of the county population live just outside of the city limits. DeFuniak also hosts the majority of stores and government offices north of the bay. These population facts were presented at several meetings in 2005/06, at which point the City Council agreed that there should be an increase of officers.

We presented a plan to add 5 officers over 3 years. This was accomplished in October of 2007. Our cost per 1000 citizens is around $205,468.23. Two factors are also relevant in this observation: 1) Approximately $330,000 was added as a capital expenditure for the purchase of cars in 2007; and 2) the Sheriff unexpectedly ended the 30-year agreement between our agencies to provide dispatch services. This forced us to build, equip, staff and train a dispatch center in 6 months. We completed this ahead of schedule and below budget, saving the citizens of DeFuniak Springs over $100,000 by working with the Okaloosa Board of Co Commissioners (who donated our PSAP/911 equipment).

I am glad to hear that several of the other candidates have now adopted my position on unifying 911/dispatch services, which is a pillar of my platform. Also, in the DFSP 2007/08 budget, we were able to find almost $90,000 that was erroneously diverted from the police department’s budget over the course of 10 years. That money was placed into our budget to allow us to put computers in our cars at no cost to the taxpayer.
We then found that for the last 28 years, the city of DeFuniak Springs helped subsidize the Sheriff’s training budget instead of funding its own police department. The training budget was so underfunded that in 2005 the training budget for the entire agency was only $593.00. Since then, we have increased the training budget to $15,000 for the 2008/09 budget, thereby increasing our level of service and professionalism. We also added a fitness policy with a financial incentive (2006/7).


Budget increase breakdown:
The police officers pay was raised from $21,500 to $29,500.
5 new police officers
5 new dispatchers
Equipment for said staff.

Fiscal responsibility is not refusing to spend money, it is spending money wisely.
I 100% stand behind the increase in budget at DFSP.


Concerning crime statistics, I could literally write a book on the problem with them. I spoke on several occasions in 2005 and 2007 about inaccuracies in the way statistics have been kept at DFSP. (Chief Burgess also brought this up in 2003). There are plenty of examples of agencies playing with the numbers: for example, if you enter into someone’s car and take their wallet, many agencies report this as a theft instead of the correct charge, which is burglary of a conveyance. Essentially theft does not look as bad as burglary on state reports. It is manipulation plan and simple.

I am not sure why FDLE shows the WCSO with 141 deputies on its site. The 2007 and 08 Budget submitted to the County shows 165 deputies.

We did lose five officers in 2007. Money was obviously a factor as our starting pay was about 3,000 below a starting deputy and the family plan insurance is $800 a month for a DFSP officer. Of the five officers we lost, two were let go; one for disciplinary reasons, the second failed to complete his training program. The other three had family/financial issues and I consider them part of our family and routinely have contact with them.

I have tried to explain briefly the budget issues that were brought forward. Anyone who has ever prepared a governmental line item budget is certainly aware that they can be cumbersome and that funds are handled differently than with private entities. I tried not to be overly detail-oriented in my response to avoid confusion. It is very difficult to respond to multiple questions in one post, some of which seem designed to elicit long drawn-out responses.

I hope that anyone who has any questions will email me directly at Chiefmike911@embarqmail.com.

[HenryHawk]

"someone please settle the rumor that Adkinson plans on moving his officers over to th SO, effectively shutting down the DFSPD and then 'offering' to patrol DFS???? Is it just rumor????"

Quoting myself :)

Chief, any credence to this story?

[drivingthru]

I appreciate the effort the previous poster put into educating the public about budgetary considerations; however, I must point out a few problem areas in his comparison:

At the time, I took over the DFSP there were 14 officers (including chief) and there had not been an officer added to that department in 25 years. In 1985, 14 officers handled around 2,500 calls for service. In 2005, the same number of officers (14) handled around 14,000 calls for service. Officers routinely worked by themselves, which presented serious safety concerns.

The current population of DeFuniak Springs is around 8500. This does not take into account the average daily population. This refers to the fact that as the county seat, large numbers of the county population live just outside of the city limits. DeFuniak also hosts the majority of stores and government offices north of the bay. These population facts were presented at several meetings in 2005/06, at which point the City Council agreed that there should be an increase of officers.

