A North Miami Beach Police Officer Speaks Out

Regardless of the personal attacks I’ve received from a very, very small group of North Miami Beach police officers (three of them to be exact), I still believe that the vast majority of the members of our Police Department are courteous and professional.  They are just as anxious as the residents about how this budget process will end.  For every piece of “hate mail” I’ve gotten, I’ve received at least three or more letters and comments from cops who completely understand my position, even if they disagree, and who are willing to discuss the issues in a rational and adult fashion.  I welcome these comments because an open and direct dialogue is the only way to create an atmosphere of understanding and, hopefully, resolve problems.

Like all of you, I have no idea what’s going to happen with our Police Department.  Like all of you, I have an opinion.  But, unlike most of you I am fortunate to have this website and be able to publish my opinion, whether anyone cares to read it or not.  Hopefully, you do even if you don’t always agree with me.  By the same token, I would like to give others the opportunity to express their opinions, regardless of whether or not I agree with them.  You know what they say about opinions….we all have one.

I received a comment from NMBPD Officer Juan Pinillos that prompted me to write back to him.  First of all, I was impressed that he was willing to use his real name, and discuss his real life situation.  Unlike the rude letters I got from a few who made up names and sent them from newly created and promptly deleted email addresses, Officer Pinillos told me who he was, he used his own email address and he wanted me to know that he is as human as the rest of us.  The livelihoods of very real people are at stake during these trying times, and we need to be mindful of this.  If any of these cops do need to be laid off, and I certainly hope this won’t be the case, they need to know that we get it.  We all know people who are out of work and unable to find jobs.  These are the worst economic times I have ever been through in my entire life.  I believe that despite the few who are behaving badly, most of our cops genuinely care about us and our city.  We need to dial back the drama a bit (present company included) and let the cops know that we appreciate them as human beings and for their service to our city.  That’s all I ask.

I asked Officer Pinillos for permission to publish his comments in a blog and he happily accepted my offer.  He wrote:

Mrs. Kienzle, you bring up valid points in regards to demonstrations that have recently turned violent in the recent past.  But, please note, that those “Unions” involved were not Police Unions.  We, as a Union, know better than to resort to violence and/or resolve to engaging in illegal activities that would cause danger to the public or ourselves. We are civil human beings, such as yourself, who reserve the right to speak publicly.  So rest assured, Mrs. Kienzle, that next week, when we are out there peacefully demonstrating, that you too can come and voice your opinion and that you will not receive any type of retaliation by any of us.  It’s not fair for you to loop us in with other Unions past practice if we have not done those things that you claim other Unions do.  As far as Mike Pons, what do you expect the man to do??  Stand up there in front of the council, bow down graciously to them and beg on hands and knees for our jobs?!?!?!?! Why is it when Mike Pons asks or makes a comment as to the financial affairs of the the city such as “hiding money or having two sets of books” is it deemed a threat or him being intimidating.  I mean really?? A threat? Where in any of these statements was anyone threatened or intimidated? You want to talk about bullying? Well, our former leader, Chief Hernandez, tried to speak up for his troops and defend us, and you see where that got him. The unemployment line!! So, who’s bullying who around here? Just saying…  The man is just doing what any good leader should do and ASKS QUESTIONS!!! Some, of course, will not like the questions and so instead of answer them, they take a defensive stand and all of a sudden they feel threatened. Oh Well, to each their own. It kind of bothers me that you made the following quote “The reality is that the Council and City Manager have no hidden books OR agenda, and the truth is that an interim Chief is not supposed to be sworn in”. Well, the TRUTH, is that you are not on the council or part of the city government and you do not know what is going on behind the scenes. Mrs. Kienzle, I do not personally know you, but you seem to be a person of a sound mind and someone capable of making rational decisions.  That’s why I am really surprised that aside from your personal prejudice against unions, particularly ours, that you are not concerned that they are about to possibly reduce a quarter of your Police department. No matter which way you slice it, this will affect your personal safety in one way or another.  Maybe not directly per say, but indirectly.  We have three shifts: Dayshift, Afternoons, and Midnights.  On average, there are 6-10 officers working a shift (depending on the shift) that are responsible for handling calls for 40,000+ residents and visitors. At the end of each shift, the shift supervisor dissimates, via email, the shift activity log for that shift, which denotes all of the calls of significance for that particular shift. I wish that you could see some of the activity logs that are put out so that you can educate yourself on how “Mayberry”, as some have called it, NMB really is.  If you wish to see them I would be more than happy to show them to you, if it is approved by my administration. Mrs. Kienzle, for the last time, the residents of NMB ARE NOT SAVAGES!!!! I thought the person who made those comments in the past already apologized to you and we all moved on.  Again, obviously not everyone in this community is bad, but believe me there are some BAAAAAAAAD people here and we, in law enforcement commonly refer to them as savages. I am sorry if you misunderstood the comment and took offense to it.  Really, I do apologize.  I also feel that there is a major gap between Officers and citizens when it comes to understanding each other.  That’s why I wish we could put on some kind of event/workshop where we can interact with the citizens and have them ask questions so that they can better understand what it is we do and why we do it.  Whether the citizen asks “why do you guys have your hands on your guns when you approach a vehicle during a routine traffic stop”? Or “Why do you guys drive fast sometimes without your lights and sirens on”? etc.etc. Citizens have a right to know, but I know are afraid to ask. You are probably wondering if I am part of the “24”, well I am. I am number 19. But, I am more than just a number, I am a person. My name is Juan Pinillos and I have proudly served YOU and this community for 5 years as a member of the SWAT team and I am currently assigned to the K-9. I have served in law enforcement for 11 years. During that time I have bled, sweat, cried, been spit at, punched at, kicked, hugged, kissed, threatened, seen mangled bodies, rescued people from burning cars, almost been run over, been transported to the hospital in ambulance (several times) and I do this all because I took an oath to uphold the law and protect those in this community that can’t protect themselves. I urge you to please contact me if you have ANY questions about ANYTHING. My email is JUAN.PINILLOS@NMBPD.ORG. I hope to hear from you soon, but until then, I will continue to provide the highest quality of service to your community and no need to worry, I GOT YOUR BACK!  I hope you have mine! Thanks for reading.

