Police or Sheriff?
September 22nd, 2007 by 
Alica
Today’s Argus Leader story (p. 1A) confirms that Brandon City Hall has been inquiring about the possibility of contracting with the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Department for law enforcement in Brandon.
It’s far from a done deal, and it might not even happen. But since the city is looking into it, the public should be able to ask questions and comment. Here are some questions I have:
The Argus story says that for other towns who contract for sheriff service, the county pays 25 percent and the city pays 75 percent. In Brandon’s case, 25 percent would be a good chunk of change. How do the county commissioners feel about that? Is it likely they would agree to it if Brandon does decide to go that route?
The Argus story says the city would require two officers in Brandon at all times. Would they use the same offices the Brandon police do now? Even if they are from the sheriff’s department, you’d think they would have to have a base in town out of which to operate.
The Argus story says the county would hire all Brandon Police officers who qualify. How many of our officers meet county qualifications?
Would this mean that Brandon could end up with the same law enforcement officers it has right now, only their boss would be a different entity?
Would certain officers be assigned to Brandon all the time, or would the city end up having a wide variety of people servicing the city, some on only an occasional basis?
Would this mean that Brandon might end up with some of its previous officers who later took jobs with the county?
Would this mean that some of the officers we have now end up patroling throughout the county?
If the city were to contract with the county, and we were guaranteed that law enforcement would be in the city at all times, and they would work out of the current police headquarters, and certain officers were assigned to Brandon on a regular basis, and if the county were to pay 25 percent, and if the total package would save the city a bunch of money, and if there weren’t any difference in the quality of police protection, would the citizens approve of it?
I have many other questions, but this is enough for one post. What are your thoughts?
Posted in Uncategorized | 
September 22nd, 2007 at 6:01 pm
Will they enforce county laws or town laws? The first two examples that come to mind are barking dogs and open burning. Both are allowed in the county (I think).
Why would the county want the role if they have to pay 25% of the cost? Do our taxes go up to cover it?
Would Brandon have any say in which officers work here - how do we get an unpopular officer reassigned elsewhere?
Who would get the speeding fines, drug bust money, etc - Brandon or the county?
Do we give all of the equipment to the county?
Since Brandon has had a police force, what is the driving reason to get rid of it? I would think a growing town would be able to afford its own department better than a small town.
What do they plan to spend the money on.
Will it be put to a vote?
September 22nd, 2007 at 9:18 pm
I think you have raised some good questions and shown that many things need to be answered before this step is taken, that is why it’s appropriate to consider these options and gather as much information as you can. Second, you need to understand that the “meeting” (not plural, as there was only one) was NOT an executive session, rather an informal meeting between the Police Chief, his self-appointed successor, the City Administrator, the City HR Director and a few members of the council. . . .no quorum, no executive session. This meeting was requested by the council and done with their full knowledge. Is it sneaky? Yeah, I think it falls within that realm, but not something unusual for this Council. Remember, they are only gathering information at this point. I think if you look at the benefits versus the cost… viewing this issue with logic rather than emotion you can see many benefits that deserve to at least be explored and considered. Third, the latest “handpicked” GOB to join the council is wrong for so many reasons. If I was a member of his congregation, part of his church council, or a member of the Methodist Church, I would have a major problem with him doing it. Ask any other member of the Brandon Ministrial Association if they would consider serving on the City Council while they serve their congregation and I would bet not ONE of them would think it’s a good idea. It has nothing to do with how nice a person is or how arrogant they are to “thank the council for recognizing his leadership.” Finally, I live in Brandon, my kids go to school here, I have volunteered and served on many different committees, boards, groups, and activities in this community. Brandon is my home and I honestly don’t think Brandon has had good, honest leadership on the council since the days of Mike Schultz, Sue Wildes, Heath Tople, Mary Brooks, and Dave Bakke. You now have a group of self-serving cronies that reek of special interest and doing whatever it is that will benefit them or make them popular within the coffee group, bowling group, golf group, etc. etc.
September 22nd, 2007 at 11:45 pm
#2- You are wrong, there was more than one meeting. The worst thing about this is that there was an executive session, in which everything is to be confidential. Yet the person talking about it the nite of the executive session is the person they brought into the council (”Rev Kev”). So, the newly inducted council member had insight to what was going on before anyone should have had any knowledge. There is no doubt he was appointed because of inside interests and he will vote exactly the way the others want him too. Why else would he know about the Sheriffs dept before it was public knowledge. Everyone is a puppet and Olsen is pulling the strings. This town is to big for this stuff to happen and we as the public need to put a stop to it. We need our own police department and anything else is unexceptable. Call your council members and demand nothing else but our own police department.
Larry D. Beesley
212 7th Avenue
P.O. Box 261
Brandon, SD 57005
Home Phone 605-582-3907
E-mail - lbeesley@cityofbrandon.org
Council President
Dan Mostek (wife Betty)
1112 Lark Street
Brandon, SD 57005
First elected in May, 1999, current term ends in May, 2011.
Home: 605-582-6347
Work: 605-334-9567
E-mail Home: dmostek@cityofbrandon.org
E-mail Work: dmostek@safety-benefits.com
Harold Buck
400 3rd Avenue
Brandon, South Dakota
First elected in May, 2005 current term ends in May, 2009.
Home Phone 582-7447
Cell Phone 366-0221
E-mail: hbuck@cityofbrandon.org
Harold Buck
400 3rd Avenue
Brandon, South Dakota
First elected in May, 2005 current term ends in May, 2009.
Home Phone 582-7447
Cell Phone 366-0221
E-mail: hbuck@cityofbrandon.org
Brett Karber (wife Danielle)
1417 Parkview Boulevard
Brandon, SD 57005
First elected in May, 2006, current term ends in May, 2010.
Home Phone: 582-2235
E-mail: bkarber@cityofbrandon.org
Council Vice- President
Don Hammond (wife Carmen)
600 N Needles Drive
Brandon, SD 57005
First elected in May, 2006, current term ends in May, 2010.
Home Phone: 582-3034
E-mail dhammond@cityofbrandon.org
Steve Rubin (wife Nancy)
P.O. Box 470
Brandon, SD 57005
First elected in May, 2004, current term ends in May, 2008.
Home: 605-582-6484
Cell: 605-940-8552
E-mail: srubin@cityofbrandon.org
And if you dont believe me that Kloster had knowledge before he should have, ask him. If he truely is a man of the “cloth” he will tell you the truth.
September 23rd, 2007 at 1:08 am
As far as I can tell, there are at least three people using the name Anonymous. So it’s hard to tell who is saying what.
There have been a couple of comments about Dennis Olson controlling the Council. On what are those comments based?
September 23rd, 2007 at 5:53 am
Same employees as currently, equal or better police coverage, 25% reduction in cost?
Tell me why this is bad. Sounds like a good deal. Unless I hear otherwise, I’m all for this.
September 23rd, 2007 at 7:08 am
Dennis Olsen has no voting power how can he be running the city?
#5-It always works to SAY you can get more for less, (and not change officers) but after it’s said and done, it doesn’t actually happen.
September 23rd, 2007 at 7:19 am
Has anyone ever used “forums” instead of a “blog?” It’s much easier to keep track and find things. And you can see what’s going on by just looking at the links entitled “post comments” directly under the stories from the Challenger homepage.
Willing to try it?
September 23rd, 2007 at 9:20 am
Alica, sorry about the ‘Anonymous’. I’ve been trying to use a signon, but I’ve been putting the signon under Name in the yellow box - not above it. They’ve all been showing up as Anonymous. Maybe I should change my ‘Name’ to ignorant… I was #1.
September 23rd, 2007 at 7:53 pm
As I will be new to your community, all this is scary. Let’s all work together to solve the cities problems. Get out and VOTE!!!!!