We presented a plan to add 5 officers over 3 years. This was accomplished in October of 2007. Our cost per 1000 citizens is around $205,468.23. Two factors are also relevant in this observation: 1) Approximately $330,000 was added as a capital expenditure for the purchase of cars in 2007; and 2) the Sheriff unexpectedly ended the 30-year agreement between our agencies to provide dispatch services. This forced us to build, equip, staff and train a dispatch center in 6 months. We completed this ahead of schedule and below budget, saving the citizens of DeFuniak Springs over $100,000 by working with the Okaloosa Board of Co Commissioners (who donated our PSAP/911 equipment).

I am glad to hear that several of the other candidates have now adopted my position on unifying 911/dispatch services, which is a pillar of my platform. Also, in the DFSP 2007/08 budget, we were able to find almost $90,000 that was erroneously diverted from the police department’s budget over the course of 10 years. That money was placed into our budget to allow us to put computers in our cars at no cost to the taxpayer.
We then found that for the last 28 years, the city of DeFuniak Springs helped subsidize the Sheriff’s training budget instead of funding its own police department. The training budget was so underfunded that in 2005 the training budget for the entire agency was only $593.00. Since then, we have increased the training budget to $15,000 for the 2008/09 budget, thereby increasing our level of service and professionalism. We also added a fitness policy with a financial incentive (2006/7).


Budget increase breakdown:
The police officers pay was raised from $21,500 to $29,500.
5 new police officers
5 new dispatchers
Equipment for said staff.

Fiscal responsibility is not refusing to spend money, it is spending money wisely.
I 100% stand behind the increase in budget at DFSP.


Concerning crime statistics, I could literally write a book on the problem with them. I spoke on several occasions in 2005 and 2007 about inaccuracies in the way statistics have been kept at DFSP. (Chief Burgess also brought this up in 2003). There are plenty of examples of agencies playing with the numbers: for example, if you enter into someone’s car and take their wallet, many agencies report this as a theft instead of the correct charge, which is burglary of a conveyance. Essentially theft does not look as bad as burglary on state reports. It is manipulation plan and simple.

I am not sure why FDLE shows the WCSO with 141 deputies on its site. The 2007 and 08 Budget submitted to the County shows 165 deputies.

We did lose five officers in 2007. Money was obviously a factor as our starting pay was about 3,000 below a starting deputy and the family plan insurance is $800 a month for a DFSP officer. Of the five officers we lost, two were let go; one for disciplinary reasons, the second failed to complete his training program. The other three had family/financial issues and I consider them part of our family and routinely have contact with them.

I have tried to explain briefly the budget issues that were brought forward. Anyone who has ever prepared a governmental line item budget is certainly aware that they can be cumbersome and that funds are handled differently than with private entities. I tried not to be overly detail-oriented in my response to avoid confusion. It is very difficult to respond to multiple questions in one post, some of which seem designed to elicit long drawn-out responses.

I hope that anyone who has any questions will email me directly at Chiefmike911@embarqmail.com.

Sorry...confused from the first paragraph

[drivingthru]

And wasnt there some sort of impact fee that was tossed in to help your department only? Isnt that a bit of double taxation?

[HenryHawk]

"someone please settle the rumor that Adkinson plans on moving his officers over to th SO, effectively shutting down the DFSPD and then 'offering' to patrol DFS???? Is it just rumor????"

Quoting myself :)

Chief, any credence to this story?

Asking again.................

[Mike AdkinsonJr]

I am not sure how or why that rumor came about. I would suspect that it is politically expedient so to speak. It is very similar to the rumor that I have said I would never run for Sheriff. It is on of those things that are impossible to disprove and easily spread. I am very proud of DFSP and have no plans to attempt to have it disbanded. I would point out that to take that action would require a vote of the citizens of DFS to even consider such a measure. This was a point I attempted to make with the Sheriff in 2006. I am going to work diligently to improve cooperation and assist DFSP in all areas. Cooperation not consolidation.

In reference to impact fees. I was not involved in any fashion concerning the application of public safety impact fees (Police and Fire). At the time they were discussed I publicly expressed my concern about them and the fact that the general public might confuse the city councils actions on impact fees as something I was involved with. Funny enough this was and is on public record as Councilman D. Harrison publicly reassured me that no one could possibly believe that I had something to do with the implementation of impact fees. I will in fact be calling him and giving a friendly “I told you so”. Additionally no impact fees have been sent or budgeted to be spent at the police department.