I sincerely appreciated hearing from Officer Pinillos and I hope that some of you have gained a greater understanding of what these cops are going through at a time like this.  I am particularly happy that he understands my position on unions in general, and that my opinion in no way reflects on how I feel about police officers.  I feel they are completely separate entities even though the cops are members of their union.  But, this blog is not about unions.  I am publishing Officer Pinillos opinion because I wanted to give him an open forum to express his thoughts and feelings.  It is my wish that we would all try to be fair and open minded in our discussions.  Most of all, please let’s show a little respect for one another.

Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”

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93 thoughts on “A North Miami Beach Police Officer Speaks Out

  1. I empathize with the officer. However this is all about what we can afford. Can we afford to pay half our our budget to a 20% of our staff or are they willing to take cuts in salaries and address their pension issues?

    They should not be casting blame on this council. This council came and met the mess and have decided to address the mess.

    I was told it was former chief Hernandez who suggested we cut 24 officers and 13 civilians.

    1. Obviously I agree with you that most of the members on this council are not at fault. Several police officers have told me they are willing to negotiate either their salaries, pensions or both. I don’t have any idea what they are willing to do, but this is between their negotiator and the city. I do know that the City Manager told the former Chief to cut his budget by $4 million and that the Chief told him his only choice was to institute layoffs. I have no idea if this led to his being fired, but I was told there were other issues as well.

      It is my hope that this entire issue will eventually be resolved and that most, if not all, the police officers will be able to keep their jobs. I just keep thinking there has to be a reasonable solution that everyone can live with.

  2. The former Chief doesn’t have much choice; if the proposed budget is reduced by $3 million in salary alone, what else is there to do? I’ve heard that somewhere between 89-90% of the PD budget is salaries, so that leaves a very small amount for everything else like fuel, paper, computers, vehicle repairs, training, etc. So to keep things easy, let’s say the PD pays 90% of it’s budget on salary alone, well that leaves 10% for all the other stuff. Even if the PD cut out everything else and only paid salaries, there is still about a $2 million dollar difference based on a $20 million dollar budget. 10% of $20 million is $2 million and the PD has been asked to cut $4 million; so where does the other $2 million come from? It comes from salaries which equates to laying people off. It is not feasible to cut out the $2 million we get for other costs not associated with salaries because the PD could not function if we did that. We would have no money for gas, no money to repair wrecked or damaged vehicles, no money for uniform replacement, no money for office supplies, no money for civilian employees, etc. so any sane normal rational person should be able to see that if the PD budget is cut $4 million what choice is there? The only answer is to lay people off. The former Chief was trying his best to save as many jobs as possible however, in hindsight it seems his fate was already determined and this was used as an excuse to fire him.
    Pension reform does not produce quick savings; it produces long term savings and it takes a long time to even get pension reform done. So to “negotiate” pension issues now isn’t going to save anything for the budget the PD is dealing with and it’s not going to change the $4 million dollar reduction. Salary negotiation can occur but the amount of salary reduction needed to avoid all PD layoffs would be way too much for anyone to stomach.
    There are no easy answers and I am proud of Ofc. Pinillos for speaking in an intelligent and respectful manner. He makes valid points and puts a human touch on this issue. Regardless of what certain people think (I’ll say it again) there are NO easy answers to this. I have heard that the staff of the PD is working tirelessly on trying to do whatever they can to mitigate the losses that might happen but even then they won’t be able to save everyone and for that I feel terrible about.