September 23rd, 2007 at 8:32 pm
Gone will be the officer at the schools….like it or not, Brandon is known for enforceing the speed limit, think they will change? I do. We aren’t the small town we use to be, we need our own police department. The one thing I can say is, maybe now is when they need to be looking at how their time is managed. Is there too much congregating at gas stations?
September 24th, 2007 at 11:19 am
Here are my questions I would like to pose:
If law enforcement is contracted through Minnehaha:
1) Would there be a 24-hour on duty police presence in Brandon?
2) Would they enforce both city and county laws, county only, or city only?
3) Would they be required to spend half there shift gathered at a local gas station?
4) What percentage of fines, if any goes to the city of Brandon, or does it go to the county?
5) Will the county use a rotating schedule so there is not one officer or a small group of officers assigned to Brandon?
If law enforcement is left in the hands of BPD:
1) Will the BPD patrol the side streets of Brandon?
2) Will they worry about laws other than barking dogs?
3) Will they start ticketing BPD officers and city council members for barking dogs, or just said people’s neighbors?
4) Does the BPD currently have officers on duty 24 hours a day?
September 24th, 2007 at 1:05 pm
I hope the City Council has an open meeting and has a representative from the Sheriff’s Office and the County attend to answer some of these questions. I think if they are willing to give our Officers a chance to join the Sheriff’s Office and it is $300,000 cheaper per year, this is something we should consider.
September 24th, 2007 at 5:05 pm
I personally believe that looking at all avenues is nothing less than resposible government. Leaving all personal feelings aside, I have one request. Lets get down to business. The issues with the BPD are multi facited. They are not all finacially based. We will never get to the root of our issues until “ALL” parties involved are ready and willing to work for good of all. I am a life long resident of this city, and with that carry much pride. I cannot however say I am proud to see what this issue has become. We live in a vibrant, young community full of progressive thinkers. We’re better than this. We need to remember, Police Officers are people too. People full of pride. Pride in thier work. Pride in thier City. Lets get down to business and solve this issue, not point fingers.
September 25th, 2007 at 4:57 am
I have lived in Brandon my entire life and it has always been a safe place that I’m comfortable to raise my family. I think its a very positive thing that our officers live in the community and know our streets very well. It also guarantees that there is an officer at the school that the students can take issues to, making our school system safe as well as the community. If they contracted out with the county, there is still no guarantee that all of our officers would still have jobs within our community. The chamber pushes the “Buy Brandon” concept and part of their reasoning behind this is that it provides jobs within the community for our residents as well as keeping money here instead of having it spent elsewhere. Its not like they’re not paying the money out anyway but it makes far more sense to spend it on officers that all are from here and know our streets, rather than a much larger group of officers that would probably be in our community on some type of rotation, and are also less likely to be as familiar with the city as our Brandon officers are, not to mention the fact that they live right here!! Why would we want to give that up?? Knowing that our officers are much more readily available than someone that’s not even a resident of our community! I know you’ve heard the saying “you get what you pay for” we all need to keep this in mind when thinking about this issue. I really don’t believe its worth the chance that our community may become less safe just to save some money! Seriously, look at the communities around the Brandon area (Garretson and Valley Springs just as examples) there are many occasions when passing through those cities for whatever reason that there is no officer around, while that may work alright for smaller cities, Brandon is constantly growing and its simply crazy to want to give up the safety and security of having officers on duty actually IN the city 24hrs a day! Don’t you want YOUR children and loved ones to be safe? That should be PRICELESS!!!
September 25th, 2007 at 7:59 am
I think Buford T. Justice’s questions about the county sum up most of the questions here. Here are the answers as I understand them.
1) “Would there be a 24-hour on duty police presence in Brandon?”
There would be 2 deputies here 24hrs a day. I believe this is the same service the BPD currently provides. People who have spoken negatively of law enforcement presence being low in Sheriff’s Dept. patrolled cities in the county may not realize those towns (e.g. Valley Springs, Garretson, etc.) do not contract for 24hr service, so no there is not always a deputy there.
2) “Would they enforce both city and county laws, county only, or city only?”
I would assume they could enforce both. What would actually happen I don’t know for sure.
3) “Would they be required to spend half there shift gathered at a local gas station?”
That’s a dig if I ever heard one.
4) “What percentage of fines, if any goes to the city of Brandon, or does it go to the county?”
If the fines are wrote under existing Brandon ordinance the same percentage would go back to Brandon’s general fund.
5) “Will the county use a rotating schedule so there is not one officer or a small group of officers assigned to Brandon?”
Good question. I have no idea.
One final thought. I think one good reason we should all give serious consideration to contracting with Minnehaha County is large amount of turnover at the Brandon Police Dept. I would like to know how much it costs to train & equip a new police officer? How many have left in the last few years? If the city hired the county for law enforcement they would also be saving the cost of continually hiring and training new officers.
KELO did a story about a week ago on county law enforcement in Dell Rapids. They seem happy. According to KELO Land, Dell Rapids contracts for a deputy 24hrs a day. Of all the contracts the county has this is their only 24hr one, and would be the closest to what we are looking at. If you missed it, follow this link:
http://www.keloland.com/NewsDetail6162.cfm?Id=25,61173
September 25th, 2007 at 9:41 am
First of all, Dell Rapids is half the size of Brandon!!! If we were the size of Dells, we might be able to consider contracting, but we are not. we are a city (and yes, we are rapidly becoming a city)of 6000 plus. We are too big to be contracting out our police force. I agree that is does take money to train a police officer and we do have a lot of officers. My suggestion for that is to cut down on the number of police officers we have on patrol and higher the pay scale. I believe we have around 4 on duty during the day and 2 or 3 at night.
September 25th, 2007 at 10:02 am
Resident (#14) you state you want the officers to live in the town of Brandon. Can I ask if anyone knows how many of the 11 (I think) BPD officers live in Brandon? Could I also ask if anyone knows how many members of the Sherriff’s Dept. live in Brandon? I personally know that there are members of the Sherriff’s Dept. that live in Brandon. It wouldn’t surprise me if members of the BPD live in towns other than Brandon, but I don’t know.
One of my questions I asked previously in #11, was if the city planned on having 24-hour police presence if they contracted with the county. For you to say we are safer with the BPD because it is the BPD is ignorance. There have been many times I’ve driven around Brandon and not seen a police car, according to your logic, does this mean we have no officer’s in Brandon?
I’m willing to bet that if Brandon contracts with the county, there will be discussions of what the terms would be. Let’s say the city of Brandon decides they want 2 officers on duty 24 hours a day. The county would ensure there would be 2 officers in Brandon, 24 hours a day. Oh, and the county also has school resource officers. I’m willing to bet the city could contract a school resource officer to be on duty from 7:30 – 4:30.
The point is, it’s a contract. The county isn’t going to walk in and say, “Here this is what you get, take it or leave it”. They are going to talk to the city council to see what the needs of the city are. So it will be the city that states, “this is what we want”. The county would then tell the city what it would cost. The city needs to weigh these options.
September 25th, 2007 at 12:00 pm
As I read I’m seeing a common theme. A theme that has been one of the roots of our problem when it comes to turn over. Has anyone taken the time to understand that our Officers are not a commodity? They are people that deserve a fair wage and good work enviroment. Try to understand, these are the people that we call when we, as citizens are out of options. When we don’t know what to do or feel our saftey is in jeapordy, who do we call? These are the people that risk thier lives daily for our safety. They wear Kevlar vests and carry guns. There are solutions to these problems. We as a community need to stand tall and ask our leaders to please look at every avenue. We cannot afford lose our Police Department. Within a very short time our population is going to exceed 10,000 people. We can finance our Police Department. The questions is, do our leaders choose to? We have grown by leaps and bounds over the past few years. Has anyone taken the time to ask, would it be possible to slow our growth and let our infrastructure catch up. Please remember, if the heart doesn’t grow, the body dies. To our Officers: Please hold your heads high! We do appreciate you everyday. God bless all of you.