Mike

[idlewind]

I am not sure how or why that rumor came about. I would suspect that it is politically expedient so to speak. It is very similar to the rumor that I have said I would never run for Sheriff. It is on of those things that are impossible to disprove and easily spread. I am very proud of DFSP and have no plans to attempt to have it disbanded. I would point out that to take that action would require a vote of the citizens of DFS to even consider such a measure. This was a point I attempted to make with the Sheriff in 2006. I am going to work diligently to improve cooperation and assist DFSP in all areas. Cooperation not consolidation.

In reference to impact fees. I was not involved in any fashion concerning the application of public safety impact fees (Police and Fire). At the time they were discussed I publicly expressed my concern about them and the fact that the general public might confuse the city councils actions on impact fees as something I was involved with. Funny enough this was and is on public record as Councilman D. Harrison publicly reassured me that no one could possibly believe that I had something to do with the implementation of impact fees. I will in fact be calling him and giving a friendly “I told you so”. Additionally no impact fees have been sent or budgeted to be spent at the police department.


Mike

You are commended for building your political skills.Sounds like you learned your lesson from Mr. Harrison. That said, the quote I heard around SoWal was that you would not run for Sheriff THIS time, not never run. Second, saying you have "no plans to attempt to have it disbanded" is not quite the disavowal that Mr. Hawk was looking for. Good political answer.

[Johnny Post]

While I think it is important to know Mr. Adkinson's position on this issue, specifically because of his current job, I am curious how the other candidates feel about this issue.

And of course, I may be directing my question to the wrong group of candidates. We have seen our county take steps toward consolidating the small volunteer fire departments (or possibly just trying to keep up with SWFD). Is the county interested in the city police department, and is this even something the city of Defuniak wants?

Not sure if there really is an answer, but these questions just got me thinking (yeah, yeah, I know its dangerous )

[CiaoBella]

What are salaries for officers of the county and city? I heard from an out of state city investigator that Florida pays some officers employed by cities around 100k.

[Mike AdkinsonJr]

In October of 2005 I was asked by a reporter if I was going to run for Sheriff in 2008. I explained that I had no plans at that time to run in 2008. I should point out that I fully considered running in the future (2012). In 2005, I was on speaking terms with the Sheriff and was very optimistic about our professional relationship. Three years of interactions with the Sheriff’s office changed my view. I had been repeatedly asked to run in 2008 (As I am sure anyone associated with law enforcement in this county has been). ). I had always demurred while not ruling it out. I am a prudent person and I have never made statements ruling out a possible run in 2008. While I am very proud of the substantial changes that have taken place at the DFSP, I really wanted to see several other projects completed (Station upgrade and finishing the accreditation process) that I am currently working on. Numerous factors over the last two years changed my mind about running in 2008. Here are a few of the most public: Attempting to take over the police department and then denying this, dropping dispatch services without warning and then advising that he would answer all calls in the city, endangering my officers and the citizens of DFS by conducting raids without notifying us, and several other issues of this nature. I believe that a viable candidate came forward in late 2005. I believed he possessed the integrity and background to be a quality sheriff. However, he was forced out of the race. At that point, I felt that I really had no other option to solve this problem than to step up. You may or may not agree with my reasons but I always conducted myself with great respect toward my personal integrity.

Short of being asked to do so by the citizens and city council of DeFuniak Springs I will not take any action that could be construed as undermining the DeFuniak Springs Police Department. I would say that I would never do this, except as sure as I do this an asteroid will hit the police station and while I attempt help. Some one will come forward to say I had always secretly planned this. A little attempt at humor but I am sure you understand.

Reference the DFSP fitness policy I am afraid I have to agree with you. My current physical state is not conducive to command respect. Having said this the purpose of the fitness policy was to offer incentives to officers to maintain their physical well being. It would seem to be a win-win situation. The officer is compensated for maintaining a level of physical fitness and the public gets officers who look, feel and perform better (incidentally there are insurance benefits as well). I certainly have work to do in this area and will not make excuses.

Mike

[idlewind]

I appreciate the explanation of these stories that are making the rounds. I think in the future it would be better to get it out fast rather than make a series of attempts to explain things away. One thing that hurts you is this trend of saying things are not "planned" and then doing them later. Once I can see, twice is a little bit much. That said, I can see your troubles with Ralph and understand your frustration.

[ShallowsNole]

What are salaries for officers of the county and city? I heard from an out of state city investigator that Florida pays some officers employed by cities around 100k.

Not to answer for Mike here, but $100K...