    Keep up the good work Steph and Ofc. Pinillos- I would think the majority of people who read this particular blog on this day will respect the sacrifices you’ve made protecting people you don’t know and for the most part (it seems) are ungrateful for the protection. It’s a thankless job as you can tell because I’ve yet to hear the CM or anyone, ANYONE on the council tell the PD they do a great job. Never heard it and I won’t hold my breath.

    1. Are you kidding me? At just about every council meeting for the last five years I hear nothing but praise and glory for our police department. Not too much about any other department. Are we living on the same planet?

  3. Not according to some. Some think we go to the moon 9 times a year. Look at who you are asking your question. Watch the last council meeting. Moon pies for lunch. Classic!

  4. Frank, thanks again for your insight and kind words. After I published this blog I found out by chance that I know the family of Officer Pinillos’ wife. Her father was on the PTA at Greynolds Park Elementary at the same time my kids attended that school. I don’t believe I ever was introduced to his father-in-law, but I remember seeing him at the school almost every day. He was a constant presence in the school and the community. My kids and his kids probably knew each other very well. When you have lived in NMB as long as some of us have, you end up meeting practically everyone eventually. The same folks that I saw at Greynolds Park Elementary School 20 years ago I still see today, whether it’s at City Hall or Publix or just driving through town. Even if we don’t know each others’ names, we recognize faces and we know that we’re neighbors. I’m sure that many of us had hoped that our kids would come back to NMB after college and continue the “tradition.” Unfortunately, both of my sons have chosen to live elsewhere – one lives in downtown Miami with all the “yuppies” and the other one lives in a condominium in Davie overlooking the golf course. While I’m glad my sons have both become successful and responsible adults, it does sadden me to realize that they didn’t feel there was anything in NMB worth coming back home. I pretty much expected my older son to leave since he’s the adventurous one and he’s lived in other cities in north Florida after college before coming back to live in Miami. But my other son was very involved in this community, and was even the president of the Youth Advisory Board of the city. He’s also been a counselor at the camp for several years. In fact, I used to tease him that one day he’d be the Mayor of NMB! Unfortunately, he left for greener pastures. Literally. He does love his golf course! My daughter is still in college, so I don’t know where she’ll end up yet.

    But, my point is that NMB has always been a close knit community. I know practically all my neighbors on my block and lots of other families in the neighborhood. When you’re able put a familiar face on the cops and other employees who might lose their jobs, it makes it even harder to deal with this situation. I certainly don’t have any answers.

    To respond to Officer Pinillos’ comments, which I really didn’t do in the blog, no, I am not on the council and not part of the city government. Frankly, I’m quite happy about that!! I do not know what goes on behind closed doors, but I do a lot of digging and researching, and I also have some very trusted sources who work at City Hall. I also rely on several people I call my “research assistants,” and we really do uncover a lot of dirt. They don’t call me the “worm digger” for nothing. Truth is, I’m a big yenta, but it sounds so much more classy to say “investigative reporter.” I do make it my business to know as much as humanly possible about our government.

    As for my position on unions, you are correct that it is based on the ones commonly referred to as “Big Labor,” and predominately SEIU. It would stand to reason that members of a police union wouldn’t break the law or cause a public disturbance. Officer Pinillos is right that I shouldn’t lump them in with other unions. What is disturbing, however, is that some of the officers and people speaking on their behalf at the council meeting were quite rude to the council and to some of the residents in the room. The truth is that many residents that I’ve spoken with are upset and feel intimidated by the cops. While Mike Pons’ accusations about “hidden books” wasn’t necessarily a threat in itself, his mannerisms and tone of voice can be quite hostile. Everyone in our city is on edge right now, and I think even the slightest snub or dirty look is being taken very personally. This is not pleasant at all for me or for anyone else. I’d much rather be making fun of someone. Anyone at all. Any volunteers?