September 25th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
I guess I’d like to know how the county can do the same job for $300,000 less a year. What are we doing wrong - or what are the differences in coverage?
September 25th, 2007 at 3:31 pm
Yes every single officer hired to work at the Brandon Police Department has to live in Brandon or move to Brandon within a certain amount of time. All the current officers do live in Brandon to answer your question #17.
I think getting rid of the PD here would be a horrible idea and there are going to be some very un-happy people living here.
I do agree this city is WAY to big to be contracting out. But I guess money speaks. We also need to remember you get what you pay for. Pay for less get less quality.
September 26th, 2007 at 2:45 am
Why will you be unhappy? It’s the SAME PEOPLE doing the SAME WORK and it costs the city LESS.
The county has all the liability for the deputies behavior. They have all the pension, retirement, work comp, health care, hiring, HR, overhead, vehicle maintenance, EVERYTHING.
Nobody has any answers except, “Well, I don’t like it just because.” That’s not a reason. That what you tell a 3 year old who wants to eat a booger.
Seriously. The facts are not in favor of all these emotional arguments. Lets look at the numbers, look at the proposal before assuming it will turn into some Escape From LA like all the fear mongers are saying.
If the proposal turns out to be a turd, then so be it. But facts please. This is like Dr. Phil dysfunctional family style city government.
September 26th, 2007 at 4:36 am
#21…You say it’s the same people, same work and it costs less…how do you know if you’re asking people to wait and see a proposal? Or have YOU seen one???? That’s very interesting
You people down there always call it emotional arguments and yet still try to do the same thing with “other” issues. We’re not stupid and are watching what’s going on.
September 26th, 2007 at 5:45 am
I personally feel it would not be the same coverage as we have now. What happens when there is a situation on in Garrestson or Valley??? There goes our coverage!! Bottom line is that we are too big of a town to contract out our police coverage. It is not emotional for me, it is common sense!!! I just wish our council memebers had some!
September 26th, 2007 at 6:52 am
#23…Amen, brother. (on the common sense)
September 26th, 2007 at 7:16 am
I have done some research on the internet and I have found that many large cities across the Country use contract service, Las Vegas, Miami-Dade, and several cities in Los Angeles County. Maybe we are not too big for contract services.
September 26th, 2007 at 8:36 am
I see that on today’s www.brandoninfo.com poll, out of 122 votes, 57.4 percent of voters think the city should contract with the county for law enforcement.
September 26th, 2007 at 8:50 am
Alica,
Can people vote more than once?
September 26th, 2007 at 10:01 am
If it works the same as the www.argusleader.com Web site, then yes. You have to log out and then back in again, though.
September 26th, 2007 at 11:40 am
there’s no logging in or out on the blog is there?? If you can vote numerous times I wouldn’t jump to any conclusions with the results then. One person could vote endlessly scewing the results.
September 26th, 2007 at 12:14 pm
Perhaps “logging” is the wrong term. I know I have been able to vote more than once on the Argus Web site poll, but only when I have left the site and then returned to it at a later time. Does that make more sense?
I also have been able to vote a second time by accessing the site from a different e-mail address (i.e. once from work and once from home).
September 26th, 2007 at 12:21 pm
#23 has a very valid point, if Brandon were to contract out its inevitable our coverage would go down, even if just for the length of time for that situation to be resolved.
Another thing, there is NO guarantee that every one of our BPD officers would be granted a job with the county, they will only be given that opportunity if they meet every one of the county’s requirements. I don’t know that some won’t meet them does someone else know that they all will meet them? Yes, its great that a few of the county officers live right here in Brandon, but the vast majority of them do not.
To #25, you said that many large cities use contract service, but didn’t mention how safe they are in comparison to similar cities that do not contract out. Its probably safe to think that they are less safe than those that constantly have all the same officers on duty and also have their officers living in the community they work in. Brandon is spreading out quickly too as well as growing. Especially with the addition of the Bluffs of Brandon it makes the area that our officers need to cover even larger. The fact that the BPD has been around as long as they have AND that they live here means they are less likely to have to sit and search on a map of the city to locate streets when they receive a call, making their response time far quicker than someone unfamiliar with our city. If Brandon were to contract out there would, at least initially, be a period of time where we would have officers on duty that are either unfamiliar or less familiar with navigation of the city than those we have now. (If they were on a rotation of some sort this would happen even more often.)
There are going to be a few emotional arguments, yes, because this involves the safety of everyone in our community!! Family, friends, neighbors, etc. At the same time this is all very LOGICAL, and if you pay less, you’re getting less. You can arrogantly say that isn’t always true but everyone knows it is. Call it emotional if it makes you feel better, we just want to know that our city is going to remain as safe as our BPD makes it now!
September 26th, 2007 at 12:27 pm
I think we should demand an open meeting and get some sold answers rather then just speculate.
September 26th, 2007 at 12:38 pm
Paul,
Good luck with that. Sorry that sounds harsh and negative, but look at the history of the present council and you will see a pattern of sliding things through quietly. Yes, they were caught by the VERY few people who read the legal section of the paper. Examples of late: Ambulance ordinance was passed and then recalled. Sneakers bar owner told by someone downtown all they needed to do was change liquor license when in actuality they needed a conditional use permit. They sold the business and bought one in Sioux Falls. The council cost us business owners on that one. And the committee they appointed for the Ambulance Assurance group were CLOSED meetings. A technicality because they are “volunteer.” Still doesn’t look good to the public. These guys need to remember they’re elected and can be voted out easily.
September 26th, 2007 at 2:21 pm
I just wanted to point something out to all those who are crying “you get what you pay for”.
I hope you all realize you are paying for the Minnehaha County Sherriff’s Dept. right now. You pay taxes (I hope), and some of those taxes go to the county.
For all of you who say that if Brandon contracts with the county, Brandon will loose police coverage if there is an emergency in Garretson, etc. etc.
Guess what, we loose our coverage now if there is an emergency in the county! BPD responds to them, that is there job. Take this example from recent Brandon police logs:
Sept. 23
- Assist McCook County Sheriff’s office with a vandalism.
Sept. 22
- Assist sheriff’s office with burglar alarm, occurred in county.
Sept. 7
- Assist Sioux Falls police with simple assault, occurred in Sioux Falls.
Oh no, BPD responds to calls in Sioux Falls, Minnehaha county, and other counties as well?????? Why, yes, Police Officers often respond to emergency calls!
For those of you who thought these brave people only cared about the safety and security of Brandon citizens, shame on you! Yes, they are BPD, and yes they are responsible for the safety and security of everyone. Not just those of you who live in Brandon and think you are more important than everyone else. They will defend a citizen of Sioux Falls, Garretson, Del Rapids, etc. with their life, just like they would a citizen of Brandon.
I’m sorry if I seem like a smart a$$, but there are some very rational people who’ve posted some very rational thought. There are also some very ignorant people who have posted pure drivel.
September 26th, 2007 at 3:00 pm
No the Brandon PD doesn’t go to Sioux Falls to assist them nor do they just hear a call for the county and take it. They might go to a call close to Brandon if their is no County officer available or if their assistance is asked for. But also stuff can occur in Sioux Falls, Garretson, heck it could occur in California and they might assit the Officers from California with an occrance that happened in their state but someone involved in the situation lives in Bradon so the Brandon PD assists the Officers from California in this case. So are you saying then b/c it might say Brandon PD assists California Police, occured in California that they patrole the whole USA?