[CiaoBella]

Not to answer for Mike here, but $100K...

I had the same reaction when this guy told me that but he assured me it was correct. I have no clue and guess I won't get a clue as those who know don't want to share. Ya know....it's one of those things that should be accessible to the public since SUPPOSEDLY, government works for the people. Yea, they work for us but we can't know how much we pay them.

[The Watcher]

I had the same reaction when this guy told me that but he assured me it was correct. I have no clue and guess I won't get a clue as those who know don't want to share. Ya know....it's one of those things that should be accessible to the public since SUPPOSEDLY, government works for the people. Yea, they work for us but we can't know how much we pay them.

Salaries of LEO's are public record. You should be able to get them from the city or county.

[ShallowsNole]

I had the same reaction when this guy told me that but he assured me it was correct. I have no clue and guess I won't get a clue as those who know don't want to share. Ya know....it's one of those things that should be accessible to the public since SUPPOSEDLY, government works for the people. Yea, they work for us but we can't know how much we pay them.

As Mr. Adkinson has pointed out, several years ago the starting salary at the DFSPD was $21,500.00. I can confirm this. I believe it is now about $29K. WCSO ranges from roughly $30K up, but the only one who makes $100K has the word "Sheriff" after his name (and constitutional officer salaries are set by law).

[graytonbeachguy]

The link in the original post indicates turnover in the DeFuniak Springs Police Department in 2006 was an astonishing 44%.

When is this doubling of the budget (supposedly for officers' salaries) actually going to yield results?

Dade County has less than a 5% turnover and Okaloosa is around 7%.

Is this the kind of leadership we really need?

[wrobert]

I had the same reaction when this guy told me that but he assured me it was correct. I have no clue and guess I won't get a clue as those who know don't want to share. Ya know....it's one of those things that should be accessible to the public since SUPPOSEDLY, government works for the people. Yea, they work for us but we can't know how much we pay them.

All you have to do is call City Hall and ask. Several of the salaries are discussed in the local paper every year when they workshop raises.

[Alicia Leonard]

I attended the workshop Tuesday night and will have a write up on it in next weeks edition, as well.

[graytonbeachguy]

The Walton Sun indicates DeFuniak Springs employees are getting 7% raises this year. In these hard times, it must be nice to have a government job like that.

Does this dramatic new increase include the DeFuniak Springs Police Department?

[Alicia Leonard]

The Walton Sun indicates DeFuniak Springs employees are getting 7% raises this year. In these hard times, it must be nice to have a government job like that.

Does this dramatic new increase include the DeFuniak Springs Police Department?

The budget has not been set, nor will everyone receive the same amount is my understanding. Cost of living increase is set at 4%, anything over is bonus incentive linked to performance. The budget has not even been through it's public hearings yet, so, I say let's wait until the first public hearing is over, before we know all the facts and amounts.

[Andy A]

The budget has not been set, nor will everyone receive the same amount is my understanding. Cost of living increase is set at 4%, anything over is bonus incentive linked to preformance. The budget has not even been through it's public hearings yet, so, I say let's wait until the first public hearing is over, before we know all the facts and amounts.

Probably a really good idea since government employees(except members of Congress) receive raises based on the whims and foibles of their governing elected officials as a rule. Please remember they are entitled to a living wage, too, and many of them deserve it as much or more so than other budget increases that are proposed by special interest groups and others.

[idlewind]

Probably a really good idea since government employees(except members of Congress) receive raises based on the whims and foibles of their governing elected officials as a rule. Please remember they are entitled to a living wage, too, and many of them deserve it as much or more so than other budget increases that are proposed by special interest groups and others.

From what I read they are going into reserves about one million to pay for this. If this is true, Thank you Walton County Commissioners for not doing something so reckless with our money.

[Andy A]

From what I read they are going into reserves about one million to pay for this. If this is true, Thank you Walton County Commissioners for not doing something so reckless with our money.

And I guess I can correctly assume you are NOT a government employee and could care less about their standard of living as long as you taxes aren't increased. lol.

[idlewind]

And I guess I can correctly assume you are NOT a government employee and could care less about their standard of living as long as you taxes aren't increased. lol.

What good does it do to give huge raises if you are using reserves or borrowing to do it? It is terrible business. Would you give your employees a big raise if it meant going into your cash reserves? I certainly would not. Maybe cutting out some luxury items or only fund faises for the low end employees would be acceptable as long as the budget is balanced.