  5. Stephanie, you are absolutely correct. I am Officer Pinillos’ wife and know your son and grew up with him at Greynolds, JFK, NMB Sr. and on the Youth Advisory Board and participated in so many other community events. We definitely were all very close in the neighborhood and people havent typically moved away. As a former active resident of NMB and now a wife of a police officer, I see life in NMB in 2 different worlds. I used to think we lived in such a great city. I saw all the postiive things happening in the city, but after going on a few ride-alongs and hearing the stories of what my husband endures day in and day out, I have come to think of NMB in a whole new light. I hate to think of it that way, but it is sadly true. I think there are a lot of really “good” neighborhoods and great citizens in NMB, but the fact remains that there are a lot of not-so good areas as well (which I wasn’t exposed to while living in NMB). Even though my family still lives in NMB, I drive through and visit all the time. So, not only is the city budget a concern for my husband and our family, it is also a concern for my parents and grandparents. I know money doesn’t grow on trees, but there has to be a solution. And it baffles me that so many well educated people sitting on the council haven’t come up with better solutions. I know the police department is my biggest concern (obviously for my husband), but there has to be some type of solution that doesnt involve layoffs. I know that many officers have already said they would prefer to take a pay-cut than have to deal with layoffs, but I am not so sure where and when this decision will be made. My husband is an excellent officer, as are all the officers who serve the city of NMB, and I know they are continuing to work diligently to protect the streets of NMB. As a wife of an NMB police officer, I want to thank all those residents who make my husbands job a little easier. And of course, I want to thank all of those residents who respect them not only as officers, but as people as well.

  6. It is all good to share stories and gaff over the midnight camp fire. Truth is we have been over paying for too long and it needs to stop.

    Many just look at NMB as an ATM. They come in, laze about at donut shops, collect a fat pay check at the end of the week, call the tax payers who pay their salaries riff raffs, nay sayers and all other unimaginable names. They insult our mayor and council. Threaten them with their attitude and demeaning tone.

    Seeing Mr. Vallejo on TV every council meeting, seems as though anyone can relate with him. A very smart intelligent individual who only means well for our city. He is a blessing to our city. To have these cops, whom none of them live in our city, to stand before him and talk down to him and the other respectful hard working council members, is nothing more but rude, disrespectful, and insubordinate to say the least.

    We would expect that type of behavior coming from people who do not know better. But coming from police officers who vow to uphold the law? This only shows all of us residents, who we have in-charge of securing the farm. No wonder most residents are afraid of interacting with cops.

    The best thing that ever happen to this city other than its new council, is putting the budget book online for everyone to see. The salaries and perks the cops get is outrageous. And if cops want to make fun of the fact we pay for 9 moon trips in your fuel bill yearly, then go right ahead. You all should be ashamed of yourselves. How much more low can you go? We have to pay for take home cars as well? Unheard of in the real world. For 100 officers?

    The longest rope has an end.

    1. Blue in the face,

      Officer Pons has been serving this city for 18 years, Mr. Vallejo for 3 months. I’m not saying he won’t do a great job, but give it some time before you claim he’s the save-all for this city. Ofc. Pons has spent more time serving the citizens of NMB than he has spent with his family.

      Can you tell me what you do for a living and how much money you make?

      “The salaries and perks the cops get is outrageous”

      I would like to compare it to others in your field, that would be the proper way to evaluate your pay and benefits without prejudging like you obviousely do with us.

      You seem very angry, there wasn’t one positive comment about NMBPD or its officers however you commented how the Mayor, in office now for only 3 months, is a blessing to this city.

      “We have to pay for take home cars as well? Unheard of in the real world. For 100 officers?”

      What world do you live in. When you crawl from underneath the rock youve been living under try turning on Channel 7 news around 5pm. Almost every story is involving the police. The good, the bad and the ugly. If anyone is living in the “real world” its us.

      As for the take homes. That will be up to the city. There’s roughly 25 police departments in Miami-Dade County. All but one (Hialeah) have take home cars. Thats the “real world” of law enforcement, but I think we already established that you might not know what the “real world” is up to these days.

      For those that don’t know. The reason for the take home cars is because we are a full service police department. Which means we handle any crime that occurs in this city. If we didn’t have take home cars, you won’t have SRT coming to your neighborhood when an armed gunman murders his friend next door and is now threatening others. You won’t have the dive team coming to your neighborhood when a car slams into the canal and its unknown if anyone is inside. You won’t have a detective coming to interview you or your loved ones or the bad guy (for confession) that just commited a home invasion robbery. As you can see this can go on and on an on.

      Some will say well the county has SRT and a Dive Team and Detectives that can do the job just fine. Sure they do, because they have take home cars just like us. And the city will have to pay for their services and the response times will be minimal at best.