September 26th, 2007 at 3:45 pm
If the Brandon PD is having to respond to calls outside of Brandon…..could it be because the Sheriff’s Department is already running with a skeleton crew and does not have enough officers to handle their current workload?
September 26th, 2007 at 4:08 pm
That was my thought.
September 26th, 2007 at 4:58 pm
Okay. Every kid hates the Brandon PD. But why get rid of them if this town is just going to keep growing? Hello? Do you remember how small Brandon was just 5-10 years ago. Look how far its grown! Betcha we’ll be Brandon Falls soon.
September 26th, 2007 at 6:42 pm
Lets think about this, do we really want to be like Valley Springs? If we get rid of BPD the town will end up just falling apart. We wont get anymore of these people who come to Brandon becasue its a safe place to raise a family. The town will no longer continue to grow.
September 26th, 2007 at 8:45 pm
Good point #36. Again, we will get what we pay for!!! I also think that we as taxpayers should DEMAND answers from our city council. Why does everything have to be done behind closed doors?
September 26th, 2007 at 9:38 pm
I have done some checking, unlike some people. I spoke with some people from Garretson and they said going with the County was the best thing they ever did for the City. If the Council doesn’t call for a meeting who can we call to get one set up. Enough of this speculation, lets get some answers.
September 26th, 2007 at 10:03 pm
The only thing that will answer all of this is a public meeting. You will get all the facts which you are not now. There is so MUCH more going on that is being hidden it is rediculous. If I could speak without jeopardy you as citizens would be a linch mob. If spelling errors I apologize. Please demand a public meeting so that ALL involved parties can speak hopefully without reprimands and you get ALL the facts.
September 27th, 2007 at 7:47 am
Paul, I’m sorry but this forum isn’t for rational thought, you must leave!
Just kidding!
I’ve seen the county respond to emergencies in Brandon with better response times than the BPD. I find that sad, and scary. But some people here still say we are safer with the BPD. #31 says the county will have to use maps to find roads in Brandon. Apparently they can read maps better than the BPD if they can get there first!
Yes, the BPD will respond to emergencies outside of Brandon city limits if needed.
Yes, they currently patrol Six Mile Road, which is outside of Brandon City Limits. I’ve seen them often lately. Now, maybe they are not on “official police business” but if they are not what the heck are they doing driving around wasting gas?
The fact of the matter is this issue upsets people. We should be pissed at the city council for continuing to screw this up. I used to think the people of Canton were making a mistake when they changed forms of government and booted their entire city council out. Now, I’m not so sure. It’s starting to sound like a good idea in Brandon too.
The people of Brandon want answers based on solid facts. The city council has decided the community isn’t intelligent enough to deal with this. So they just close the doors make a decision, pat us on the head and say, “it’s all better now”.
Also, for those of you who say you get what you pay for you are correct. But you are failing to realize that when the county says they will cover 25% of the cost. It doesn’t mean police coverage will be 25% less expensive than with the BPD. It may very well be twice as expensive. What the county is saying, is they will take the total cost of them providing coverage, and deduct 25%. So by your very own words, if it is more expensive to go with the county, Brandon will have better police coverage?
September 27th, 2007 at 11:59 am
All this conversation is great but I hope all of you will join me on Monday night at the council meeting asking for answers to all our questions. If we don’t ask now we know the council will move forward without as their past shows. See you there.
September 27th, 2007 at 12:17 pm
I hope they do contract with the county and then the following would be possible— All the council is taken hostage by a disgruntled Brandon citizen, , except for Harry Buck who recused himself. The word going around at Sneakers is that the perp is possibly Serk, Bastian or Schroder. Dennis Olsen calls 911 for the deputies to come and help them, but the county deputies cannot come to their rescue because they are eating pizza at Stubbys. Stubbys is the new bar Fonder opened because the city wouldn’t let him move his business. Then Dennis Olsen’s asst has to call Medstar, because Alderman Buck, who was trying to sneak into the new council chambers to save them, stepped on a nail. Olsen couldn’t make another call because he is to busy. However, the ambulance couldn’t respond because they are not yet qualified to serve the city. Meanwhile, the former Brandon Police Department can be seen on the new Holly Blvd dangling their feet in the 800 ft crack in the road talking about the good old days when they hung out at the local gas stations.
September 27th, 2007 at 12:27 pm
To just a thought: Thanks for my laugh of the day. That’s a wild and crazy scenario.
September 27th, 2007 at 12:28 pm
#45……Very FUNNY!!!!
September 27th, 2007 at 12:38 pm
just a thought
That’s comedy gold right there sir or madam!
See you all Monday night!
September 27th, 2007 at 2:10 pm
Great story “just a thought” lol
September 27th, 2007 at 2:35 pm
Now, That was good stuff. I vote for #45 for the next open seat.
September 27th, 2007 at 3:06 pm
Attention to all interested parties….log on to keloland.com, browse news stories, and click on Canton Faces Govt Overhaul (9/26) Canton was so fed up with the way their city issues were being handled (sound fimiliar??) they got a petition, took it to a vote, and voted to have the mayor and all exisiting council members booted. They are going to start over. What a novel idea!!! Maybe we should follow in their footsteps!! Who started the Med-Star petition?? Maybe they would get the ball rolling!!!
September 27th, 2007 at 10:01 pm
A few questions to ask yourself and council members?
1. Do you feel safe when you sleep at night?
2. Do you feel safe letting your kids play outside without watching them 100% of the time?
3. Are you happy when you dial 911 and have a Brandon police Officer at your door in about 2 minutes?
If your anwsers to these questions are yes, then why “BUCK” the system. Come out on Monday night and discover the new council chambers, and support your “LOCAL” Police Department.
September 28th, 2007 at 6:57 am
Great story # 45, just one question, How could Harry Buck ever rescue himself?????? He wants to be involved in everything.
September 28th, 2007 at 10:21 am
#45, THAT WAS GREAT, we all needed a little levity. #51, I don’t think we have to nuke our current City Government. I know this is a hot button issue, but it is time to take a step back, take a breath and look at this logically. I think #48 is right, we should all go Monday to the City Council Meeting and asked some question, but I bet, as usual, that the turnout will be low, but I will be there.
September 28th, 2007 at 11:13 am
#45 that was hillarious. Just what this blog needed for such a sensitive topic. I do not plan on taking it that far, however. Committing a crime to get a spot on the current city council would not be worth it.
September 28th, 2007 at 4:06 pm
Remember, also on the agenda at Monday’s City Council meeting is the recommendation from the committee that reviewed the ambulance application.
September 28th, 2007 at 4:06 pm
Lots of people with no answers on these boards. Seems like the city council is actually doing something right this time.
It’s a good idea to contract.
September 28th, 2007 at 8:01 pm
I’d like to see real numbers that back up the cost savings. I’d like to know how the county determines the rate and how sure their 25% is. If the county budget gets tight, do they just up the rate to cover their 25%? Will this look like a good option for a few years and then come back to haunt us? (think of interest only and adjustable rate mortgages). If the deal still looks good after we’ve done our homework, then maybe Brandon should decide to go that route.
Will we get the facts of the proposal in the paper? The council chambers won’t allow many people to hear the case. Even the clubhouse space is limited. Maybe we could have copies of the proposal’s pros and cons available at City Hall and the Library explaining why it is a good move. I know some attempt at communication is better than none. If no one can present a good case for making the change, then we propably shouldn’t make it.
I’d also like to know what they intend to do with the savings. My cynical side says cost cutting is usually not about saving the taxpayer money as much as it is about funding other new projects with the existing tax money or to cover unplanned shortfalls within the current budget.
September 28th, 2007 at 8:17 pm
#57…you say it’s a good idea but don’t offer why, after you complained no one offered answers. So why is it a good idea? How can you even say that considering no one has seen a proposal?? It’s baseless.