[graytonbeachguy]

Hear, hear, Idlewild. As a member of the NON-governmental economy, I have had to tighten my belt in these lean economic times. The county's largesse seem particularly ill-timed.

[idlewind]

Hear, hear, Idlewild. As a member of the NON-governmental economy, I have had to tighten my belt in these lean economic times. The county's largesse seem particularly ill-timed.

This particular instance the giver of the largesse is the city of DeFuniak. With all of us tightening up, it is sort of a slap in the face, even if I don't live there. We are in the same county and it does seem that the city up there always has a hand out to the county. Maybe next time they come around someone will remind them that they were giving big raises when everyone else was cutting back.

[ShallowsNole]

The link in the original post indicates turnover in the DeFuniak Springs Police Department in 2006 was an astonishing 44%.

When is this doubling of the budget (supposedly for officers' salaries) actually going to yield results?

Dade County has less than a 5% turnover and Okaloosa is around 7%.

Is this the kind of leadership we really need?

Remember, 2005/2006 were transitional years in the DFSPD. This is the timeframe when Ray left, Mike was hired, and roughly half of the city officers either left for other agencies or were hired by the WCSO - or both.

[graytonbeachguy]

So at which year does he begin taking responsibility for his department? Maybe next year?

[ShallowsNole]

So at which year does he begin taking responsibility for his department? Maybe next year?

Maybe the day after he was elected City Marshall by the people of DeFuniak Springs. I just don't think he should have fingers pointed at him for things that happened during the transition.

[idlewind]

Maybe the day after he was elected City Marshall by the people of DeFuniak Springs. I just don't think he should have fingers pointed at him for things that happened during the transition.

Why? he and his supporters are surely "pointing the finger" at Mr. Cornman during his residency "transition." And as much as I agree with them, alot of people have "pointed the finger" at Ralph for the misdeeds under his administration, even those he was not personally respnsible for. The leader is responsible for what happens, Mr. Adkinson is quick to take credit for the percieved good, he should own the perceived bad as well.

[ShallowsNole]

The high attrition rate in late 2005 / early 2006 was due to the change in administration. I can count five employees off the top of my head who jumped from the PD to the WCSO, and one who accepted a position with DOT and eventually went back to the WCSO . Most - not all, but most - happened at the same time or before Mike took the reins. And, of course, several left after Mike came in.

If you want to compare apples to apples, compare 2006 in the DFSPD to 2000 in the WCSO. That's the only point I'm trying to make.

[Seeker1]

Remember, 2005/2006 were transitional years in the DFSPD. This is the timeframe when Ray left, Mike was hired, and roughly half of the city officers either left for other agencies or were hired by the WCSO - or both.

So much said with so few words!

[ShallowsNole]

So much said with so few words!

Sometimes I say too much

and I wouldn't be jumping up and down like the authority on this if my other half hadn't contributed to several agencies' attrition rates during 2003 - 2006.

[drivingthru]

Alas...I attended the Eucheanna Forum this evening, even though I vowed not to attend another. Should have stuck to my thoughts. The spagetti was wonderful, the weather was nice and Brad Drake spoke very well. Oh, this is a sheriff / police thread isnt it. The candidates said it was the last forum, if any of you missed them, guess its too late to see them in action again. I will reserve judgement as I am sure they are exhausted from saying the same thing over and over again, and I vowed not to be immature and be critical of any of the candidates again. I did find it strange that Sheriff Johnson failed to show, but instead sent a spokesperson....no that is not strange at all on second thought (one last jab). These are my thoughts, there were a few with heart felt speeches, some that said nothing, and some that were very arrogant (which I personally find as a loss of huge points). This is my fourth (I think) forum and I believe I will make the following rank based on MY OBSERVATIONS,nothing clouded with rumors or innuendos. 1. Cornman 2. Cooper 3. Adkinson 4. Macon (he actually got points tonight for encouraging all the candidates) 5. Brown 6. Wise 7. Ralph (hey he was a no show so I cant compare him).
Thats all from the Driver...headed out to earn a paycheck! I have really enjoyed these threads about our politics in law enforcement. Ya'll have a great day now you hear?

[eagle11rb]

Of all the forums that were held, Sheriff Johnson only showed up for one. And last nights forum your ranking was almost correct, at least from my observation---1. Adkinson 2. Cooper 3. Macon 4. Corman 5. Brown and 6. Wise.