      It would be nice if you could add some suggestions rather than displaying anger towards the NMBPD.

      I’ll start, Were going to be laying off school crossing guards. Maybe some citizens, maybe you Blue In The Face, could donate your time to this city and the children and give an hour of your day to helping them cross the street. 🙂

      1. Some of these people don’t want to hear about the crime in and around the city. To them, its not about Hiros or Wendys getting robbed by masked gun men. It’s not about the little Old lady that just got hit by a person who was drunk. It’s not about all of the people that count on the PD when thier child is missing. To some of these people it’s about Me, Me, Me! Some people live with thier head in the clouds and only see what they want. It’s time to wake up! Look at the news. Educate yourself. The economy is in big trouble. Let’s make changes! This is the beginning to great things to come.

        1. Its a glimpse of whats going on in your community while your tucked behind a desk in some office. And of course, most of it is police related. So yes! Its a glimpse or a taste of what is going on in the “real world”, wether is Ch 4,6, 7, 10, or telemundo.

    2. Blue In the Face…

      First of all, have you met every officer? I doubt you have, so stop generalizing. Secondly, the cops have take home cars just like every other department across the countrfy and most people who are in job position where they use their car as their office. Do you use a car everyday, all shift, to do your job? I bet if you did, more than likely you would have a take home car as well. These take home cars aren’t a lexury. They are used for emergency purposes, which come quite often. Officers on specil teams(K9, SRT, detectives, dive team, etc) get called out and have a certain amount of time to be at the station. Beleve it or not, most of the officers ar on a special unit. So they can take as many trips to the moon as they want as long as it is for the safety o the residents. Third, you cannot expect all of the officers to live in the city!!! Do you work and live in te city? I bet a lot of people who work in nmb do not live there. It goes for many other cities as well. I work in the city and won’t dare live in the city too. I am a teacher and do not want to run into my sudents andparents on a daily basis. As for these officers, the deal with criminals, gang members, and others who threaten them and their families. They do not want to go to the grocery store with their kids and run into someone they have arrested. I can assure you, it is not a good feeling. Can you put yurself in their shoes for once? Aparently some officers have left a bad tase in your mouth, but you cannot say that for every officer. There are always bad apples in every profession, but you cannot get rid of your whole fleet because of 1 or 2 bad apples. Lastly, I don’t know mayor vallejo, but you speak soo highly of him. What has he done in 3 months that makes him sooo blessed?

      1. “yeahright” and “teacher”, I hear you girls. Give me your names and I will tell you where I work, what work I do, who I am and where I live so you both can come and physically beat me up. How you speak, it seems as though anyone that disagree with you is in for a trashing.

        The two of you represent teachers and cops and that is the way you behave?

        Both of you sound rude and disrespectful to the residents of NMB. You would dare not live in our city? Why come to work here in the first place if you find so much disdain for our residents? “Teacher”, learn to spell.

        I am not going to stretch it too long. 50% of our general budget going to 100 cops or 120 cops or 180 cops really would not work at this time. While we spend the other half of our budget among 500-600 workers our city employ….with our reserves empty.

        The city pay a qualified engineer $80,000.00 with a small pension. Why must we pay a cop the same salary with double pension? We have more than three quarter the officers allocated above $150,000.00 yearly.

        Why must we provide transportation for you to come work for us? If you want the job, you will find your own transportation.

        What emergency do we face for you to have a take home car? The department keeps rehashing three old stories repeatedly to justify
        take home vehicles. Go work in the Bronx if you need excitement.

        Belt tightening is under way.

        1. OMG! OMG! Can we please stop with the same old subjects. Move on! Tighten my belt, it’s all gonna be okay. We will survive. OMG. OMG. This reminds me of the Jerry Springer Show.

        2. Crawl back under your rock mad man, I’ll keep you and your family safe and teacher will make your kids professions possible. 🙂

        3. “blueintheface”. Let go of the take home cars. It’s not that big of a deal breaker. Taking my car away is not going to cripple me or any other cops. This bickering has to stop! OMG!

          1. Blue in the face wrote:

            “Why must we provide transportation for you to come work for us? If you want the job, you will find your own transportation.”

            Let it go man, and take the cars with you. For once in my 15 year career I’ll actually be able to stop and shop on my way home from work or do anything for that matter. It will give me so much more time in my day.

            Next……..

          2. “Why must we provide transportation for you to come work for us? If you want the job, you will find your own transportation.”