September 28th, 2007 at 9:43 pm
Its embarrassing to read these blogs.. You people have no idea what you are saying…you are just saying it to hear yourself talk….You think its right to just get rid of the problem than to fix it. If anyone would have a clue of what the BPD is doing or has done for many years, then you would have a good idea of what you are trying to say. There are many problems which fall from within the BPD which needs to be corrected before they can function properly. There are many many liablities that the city has overlooked because there is no structure. As for the many officer who have left? Where would one start. No policy manual in place for the department, No proper training for brand new officers, NO continual training. No defesive tactics? All things in which a Police officer need to perform his job correctly. All these comments needs to be pointed at the council they need to correct the problem in which they let get out of hand from day one. I could go on and on about pay, overtime, schedules, ect ect….Let me ask one question? How is one person who makes 12-15 dollars an hour suppose to live in that city? BPD would be a great place to work if they corrected the problems at hand first….They need to train their officers properly and continue with training every year. Not just send them out and wonder why they aren’t doing the job correctly. Why do they sit at the gas station? Cause that is the only thing that they have been trained to do correctly. The problems that have spun out of control with the BPD needs to start with the council!! Keeping their police officers safe and reducing the citys liablilty would be a great start then maybe there wouldn’t be such a turn over. If the officers were getting the training they need to complete the job correctly would help tremendously.
September 29th, 2007 at 7:10 am
Alica and Corrine,
I don’t think the homepage of the Challenger should have the “Poll” unless there’s a way to block an IP address after voting. People can vote unlimited times, and I think some people might put stock in the that number which is totally inaccurate. What if our city council start thinking “well the people voted on the newspaper site, and that’s how they want it” If I didn’t have anything better to do today I’d sit and vote a couple of hundred times.
September 29th, 2007 at 7:37 am
#60, Most of these blogs are arguing about saving money versus the pride of having our own police force. No one (except for a few snide remarks) is questioning the ability of the BPD to get their job done - and how they do it. If you are saying the county option is due to poor performance by the BFD, then you are the first person to raise this issue. Since you seem to have inside info on the BFD, how do the current officers feel about working for the county? Would the training be better or worse? Is the pay scale better or worse? Is the opportunity for advancement better or worse? Would they get a chance to do more ‘real’ policework (barking dogs must get old)? Do they favor the idea? How will senority issues be handled? I think their views desrve at least one comment in this blog.
September 29th, 2007 at 7:59 am
#60, How many of your fellow BP officers agree with you? Majority or minority?
September 29th, 2007 at 9:46 am
Marjority
September 29th, 2007 at 10:08 am
I’m really having a hard time believing there is no training. Doesn’t Brandon pay for it’s people to go to the academy? I think it’s probably mandatory to have a policy manual. Overtime?? can there be overtime with 11 officers in a small town? Have you addressed these problems with the chief?? with the council or just blogged them?
September 29th, 2007 at 12:32 pm
For those of you that are confused, confuddled, or all around densely obfuscated (it’s a word, look it up)…
The Good Ol’ Boys are the four city council members. In case you’re still not sure, they are Steve Rubin, Harry Buck, Brett Karber, and “Diamond” Don Hammond.
They are not Dennis Olson, Dave Swier, and Wayne Fletcher.
I let the topic go when it was posed before, thinking most everyone knew who the GOBs were.
Parting shot: If YOU ever thought that it might be you, then it is.
September 30th, 2007 at 8:17 pm
To all who have made their comments on this blog, I say to you, if you are as concerned about this matter as I am I would hope to see each and everyone of you at the meeting Monday night and 6pm sharp. I will be there.
September 30th, 2007 at 9:05 pm
Look at Pipestone MN same size as Brandon. Went county wide and are still county wide. Works for them, and saved tons of money. The county has more tools, more man power when things go bad. The switch would suck for the Brandon officers because the county perks suck e.g. insurance. Remember all this is about money. The first to go when a city, or county want’s to save money is the police then fire, and then maby city crew members.
September 30th, 2007 at 11:17 pm
The reason you hire the Sheriff Department is if a Deputy does something wrong the county gets sued, not the city. Number 2 the chief doesen’t do a very good job on background checks on new officers. Brandon hired an officer who was let go from a cop jog because he got dischared from the Army by crying about having to carry, and using a gun in war. Hello but he can carry one in brandon???? Brandon has some good officers, but there is a few that should go bye bye. Come on people when was the last time you seen the city cop patrolling a side street. All I ever see them doing is hanging out on the main street running radar. Remember there is housing off Holly, and Splitrock Blvd. Bring on the Sheriff’s department!!!!!!
October 1st, 2007 at 5:20 am
I would like to say first of all that there are a lot of questions to be answered when it comes to this issue. I hope to see 2000 people at the meeting on Monday. The first and most important question is, how safe do you feel in Brandon? Do you like the fact that you can walk anywhere with your family, bike, etc. without worrying about their safety. I would like to share a little story with everyone on this page. When I was 6 or 7 years old, a very good young friend of mine was killed on his bicycle. The accident happened at the intersection of 3rd st. and Fir St. For those of you who aren’t familiar with this part of town, it is right where a lot of you pick up your kids everday on the south side of the Brandon Elementary. A young man’s life was taken because of a very reckless motorcycle driver. The only reason that I am still alive today is because my parents kept me home from baseball practice that day because of a cold. I hear a lot of complaints about the, “ticket writing cops” that we have. I can personally gurantee you that if the county takes over, they will not enforce speed zones as the BPD does, which will end up in a tragic situation. Just check and see how many fatal accidents have happened in Dell Rapids in the past years. I would also like to address one more concern that I have as a citizen. Have any of us, seriously, looked at how the county runs their finances? I do not and never will claim to be a financial advisor, but this one is a no brainer. The county commisioner’s have not been able to spend the money taken in by taxes efficently for years. Handing over a part of our city government to them would be like taking a loan to get milk on Monday at Sunshine. The county does not and never will know how to spend wisely. The roads in the county are ignored, yet the county road guys all drive new trucks? Figure that one out. Do any of you notice how terrible the road is from the Eros Road to Brandon in the winter? I have for twenty years. Ten years ago a court house was built. At the time it was built planners told the commision it was too small and they should add another floor, they did’nt. Well that is costing them an additional $9 milion today. The county jail, too small, already. The county is full of people looking out for themselves, and they will not listen to us as citizens of Brandon. Take pride in your community and make the right choices. Talk to your council representative and tell he/she that the police department needs to stay here. The heart of this town depends on it.
October 1st, 2007 at 5:58 am
Not that it matters, but Brandon is quite a bit bigger. Also if for sure Brandon doesnt do a good job on background checks as you assume. How good does the county do? I am not sure but you seem to know all the answers so I am asking you. Because im sure the county has never hired a bad cop.
October 1st, 2007 at 8:00 am
I would think the last place that a city would try to save money is in thepolice dept. Are you kidding me????? My families safety is much more important to me than the city guys getting a new truck!! Like Roger said, PLEASE come to the meeting tonight to let this city council how we feel about contracting out. Its too bad its all about money and not the safety of our citizens!!
October 1st, 2007 at 8:33 am
How about we save some money by squeezing the budget on the city golf course for once? Have you ever seen their monthly operating costs? (legal section of the paper) Does the golf course actually show a profit? If so, could it show a bigger profit than it does?
October 1st, 2007 at 12:24 pm
Hey…. “Happy for a change.” It sounds to me like you listen to gossip and then repeat it. Your blog had no sound facts in it just heresay. Also…I hope you do not ever need a police officer…child choking, accident outside of your home, or your parents needing medical assistance. The very people you are running down are the same people you would desparately want at your side in an emergency situation. Then you will feel like a heel.
