Thursday, August 26, 2010
Charlotte's Crime 'Is' Cabarrus County's Crime
If you believe for one second that by re-electing Sheriff D. Brad Riley to another term as Cabarrus County sheriff that you receive immunity for Charlotte’s crime, then think again. Much of Charlotte’s crime originates right here in our ‘protected’ county. This weekend two of Cabarrus County’s homegrown murdered a Charlotte man, their so called drug dealer, to support their heroin addiction, as reported by the Charlotte Observer. Cabarrus County, and especially Harrisburg, should feel lucky that his brutal crime didn’t occur in their neighborhoods. Jonathan Fitzgerald, 18, and Danielle Holmes, 17, were known to the Cabarrus Sheriff’s Office. This being the case, what is Sheriff Riley doing to protect Cabarrus County from drug runners who funnel heroin into our area? We very rarely see information of drug arrests in Cabarrus County. What is being done? In this case it took the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department to clean up this mess, making the arrests in Cabarrus County. Sheriff Riley is quoted in the Independent Tribune as saying, “Our officers heavily assisted in the arrests,” Riley said. It was literally the very least he could do. Although Sheriff Riley does give a shout out to his brave officers, he is clearly acknowledging that it took Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department to rid Cabarrus County of these young murderers. My point is this. Sheriff Riley tries repeatedly to imply that by not re-electing him that we are inviting Charlotte’s problems to Cabarrus County. Too late! This is not the Cabarrus County of 1958 to 1982. It is not even the same Cabarrus County as 10 years ago. Cabarrus County has big league problems and needs a big league hitter. We need someone who has fought the big league fights and can readily identify and combat these problems. This is the time to change the course of fate for Cabarrus County. The problems of drugs, gangs, theft, and murder are here. They have been for quite a while. Let’s bring in a man that has the experience to fix this mess.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Overcrowding in the NEW Jail Part 2
I find it interesting that after the posting on July 16th, and with the help of the always on top of the story Independent Tribune, that Sheriff D. Brad Riley finally offers up an explanation to our concerns. Unfortunately, Sheriff Riley tries to shift blame and only tells half truths. As promised on July 16th, I will explain what Sheriff Riley has attempted to leave out.
Let’s begin with Sheriff Riley’s first, and my personal favorite, opinionated quote. “With the new annex, we don’t have the ability to sleep them on the floor like we do on the old linear floor,” Riley said. “Not only is it becoming grossly overcrowded, but all the services…are increased and heightened and certainly something that needs to be looked at,” he said. News flash!!! No kidding. I thought that is what we started doing in 2001. So after 200 million dollars spent on construction that is still not operational do you think something needs to be ‘looked at’? Were you not intimately involved in the suggesting that there needs to be extra walling in the design of the jail? Sheriff, weren’t you the primary one who made these strong suggestions that caused the design price of the jail to sore from 50 million to 200 million. Something DOES need to be looked at. The sheriff’s election in November.
“When you start looking at cost, it doesn’t compare to putting bodies in a new facility,” Riley said. “But at the same time there is a lot of risk that goes along with that. We’re still looking at least 11 months of the current track we’re on”. Will someone please explain to me what in the hell Riley is trying to say? Sheriff you are very informative. What I would like for you do explain to the county tax payers and Independent Tribune is why you failed to ask for the staffing for this project until January. At least this is what our Cabarrus County Chairman Jay White has said. I would like to hear you explain why you failed to budget money to transport inmates to other facilities. Isn’t this one of the big reasons for our jail overcrowding now? What about the extra costs of time, salaries of transporting officers, gas, not to include board. How can money not be budgeted for transportation when jail administrators know of the overcrowding problem?
Sheriff why do you not use the jail population projection models that almost every other jail in the state uses? These projections can be so actuate that at any given point throughout the year we would know within a few percent what the jail population would be. But why do you refuse to use these projection models? You think in the end all you have to do is tell your friend Jay White that all the budgeting problems can be rectified by chalking it all up as “unexpected cost”?
And again Commissioner Chairman Jay White brings up the rear. “I would suggest we keep tabs on this to make certain we see what can be done to ensure things do not get out of control,” White said. Thank you Mr. Chairman for looking out for our best interest. I get the feeling that you are all over it. Start by holding Sheriff Riley accountable rather than making excuses for him. It does not look good that you do everything in your power to protect Sheriff Riley in the same year that you are up for re-election. It is no secret that Sheriff Riley blames the County Commissioner’s for these mis-calculations. Chairman, do your job. You are not Mr. Koch. Think of ways to make Cabarrus County a better place, not looking after Sheriff Riley.
Let’s begin with Sheriff Riley’s first, and my personal favorite, opinionated quote. “With the new annex, we don’t have the ability to sleep them on the floor like we do on the old linear floor,” Riley said. “Not only is it becoming grossly overcrowded, but all the services…are increased and heightened and certainly something that needs to be looked at,” he said. News flash!!! No kidding. I thought that is what we started doing in 2001. So after 200 million dollars spent on construction that is still not operational do you think something needs to be ‘looked at’? Were you not intimately involved in the suggesting that there needs to be extra walling in the design of the jail? Sheriff, weren’t you the primary one who made these strong suggestions that caused the design price of the jail to sore from 50 million to 200 million. Something DOES need to be looked at. The sheriff’s election in November.
“When you start looking at cost, it doesn’t compare to putting bodies in a new facility,” Riley said. “But at the same time there is a lot of risk that goes along with that. We’re still looking at least 11 months of the current track we’re on”. Will someone please explain to me what in the hell Riley is trying to say? Sheriff you are very informative. What I would like for you do explain to the county tax payers and Independent Tribune is why you failed to ask for the staffing for this project until January. At least this is what our Cabarrus County Chairman Jay White has said. I would like to hear you explain why you failed to budget money to transport inmates to other facilities. Isn’t this one of the big reasons for our jail overcrowding now? What about the extra costs of time, salaries of transporting officers, gas, not to include board. How can money not be budgeted for transportation when jail administrators know of the overcrowding problem?
Sheriff why do you not use the jail population projection models that almost every other jail in the state uses? These projections can be so actuate that at any given point throughout the year we would know within a few percent what the jail population would be. But why do you refuse to use these projection models? You think in the end all you have to do is tell your friend Jay White that all the budgeting problems can be rectified by chalking it all up as “unexpected cost”?
And again Commissioner Chairman Jay White brings up the rear. “I would suggest we keep tabs on this to make certain we see what can be done to ensure things do not get out of control,” White said. Thank you Mr. Chairman for looking out for our best interest. I get the feeling that you are all over it. Start by holding Sheriff Riley accountable rather than making excuses for him. It does not look good that you do everything in your power to protect Sheriff Riley in the same year that you are up for re-election. It is no secret that Sheriff Riley blames the County Commissioner’s for these mis-calculations. Chairman, do your job. You are not Mr. Koch. Think of ways to make Cabarrus County a better place, not looking after Sheriff Riley.
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