            Let it go man, and take the cars with you. For once in my 15 year career I’ll actually be able to stop and shop on my way home from work or do anything for that matter. It will give me so much more time in my day.

            Next……..

        4. You should come do a ride along and see what really goes on out on the streets. YOU HAVE NO CLUE!!!!!!!!!!!! Better yet, stay inside your safe little house while we protect you, you dont have the balls to do what we do on a daily basis.

          1. That is so not fair to say that someone doesn’t have the balls to do what you do. No one is taking away from the courage it takes to be a cop or a soldier or a firefighter. Certainly not everyone has what it takes to do those jobs or everyone would do it. By the same token, not everyone is equipped with whatever skills and talents it takes to do many jobs. How many people, for example, have the stomach to be a construction worker on a skyscraper. I get nauseous just thinking about being up that high with no walls! Or what about coal mining – talk about claustrophobia! How many people have the patience and compassion to be teachers? Certainly not me, I can tell you that! Or, what about a surgeon? Yikes, the sight of blood literally makes me want to throw up. There’s a whole bunch of jobs I couldn’t or wouldn’t do, which is why I’m perfectly suited to bookkeeping and secretarial work. Lots of solitary, lots of thinking and very little chance of danger, thank you very much. That doesn’t make my job any less important than yours. Please don’t make out like everyone who isn’t a cop is a coward. People do what they do because that’s where their talents are best utilized. Besides, I think you have to have a “little touch of crazy” to stand in the line of fire or run into a burning building. Most people instinctively run the other way. I’m just saying. 🙂

  7. Okay Mel Gibson, I’d comment but the conspiracy theories are too far out there. I’m thinking a rationale response or reply will send you off the deep end. And please stop YELLING!!

  8. The shell games this force have been playing all these years are finally catching up with them. Blueface was correct in pointing out they were so disrespectful to our mayor and council. If they are so disrespectful to our mayor and council in a public forum, at a public meeting, on live television for the world to see, what would they do to a regular citizen they stop on the road with no video cameras rolling?

    We shudder to think of all the accusations of police brutality is true. The shootings of four north miami beach tax payers in the last few years. The ex chief Hernandez refusing any outside investigations into the last shootings that occurred.

    This police department is a law upon themselves that shows disrespect to our elected officials and residents alike. Distasteful and unbecoming.

    I thank the owner of this blog for having it.

  9. With the thousands of calls for service, reactive and proactive responses to the ongoings in the city, there will always be some that are not happy or satisfied with their police department. Are we perfect? No. There is a process in place to address the grievances, unfortunately, not every result will be as the complainant will want to hear. Why? Maybe because they were wrong, or because after review, the matter was handled according to law or policy. Again, some may just not be happy with the outcome.

    As for bringing in an outside agency to investigate the recent police shooting, the State Attorney’s Office investigates the shooting to determine if it was justified or not. The Police department does not make that determination. FDLE has been called in by the PD in the past, and they do not conduct the investigation, they just monitor it along with the State Attorney’s Office. Nothing to hide here. The event was a tragic one for all involved, the families of the victims and the officers themselves.

    It is easy to criticize, jump on reality tv or news bandwagons. There will always be haters. We appreciate the supporters, and take complaints seriously.

    Ofc. Pinillos, excellent post, from an excellent representative of the NMBPD.

  10. Ashamed? Are you kidding me? I am so proud of what we have accomplished at NMBPD. We are a great PD and we are very respected by a lot of people and other agencies. ATM? What is wrong with you? Stop the threats! It is what it is. You may look at this as the end. Try looking at it as a new beginning. I am excited and I invite change. Yes, I may lose some money. I for one would give up a lot for the people who I care about. What about you? This has all been predetermined. We will still continue to protect and serve come tomorrow. All of your negative comments only make us better people because it teaches us what not to do or say to human beings. Have a great day! Everyday is a holiday and every meal is a banquet.