October 1st, 2007 at 2:30 pm
Harry Buck awards the city maintenance employee’s and their spouses gift certificates to the Brandon Steak house. Buck stated they did a good job cleaning the lagoons out and should be rewarded. Well they were getting paid by the city at that time and it is part of their job descriptions? Guess who’s paying for those dinners, YOU the tax payers of the city. And why not give all the city employees gift certificates? I bet they do a good job also and should be rewarded. I know where my vote is NOT going next election. Don’t “BUCK” the system!
October 1st, 2007 at 5:33 pm
Where is your loyalty. Do you not enjoy the comfort of knowing your local police officers. Have you looked at the crime statistics lately for Brandon, I’m proud of the job they do. It was a tough transition moving here from a large metro area, however, now that we have children I wouldn’t change Brandon for anything. We feel safe, and you shouldn’t take something like that for granted, and there is absolutely no way you can put a price on that, even if they claim the savings to Brandon is legitamate. HOW MUCH WILL MY PROPERTY TAX DECREASE IF THE DECISION GOES TO THE COUNTY? My guess is that we’ll have some nice soccer fields or maybe they’ll give out more gift certificates with their new found money
October 1st, 2007 at 6:53 pm
I was talking to someone today, maybe our new interim Chief. I have never heard anyone talk so bad about an organization before, and I mean the Sheriff’s Office. I will have you know, I know several Deputies and know they are very well trained and respected not just in the Sioux Falls area but around the State. I bet if you check their resume’ they are better trained then any Brandon Officer, but I am not going to get into personnel attacks, like someone else. Also does anyone know how many Deputies live in Brandon? I know of at least 10 and many of them are very active in the Community. I understand people want to be loyal to your local Officers, but my understanding is that if the Brandon Officer pass the basic qualification they will be hired. We need a public form to ask and get the real answers and not just personnel attacks and rumor.
October 1st, 2007 at 7:18 pm
(Anonymous) I don’t need the Brandon police department the Sheriff Department will show up and help out. Also the Ambulance of Fire Department will show up for medical. The Sheriff’s department can do accident reports too. So tell me again why do I need the police???? I don’t know if the police could find me because they dont patrol residental streets unless there dispatched to a call. I know they will be able to help me if I needed help with pop or coffee at the gas station their other police sub station. Oh did I ad free pop and coffee which is a city policy violation. Taking free stuff is bad when your a cop, or is that hearsay also???
October 1st, 2007 at 9:47 pm
Thanks to everyone who showed up for the City Council meeting tonight and making it so we get to keep our own Police Department who does a GREAT JOB keep up the wonderful work BPD!!!
October 2nd, 2007 at 4:47 am
That goes to show the power of the people. It’s the outcome I wanted too, but now lets do the right thing again and show up for the ambulance vote when it comes. Why didn’t they vote on that last night?? They voted on the PD? After reading the recommendation from the ambulance commitee, what was there to “think about,” seriously. MedStar got a very sub-standard report from this committee that the council appointed. This committee is made up of a Physician, physicians assistant and a nurse, I think they are qualified FAR more than anyone on the council. They appointed them, I hope they listen to them. I can’t imagine they would risk our safety and tax dollars and give this service the green light.
I urge everyone to keep coming to the meetings and support this issue as strongly as the BPD issue.
October 2nd, 2007 at 5:59 am
So much for the open meeting. Was anyone there from the Sheriff’s Office, no. Well I hope everyone got what they wanted, I would have just liked to hear what the Sheriff’s Office had to offer, but it looks like our City Council caved in.
October 2nd, 2007 at 6:39 am
If you are so against the police, and wanted a open meeting. Why didnt you speak up at the public meeting?
October 2nd, 2007 at 7:29 am
Paul 81, just because the BPD supporters ganged up on the council last nite does not mean the rest of the citizens necessarily agree. The poll on the home page obviously shows a slightly different picture.
October 2nd, 2007 at 8:09 am
But if you talk to Justin the poll is just a big conspiracy. My understand last night was not supposed to be the night for the open meeting, they were supposed to set up a date for an open meeting. But that’s alright, just like a lot of small government, the loudest rules. I wasn’t there, but I don’t think anyone was there from the County.
October 2nd, 2007 at 9:25 am
Now that we had the discussion last night….how about putting out ads to hire a new police chief? Lets find out who out there wants this and their qualifications. Just because someone from within is the acting chief…does not mean the most qualified. New blood may be the idea to clean things up!!
October 2nd, 2007 at 10:45 am
Well, I have enjoyed sitting back and listening and watching these events unfold. However, I have never seen such blatant cowardice. I am not going to take either side of this issue in this forum, as I believe they both have merits and deserve exploration. However, I think it was an incredibly bad thing for the Council to knee-jerk react that “ok…we’re keeping the BPD” without having at least one or a series of forums with the public so the issue could be explored. Again, I think it was the worst thing this seemingly spineless group could do. I can tell you that if I were still a City Councilman, or Mike Schultz were still Mayor, I would NEVER (and I would hope he wouldn’t either) have stood for doing business any place outside the light of day. Let’s hope these so-called city leaders (some of which I had respect for, and all of which I know) have learned a lesson.
October 2nd, 2007 at 10:46 am
Good point #85…I think a breath of fresh air in that Police Dept. would be exactly what they need. I do have to say that I am a little upset that the council re-acted to 70 people last night and did not do a better job of putting out information to all residents (not just the 70 who attended)so that we could be better informed of the best options. I also find it hard to believe that someone named Blain stood up for the Police Dept. This was the same person a few years back during a council meeting stood up and wanted to have Wade and Phil fired. (STRANGE?) Maybe he wants to be the next Chief???? Here is some food for thought…maybe someone should petition to have this issue put to a public vote? Instead of everyone pointing fingers at the council, let the people speak on who they want. We should have representatives from the Sheriff’s Dept. and the Police Dept. and lay out there plans on what they each could provide the City for services and the costs and let us make our own choice. Rather than the Council just listening to 70 people and not the other thousands that live in Brandon. Just my 2 cents.
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:30 am
I called the Minnehaha County Sherriff’s Dept. I asked them why there was no representation of the County to answer/ask questions at the meeting. The answer I received was shocking! The County was asked not to be at the meeting, they were informed last nights meeting was not going to be a discussion or a vote. Last nights meeting was simply to set up a time for an open meeting.
I also understood last nights meeting was to set up a time for an open meeting. But as usual the Brandon City Council wants to make decisions without all the facts or hearing what the people of Brandon really want or need.
So facts are:
City Council did not want the county there to answer/ask questions.
City Council did not want the public to know what was really going on.
Opinion:
City Council doesn’t care about what the community of Brandon really wants.
I recommend you all contact your Alderman and ask them what the he!! Is going on?
On a side note, www.brandoninfo.com has a new poll asking if the city council made the correct decision. As of now, 58% have voted NO!
On another side note, anyone know how we go about removing all members of the city council from office?
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:39 am
First of all, the poll is not accurate. Someone could stay on there all day and vote. (Which is what I think is happening) You cannot even use that poll for a basis for anything!! Second, that is fine if the city wanted to explore other options, but the timing was SO wrong. You cannot expect anyone to apply for the postition of chief when all this is going on! They needed to wait until a new cheif was hired and given some time to turn the police force around. Now I don’t think they have a snowball chance in h*** to have anyone apply. Just my two cents!!
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:50 am
I was at the meeting and I thought it was great.
October 2nd, 2007 at 12:02 pm
momof4:
You say the timing was all wrong, and that they need to have the chance to turn the police force around?
At whose expense do they take the time to turn the police force around? Your children’s?
Ryan Wiese:
You say the meeting was great. So what facts did they give you to base your decision on?
I don’t want conjecture, or your opinion. I want facts!
The one thing the city council has never provided to the community, were facts!
What would it have cost to go with County coverage?
