Shadow
New member
Although it doesn't "offically" take place until 01 August 07, our agency (I should say the city council) has handed over the keys to the police department to the Sheriff and has closed up shop.
I was there today assisting the Chief in closing out the books and turning in my gear.
It's bittersweet.
For the full time guys (all 3 of them:rofl1: ) they'll pick up another 8k (+/-) a year, better bene's, a retirement plan that doesn't suck:thumbsup: , access to better equipment, backup (we work one person on per shift
) and training and a chance to learn/do other things besides patrol:thumbsup:
Other than the Chief (who I helped train 30 years ago in Hillsborough) none of the F/T officers have ever worked for a major law enforcement agency!
Now these guys will have an opportunity they'd never have gotten here. To move around, work different divisions and assignments and handle calls they'd probably only read about in this city (although things were starting to get more intense in the end, it still had a loooong way to go to be anywhere near what I came from.)
The Chief, the Part Time/Reserve officers were the only ones in the place with any experience. It was glaringly obvious from the quality of cases and reports (or lack thereof) Used to drive me nuts!!!
Our POS city counsel however, sold out the reserve/part timers (who basically keep that department alive) by requiring the Sheriff to write us out of the aquisition.
So essentially, all the experience just walked out the door:wavey: :lmao:
Due to a politcal powerplay by one of the counsel members (he apparently didn't want one specific part timer to have the opportunity to transfer over to the Sheriff's Office-and no, it's not me:lmao: ), we were written out of the contract takeover agreement.
The full timers will be absorbed into the S.O. through the back door. They'll still have to go through an abbreviated in service and orientation program and I have my doubts about a couple of them, but they skip the entire convoluted, PITA hiring process. I do wish them well.
The reserves that want to go over have to go through the entire hiring process.
It's a shame when politics get in the way of good police work:thumbsdown:
For the last 16 years, I've made the 120 mile round trip to the PD several times a month to assist the agency. Filled in shifts for those who were out on vacation, injured, sick, etc, and when the hurricanes hit a few years ago, it was our reserves that mustered up and worked day in day out for a month to make sure the people of the city and surrounding areas had food/water, etc, and were safe. We patrolled out into the county where people were stopping me in the night and saying they hadn't seen a LEO in days (after the storm
).
It was a great feeling being able to help:thumbsup: Thats why I entered law enforcement 30 years ago and thats why I stayed after my retirement.
We put in literally hundreds of non-paid hours working details, doing backgrounds, training, whatever the city needed to keep it running and keep it safe.
But alas, $$$$ reared it's ugly head and it was no longer feasble to continue to operate our own police dept.
I met the Sheriff's Sgt. that's going to be running the sub-station (former PD).
Very nice guy and I know he'll do a good job for the citizens:thumbsup:
So I turned in my gear today, and officially became a Ronin...a masterless warrior :lmao:
Even if the Sheriff had waived the hiring procedure and taken us with the others, I wouldn't have been able to go. The Sheriff has a residency requirement and since I'm not moving to Polk County. So even if our POS city council hadn't stabbed us in the back, I wouldn't have qualified. And I certainly agree with the Sheriff. If he opens the door for one it opens the door for everyone, and you can't do that:NoNo:
So today, we filed the last chapter in the police log, retired the PD number with FDLE and turned off the teletype. Destroyed evidence that needed to be destroyed, turned over the keys to the building to the Sheriff's Sgt. and walked out...for the last time.
As Jimmy Buffett said:
"If it suddenly ended tomorrow,
I would somehow adjust to the fall...
Good times and riches and son of a bitches,
I've seen more than I can recall...":thumbsup: :dancer01:
I'm not sure yet if I'm going back elsewhere or just hang it up. I've already had some offers but I'm just not sure? It gets in your blood, but maybe it's time for a transfusion?:rofl1:
It's been a total of 30 years and it's been a hell of a ride ladies and gentlemen.
And although there have been more than a couple of close calls, no ones ever had to knock on the wifes door and ask her to come with them...thats a good thing:thumbsup:
So for now, it's over...
I wish everyone that remains well and a safe journey.
Hey, Sarge...stay safe over there and take care of the place would you?:icon_cheers:
And to my forum family, thanks for letting me vent a bit.
Nine Eagle Lake...10-07...