  11. This last person who replied to the post is simply an idiot and watches too much of the sci-fi channel.. I’m one of the 24 and I’m not having restless nights because I’m about to get laid off or terrorizing citizens in order to get them on my side.. you shouldn’t be worried about us terrorizing the city you have enough residents who will do that when I’m home collecting unemployment … It is what it is and it’s nothing personal.. I don’t believe you watched the last council meeting because if you did you would’ve seen how “terrorized” some of the council members were of us as they leaned back in their chair, seemed bored out of their minds, and resorted to cracking jokes among each other to stay awake while residents and cops attempted to talk to them.. Like my co-workers, I really did come here and worked hard, gave it my all, and cared about the citizens as if they were my family and friends.. I’ve made good friends and contacts but hey.. If I’m getting laid off.. Oh well police work didn’t make me the great individual I am, I made police work great to ALL OF YOU because of the great individual I already was.. And for the person who said who do we think we are talking down to the Mayor (which we did not)… I have bad news for you… He’s a man just as I am and I’m good looking too so I respect him as I would respect anyone else who I serve in this city.. Talking about respect, I was shown plenty of it when some asked if they could skip the Haitian speaking Officers and fire the next person… Really? Does that sound right? Would it be right if someone called the police and I asked if they were Spanish and if not could I just go to the next call instead? You say we don’t live here and don’t care for citizens but you’re wrong.. I spend more time working in NMB than I spend at home with my family.. spend holidays in NMB as well.. I’m sure the city manager LOVES and CARES for all of our citizens.. I don’t want to get fired but thanks to this city I’ve received all sorts of training, gained experience, and have made me a top notch Officer who will be like Lebron James during the free agency.. and as he said over a year ago (and it might take me a year but).. “I’m taking my talents to south beach!” good luck when it’s time to re-hire cops with whats left on the free agency.. I LOVE NMB but I’m just a hard worker who got caught in between politicians and the 10 people who call the shots for them.. I understand.. And for those of you who don’t know and believe the Officers are not willing to negotiate.. We’ve tried but it’s like talking french to my dog Batman.. He just doesn’t care.. Police Departments are a business and if you’re “broke” and truly don’t have the money.. Get out of the business and let the big boys, Miami-Dade, run it for you.. You have other agencies under investigation for cops drinking on duty, beating people up, stealing, and all sorts of crazy crimes.. but as Mr. Kazan would say about the NMBPD.. Why do we have 3 Officers sitting down together eating? Now those are some crooked cops! Good job! You got us! I really feel bad for 99.5% of the residents in NMB because of the direction this city is heading due to the remaining 0.5% of the residents.. It’s sad that 99.5% have to work for a living and have personal lives to take care of.. And for the 10 STP’s that compare us to the military and their benefits.. I’ll take a 40% pay cut if the city paid for my housing, food, and paid me tax free… And I didn’t have to contribute 10% of my paycheck to the pension.. oh and if they gave me an insurance that the receptionist at the doctors office doesn’t laugh at me when I give her my insurance card… Sign me up.. To the 99.5% of the NMB residents from #14… Thanks and you can count on me as you always have.. I will continue to serve you to my fullest capabilities until city hall hands me my pink slip.. Mrs. Kienzle.. you’re doing a good job with this site even though you’re being misinformed with some information.. I also thank and commend your husband, me being a Miami Beach native, for his services and dedication and I guarantee you my family and I would’ve supported and fought for his job and benefits when he was still working.. I’m sure hes enjoying his pension.. Have a nice day

  12. That’s real nice. Just one more example of the poision that you spread. Talk about a few “bad apples”. “Chuck” has issues. Just think he is among us????

    1. “Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered” happens to be a phased used in business. It’s describes the effects of greed. Try using Google..it might help you out.

  13. Nice try. Try this Google. “open mouth insert foot”. Classic! What business are you in? I know you must be a comic. Keep the jokes coming

  14. OMG! OMG! OMG! This bickering driving me crazy! It reminds me of when my kids were little and I had to send them to their rooms! OMG! PLEASE STOP! Thank you for your cooperation. 🙂

  15. Thank you for regulating this conversation. It is important that we look out for each other. It is a difficult time for everyone. I love this Blog!!!

  16. Your welcome. Let’s all spread the love and do something nice for someone today. Love, Peace and Happiness.

  17. Ms. Kienzle I would like to thank you for this site. Even the police officers using it is appreciative. It is not as vulgar as their own website LEO AFFAIRS, where residents are chased off and insulted and is not welcome. Yet, as residents, we welcome them all. We only ask of them to keep it clean.

    1. You’re welcome, Jack. I’m glad that the residents and police officers are weighing in, and I hope they both can respect each other’s opinions, even if they don’t agree. I know there are people who don’t agree with some of my opinions. Of course, I don’t expect everyone to! But, I don’t think there’s any reason to resort to name calling or worse just because you don’t agree with someone. I hope everyone here can be nice. If not, I have a supply of pacifiers to dole out. 🙂

    2. Jack Pallance as you stated:

      “The shell games this force have been playing all these years are finally catching up with them. Blueface was correct in pointing out they were so disrespectful to our mayor and council. If they are so disrespectful to our mayor and council in a public forum, at a public meeting, on live television for the world to see, what would they do to a regular citizen they stop on the road with no video cameras rolling?