Would there have been 24 hr/day police coverage?
What type of shift/rotations would the county have used?
Were these questions answered at the meeting?
Better yet, were they even asked? Or did the friends and family members of the current BPD show up and demand they were allowed to keep the BPD?
October 2nd, 2007 at 12:14 pm
I want to correct one line I wronte in my post at #91. My original line I typed was:
momof4:
You say the timing was all wrong, and that they need to have the chance to turn the police force around?
At whose expense do they take the time to turn the police force around? Your children’s?
This should have read:
At whose expense do they take the time to turn the police force around? OUR CHILDREN’S?
October 2nd, 2007 at 1:28 pm
I believe the problems that the police force are having is not affecting my childrens safety!! If it was, I would have a problem. I believe that the BPD is doing an AWESOME job and given the chance I also believe they will be able to fix the internal problems without having to contract out with the county. So, to answer your question, I go to bed every night knowing that the BPD is doing a great job protecting us and my children are not in harms way (Thanks BPD!!!)
October 2nd, 2007 at 2:00 pm
Momof4
I hope when you replied you read the correction I made in post #92.
Also, I have heard so many people say “when they go to bed they feel safe….blah blah blah blah…”
Again, I ask, what facts do you have that makes the BPD a better choice than the County?
I base my choices on facts, not on ignorance!
October 2nd, 2007 at 2:33 pm
I agree with Buford T. Where are the facts. It would be nice to get facts on both sides. So supposedly 70-80 friends and family represent the majority of voters in Brandon?
And how do we know the poll is inaccurate? Just because people may be able to vote more than once does not mean it does not represent the true majority of Brandon voters.
October 2nd, 2007 at 2:52 pm
Ya, I also agree with Buford T. and our former City Council member. Why was this handled the way it was. Why weren’t both side equally addressed. I have talked to a lot of people and almost everyone I have talked to was leaning toward the Sheriff’s Office, but they, like me, were waiting for the meeting so we could get all the facts. Why was the vote held on Monday? I just don’t understand.
October 2nd, 2007 at 6:31 pm
#86 Health–there will be a Ward 1 election in the spring. Do you think you will run for that position again?
October 2nd, 2007 at 7:43 pm
I don’t know Sally, will you run for re-election when your term is up? IP Addresses on blogs are easy to track. Don’t think I DON’T know who you are. At any rate, I will evaluate that option when the time comes. However, since you asked, those of you weighing in on this issue, may or may not know me…but I can tell you this I would have NEVER have stood for the nonsense at last Monday’s meeting as your former Councilman or if 16 people would have voted differently as your Mayor. I would bet my life, that neither would have former Mayor Mike Schultz. By the way, I have been informed that according to the new Asst. City Administrator and the City employee who took minutes at the meeting….that NO ACTUAL VOTE TOOK PLACE!!!! If so, was it a voice vote, or do we have a record of individual votes or did they do their normal…”let’s get these people out of here” routine? Just curious. As for Alderman Kloster, if you truly scolded your constituents after that meeting as I am reading here, you disgrace the fine people who sat in that chair before you…..Judy Jacobs, Tim Polzine, Heath Tople, Steve Kolbeck, Kathy Ford etc. Shame on YOU!! I’ll ask the question again….”Ward I, do you want my representation again?”
October 2nd, 2007 at 9:39 pm
If there was no vote, are the opinions still on the table. Can we have an open meeting with the Sheriff’s Office here and really get all the fact. Health is this something you can check on or should I call my alderman?
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:09 pm
Do you people not understand what your doing to our police officers now! What do you think they are thinking right now…am i going to have a job, am i going to be able to provide for me family anymore. You guys just dont understand! How would you feel if people that you are protecting are trying to take your job away from you! These guys worked hard to get where they are at and the things they have, and some stubborn people want to take all that away because they write you a speeding ticket! They sit at a gas station! And no one can say that there will be Sheriffs in brandon 24/7, there is valley and other places they have to patrol, not just brandon. I think you need to think about the police officers and their families before you do anything! I have gotten to know these guys, and they are some of the nicest guys/girls i have met…think before you act. I have seen how they patrol the streets, they love this town more than anyone else! I know this for a fact!
October 3rd, 2007 at 6:08 am
#98 You may need to be a little careful on saying you know who I am. It is quite possible for more than one person to use an IP address. My blogging days are certainly over.
October 3rd, 2007 at 7:23 am
Alicia - can you please remove this BLOG. Everything has been said & done.
Please remove!!!!
October 3rd, 2007 at 7:31 am
#98 you might want to clean things up, you have been in the news lately. Right now the answer would be NO!
October 3rd, 2007 at 7:55 am
#100 BPD all the way:
Maybe you need to start at the top of this blog and read every comment! Most people in this blog want facts! We want to know what the cost difference would be? Would there be 24 hour police coverage? Now, we want to know what the he!! the city council pulled Monday night?
As far being worried about their job security? I don’t like seeing anyone lose there job. But if it is a choice between the BPD having jobs at my families safety and security it’s not really a choice at all.
With that being said, I am not saying we are better off with or without the BPD. BUT I WANT FACTS, NOT OPINIONS! I also want to know how we can remove our current city council from office?
October 3rd, 2007 at 8:13 am
#102, why do you want this blog shut down. It is the only place to vent our frustration with how this whole thing has been handled. WE JUST WANT THE FACTS.
October 3rd, 2007 at 8:39 am
Well, “always listening” the same can be said to you about the easy of tracking an IP address. I would careful about what you say as well. The rumors about me have been quite colorful and overblown, but I am a man that will stand-up for my mistakes and lapse in judgement. Doesn’t make me a bad person, just human. The question again, will I run again someday….perhaps. Thanks for your advice #103, anytime you want to know the facts about what I need to “clean-up” feel free to give me a call. I’m still in the book, just like I was when I was an elected official. As I originally said, many of the BPD members are friends, acquaintances and even some that I was directly involved in their hiring. I’m not saying yea or nay with regards to the BPD, just questions need to be answered and research needs to be done in the light of day. By the way, “BPD all the way,” I have a crisp $20 bill that says you are either a current or former officer or a family member of the same. You have made the point however that we need to “think about the impact to the families and the community before anything is done….” That’s the very definition of an open forum. I anxiously await the next malicious shot at me.
October 3rd, 2007 at 8:43 am
You want facts; I can tell you last week there were no more than 4 deputies on in the entire county. One night there were only 3 and when the nice lady ran through the post office in Colton guess where they all went? You got it they all went to the accident. I’m saying nothing about the Deputies of the Sheriff’s Office they also do a great job with what they have to work with. They also are short handed, and now you want them to cover Brandon. Guess where they will go when the next accident happens when they are suppose to be watching your city? And as far as cost savings, what kind of price do you want to put on you and your family’s safety? Buford T. Justice if you have so much knowledge maybe you should apply for the Chief position?
October 3rd, 2007 at 9:30 am
Not concerned as to your ability to track Heath. Don’t misunderstand the intent of my post. Frankly, you’d be 1000% better that those on the council now, in my opinion.
October 3rd, 2007 at 10:23 am
A “nameless” fact or opinion in the real world is meaningless. To all those who have such strong feelings about this issue. “Thank you”……. Freedom of Speech is alive! But frankly if your not willing to put your name to your blog, how much does it really mean? Stand up for yourselves. Don’t stand behind a fictitious name.
October 3rd, 2007 at 11:29 am
Blaine, you were a BPD Officer, what happened and why aren’t you still with them. Wouldn’t you like to hear both sides of this story, I would. I agree with the former City Council member, Mr. Tople, lets have an open meeting and hear the whole story. I know you a man of honor and shouldn’t be afraid of that. Just a little frustrated on how things went down on Monday night.