Gordon
:usa_flag:
I was there today assisting the Chief in closing out the books and turning in my gear.
It's bittersweet.
For the full time guys (all 3 of them:rofl1: ) they'll pick up another 8k (+/-) a year, better bene's, a retirement plan that doesn't suck:thumbsup: , access to better equipment, backup (we work one person on per shift
) and training and a chance to learn/do other things besides patrol:thumbsup: Other than the Chief (who I helped train 30 years ago in Hillsborough) none of the F/T officers have ever worked for a major law enforcement agency!
Now these guys will have an opportunity they'd never have gotten here. To move around, work different divisions and assignments and handle calls they'd probably only read about in this city (although things were starting to get more intense in the end, it still had a loooong way to go to be anywhere near what I came from.)
The Chief, the Part Time/Reserve officers were the only ones in the place with any experience. It was glaringly obvious from the quality of cases and reports (or lack thereof) Used to drive me nuts!!!
Our POS city counsel however, sold out the reserve/part timers (who basically keep that department alive) by requiring the Sheriff to write us out of the aquisition.
So essentially, all the experience just walked out the door:wavey: :lmao:
Due to a politcal powerplay by one of the counsel members (he apparently didn't want one specific part timer to have the opportunity to transfer over to the Sheriff's Office-and no, it's not me:lmao: ), we were written out of the contract takeover agreement.
The full timers will be absorbed into the S.O. through the back door. They'll still have to go through an abbreviated in service and orientation program and I have my doubts about a couple of them, but they skip the entire convoluted, PITA hiring process. I do wish them well.
The reserves that want to go over have to go through the entire hiring process.
It's a shame when politics get in the way of good police work:thumbsdown:
For the last 16 years, I've made the 120 mile round trip to the PD several times a month to assist the agency. Filled in shifts for those who were out on vacation, injured, sick, etc, and when the hurricanes hit a few years ago, it was our reserves that mustered up and worked day in day out for a month to make sure the people of the city and surrounding areas had food/water, etc, and were safe. We patrolled out into the county where people were stopping me in the night and saying they hadn't seen a LEO in days (after the storm
).It was a great feeling being able to help:thumbsup: Thats why I entered law enforcement 30 years ago and thats why I stayed after my retirement.
We put in literally hundreds of non-paid hours working details, doing backgrounds, training, whatever the city needed to keep it running and keep it safe.
But alas, $$$$ reared it's ugly head and it was no longer feasble to continue to operate our own police dept.
I met the Sheriff's Sgt. that's going to be running the sub-station (former PD).
Very nice guy and I know he'll do a good job for the citizens:thumbsup:
So I turned in my gear today, and officially became a Ronin...a masterless warrior :lmao:
Even if the Sheriff had waived the hiring procedure and taken us with the others, I wouldn't have been able to go. The Sheriff has a residency requirement and since I'm not moving to Polk County. So even if our POS city council hadn't stabbed us in the back, I wouldn't have qualified. And I certainly agree with the Sheriff. If he opens the door for one it opens the door for everyone, and you can't do that:NoNo:
So today, we filed the last chapter in the police log, retired the PD number with FDLE and turned off the teletype. Destroyed evidence that needed to be destroyed, turned over the keys to the building to the Sheriff's Sgt. and walked out...for the last time.
As Jimmy Buffett said:
"If it suddenly ended tomorrow,
I would somehow adjust to the fall...
Good times and riches and son of a bitches,
I've seen more than I can recall...":thumbsup: :dancer01:
I'm not sure yet if I'm going back elsewhere or just hang it up. I've already had some offers but I'm just not sure? It gets in your blood, but maybe it's time for a transfusion?:rofl1:
It's been a total of 30 years and it's been a hell of a ride ladies and gentlemen.
And although there have been more than a couple of close calls, no ones ever had to knock on the wifes door and ask her to come with them...thats a good thing:thumbsup:
So for now, it's over...
I wish everyone that remains well and a safe journey.
Hey, Sarge...stay safe over there and take care of the place would you?:icon_cheers:
And to my forum family, thanks for letting me vent a bit.
Nine Eagle Lake...10-07...
Gordon
:usa_flag:
) You will know deep in your heart whether to pick something else up. take a deep breathe and grab your keys and do a few burn outs and take a cruise and just relax. Look at what this beautiful state has to see. 