October 3rd, 2007 at 11:37 am
Blaine, I TOO know you as a man of honor and one of the finest indivduals I have ever been priviledged to call my friend. You have been there for me at some very dark times and I know that if I ever reached out my hand in need, you would always be there to grasp it. You and I know alot about what happened in the past and as you and I have discussed numerously, I would be honored to stand beside you for what is right. You have supported me, and I would always support you. Also, thanks for the kind words from many of you on this blog. “Always Listening,” please don’t take my comments as threats. I know my “house” is in need of re-organization and repair, but my faith in God, support from friends and family and love of this community will pull me through. Believe me, in spite of the topsy-turvy events of my recent past, I am approached on a daily basis to run for something…city, county, state, etc. I will follow my heart, head, and my faith.
October 3rd, 2007 at 12:10 pm
SallyAnne…Heath is full of shietzenholz. The only way an I.P. can be obtained is in a criminal case. It takes a warrant, so don’t be scared off.
‘Kota…Why do you want this topic to be ended? Making you a little uncomfortable?
Blaine…I agree, but you can see my response to that under “Blogging-Friend or Foe” at the top of this page under recent topics. And thank you, Sir, for the years of service you provided us citizens. You are still missed.
As for the “non-vote”. There was a vote. It was under the heading of “to halt the fact finding process and reaffirm commitment
to the BPD and bestow on Sargent Else the title of interim assistant police chief”. All council persons “ayed”. So yes, there was a vote, no matter how grudgingly given.
It wasn’t a bullyfest. We had 3 council persons say openly that they weren’t in support of it: Hammond, Mostek, and Kloster. Buck was still fighting for the “factfinding” part of it, and got a little grumpy and short tempered and told Kloster to “shut-up”. Karber inferred that it was Chief Youngdale that leaked the contents of the executive session, then proceeded to whine about it, saying there were “many things” that the citizens didn’t know about, many of which were discussed in executive sessions, so everyone, MYOB. Less than five minutes later, HE broke the confidentiality of executive session. I guess only Councilman Karber is awesome enough to be able to do that. As for Rubin, he was finally forced to take the blame for beginning this whole fiasco. In a very roundabout way. God forbid we would take any responsibility for the messes we make. Sure are quick to take credit for the things that go right (as few and far between as those things are for this current council), though, aren’t we?
In summary:The ambulance issue was completely overlooked, and all the deficiencies that Med-Star has was put to the back burner. Where’s all that information, Jill Meier????? Once again Editor Meier, crack job of reporting! I’m sure the Ambulance Quality Assurance Committee just loved being completely ignored, after all of their hard work in the super important topic of finding a suitable ambulance service for the citizens of Brandon. Can I suggest everyone that hasn’t seen that report run right down to the City Hall and get a copy? Very eye-opening.
I have this all on tape, not that I’m going to say if anyone is interested, they can call me. I don’t need any random Stripperpants drive-bys.
October 3rd, 2007 at 12:20 pm
*sargeant…embarrassing!
October 3rd, 2007 at 1:54 pm
Sencha:
You said that the people of Brandon should MYOB just because it is an ‘executive sessoin’?
When it comes to the safety and security of our families, executive sessions be damned! Obviously somebody in the council thought there might be a better way of doing things. Now the entire community of Brandon has had time to think about this. People now want answers to there question. For the city council to keep all information regarding this private is a cowardly thing to do. If keeping the BPD is the best thing for the community, tell us why. Don’t act like you are scolding your children and say “because I said so” or “shame on you”.
October 3rd, 2007 at 2:35 pm
If there was a vote, maybe we should get a petition together, to put this up to a popular vote. Health you used to be on the Council, could they open this discussion up again or what should we do. Obviously there are a lot of people who want to hear all the opinions, not just go with what less then 1% of the City population tries to force down our throats. What do we do???
October 3rd, 2007 at 4:01 pm
Just wondering if Paul was at the city council meeting on Monday night?, could you answer that one Paul. I was and I did not hear one negative thing about the BPD. Nor did I hear any support for exploring the option of contracting with the county. I don’t think anyone in this community doubts the Sheriff’s Office Deputies and there ability to do their jobs, I know I don’t. The public present at the city council meeting made it clear that this community needs the BPD, and the elected officals went along with that. I would think that if someone was against the BPD and had a better way to run law enforcement in our community they would have come to the meeting and expressed their ideas. I sure would have liked to hear them and so would have the other folks at the meeting. Lastly I would like to say goodbye to a friend of law enforcement in the community, Matt Sawh, who resigned his position with BPD. Matt has made the tough choice to move on to another field, for a better oppurtunity for he and his family. God bless you and your family and we all appreciate the time that you served your community.
October 3rd, 2007 at 4:16 pm
Buford…I didn’t say anything, that’s the lecture we received from Councilman Karber, MYOB being my way of explaining the gist of what he was saying to the audience, and him putting his inability to explain under the guise of “executive session”. I could have made that more clear when I was giving little rundowns on each council member.
October 3rd, 2007 at 4:16 pm
No, sorry I was not at the meeing on Monday, I didn’t know is was going to be an open meeting talking about this issue. Also, I read in this blog that there wasn’t anyone there from the Sheriff’s Office either, just BPD family backers. I sure there is some information regarding this issue. If there isn’t going to be a fact meeting maybe Alicia and the Challenger can get a copy of the information from the Sheriff’s Office, put it in the paper and at least we would have both sides of this.
October 3rd, 2007 at 4:33 pm
To #102 Kota: My name is correctly spelled Alica. Only one “i”. About removing a topic, I’m instructed to not edit or mess with the content of the posts. They are what they are.
To #104 Buford T. Justice: From what I could see, the City Council didn’t have any facts to offer. They hadn’t asked the questions themselves yet.
To #107 wanting facts: I suppose it’s possible that if the city contracted with the county for law enforcement, the county would just add the city to their territory of what they already patrol, without adding any more manpower. But it’s also possible (and more likely) that the county would add officers to patrol the additional area. And it’s possible the city could contract for officers to be assigned regularly and permanently to Brandon. It would depend on the conditions of the contract. And as far as we can tell, no contract existed, so we can’t make any conclusions on how it would have been handled.
To #109 Blaine Jones: I agree that people should use their real names, even if it’s only their first name or initials. At the very least, a person should pick a screen name that is not being used by anyone else and then stick to it. There are too many people using “anonymous” right now, which makes reading the blog very confusing. It looks like the same person is disagreeing with himself. And to those who change their screen names, I’d suggest that this would lessen the impact of your opinion on a reader, not strengthen it. So you may be hurting your own cause.
October 3rd, 2007 at 4:50 pm
To #118 Paul: My name is correctly spelled Alica. Only one “i”. I’m sorry to be picky about it, but in my 50 years, I’ve noticed that if I let it go, the occurances of misspelling multiply like crazy.
Paul, I’m not sure there would be any information available to get from the county. My understanding of this whole thing is that the discussions had not gone far enough that anything was figured out yet or written down. It is true that someone connected with the Challenger (or Argus) could check with the county to see. But if it’s true that the talk was in only the preliminary stages, and if it’s true that no proposal existed yet, it’s likely the public will not be able to find out what would have looked like if the council had continued to pursue it. Did I say that so it made sense?
October 3rd, 2007 at 5:11 pm
There were 2 executive sessions before Chief Youngdale was even invited to these closed door sessions. What are we hiding? Apparently Mr. Karber can’t keep his mouth shut either? After the sessions they all go to Sneakers and vent, better watch who hears could cost you a trip to jail. No One has answered my question yet, what price do you put on your family’s safety? That’s all it is about is the money. The city can spend $1100.00 per golf cart for GPS but let the Police Officers go without a raise or better yet get rid of them? We have police officers that can’t even afford cable T.V. Let