      We shudder to think of all the accusations of police brutality is true. The shootings of four north miami beach tax payers in the last few years. The ex chief Hernandez refusing any outside investigations into the last shootings that occurred.

      This police department is a law upon themselves that shows disrespect to our elected officials and residents alike. Distasteful and unbecoming.”

      Should we see this as vulgur, insulting or “distasteful and unbecoming” on your part as a citizen?

      Please describe these shell games?

      Please advise which 4 north miami beach tax payers have been shot?

      If we did shoot 4 north miami beach tax payers, what violent actions did they make to put an officer in that situation?

      In school didn’t you learn who, what, when, where, why & how. Although I don’t agree with most of what Kienzle has to say. She sure does her research before expressing her thoughts. And i’m sure she’ll find some spelling errors in this response but thats okay, because I have spell check in my police reports and I’ll brawl it out with anyone who threatens my life or the life of an NMB citizen.

      The SAO investigates every police shooting and they rule on its justification. Is it fair to the detectives of FDLE to come to NMB and investigate a police shooting when they have their own cases to handle. Were trying to make smaller gov’t here in NMB and stop the wasteful spending. I think the State of Florida is trying to do the same. I can equate that to 6 govt workers standing around watching 1 govt worker dig a hole. Then someone (CM Bohner)who knows nothing about digging holes walks up and requests 6 additional hole diggers from a different agency come and watch how the one man is digging the hole. Now we have 12 hole digging bystanders and 1 hole digger. A little ridiculous and wasteful of resources ya think! Of course the scenarios differ completely, but since your not a law enforcement officer, like CM Bohner, I thought you’d might make more sense of that.

      Come ride with us and maybe you’ll learn a little about what we do, how we do it and why we do it. We always offer this to citizens, especially the ones who are the most critical of our profession. You might learn something.

      1. I’m not going to correct your spelling. I put my English teacher hat in the closet. 🙂

        Thanks for weighing in and helping to open up the lines of communication. This is exactly the type of discussion I was hoping we all could have.

      2. And yeahright once again shows his true colors: He’s way better and more important than any lowly person who digs holes for a living. Or, for that matter, someone “tucked behind a desk.” Really, does anyone who’s not an LEO even deserve the air they breathe?

        Whether I dig holes or sit behind a desk, I’m astute enough to recognize that what’s reported on channels 4, 6, 7, 10 or Telemundo is NOT an accurate representation of what goes on in the real world. It is an extremely small part of what goes on in the real world…by design, the worst part. Anyone who chooses to interpret the world around them based on television news is bound to live a life of fear, anger and depression.

        Keeps you employed though, doesn’t it?

        1. Your interpretation of my words is as ridiculous as the city manager telling a 30 year career police chief how to conduct a criminal investigation. Some chose to dig holes and some chose desk jobs, an no time have I insulted either. What’s reported on the news is a ” glimpse” as I recalled stating into what’s going on in the communities around you. The good, the bad, and the ugly I also recalled stating.

          Some have described NMB as Mayberry and nothing bad happens in this city. Those are the people who have no clue as to what’s happening in their communities. Are you one of those people? If so come ride with us 🙂

  18. Ofc. Sergio Garcia, if you and your colleagues, meaning 110 of them, are willing to live within our budget, you are welcome to stay.

    We appreciate all the hard work many of you do.

    At this time, pensions, overly gracious salaries and the take home cars are costing an arm and a leg for many cities to maintain. NMB is not exempt.

    We have a very large employment in the postal industry, television service, FPL. None of these employers have take home vehicles, yet we enjoy top notch service, all within reasonable rates.

    Over the years the police have aligned themselves with politicians, campaigning for them at elections time. In return the politicians do them a huge favor by allowing them extra large perks the taxpayers could not afford. It all started to smell stink when the money finally ran out.

    Two weeks ago the Florida State had $127 BILLION in reserves to pay pensions. This week it went down to $119 BILLION and falling steadily. The country has lost its triple A rating and things will get worse before it gets better. This is nothing personal. When the good times were there, all of you were well “fed”. Never got a pay cut, a layoff, a furlough. COLA always there. In the meanwhile our taxpayers lost their homes due to foreclosures, job loss, pay cuts. They lost their healthcare coverage…. and for some, the will to live.

    No more. The coffers are empty. No reserves are left.

    If a culture of GREED is encouraged, as happened on Wall St. some will float and most will sink.

    Pray to God we find a better alternative and use it wisely.

    1. Jack Pallance you wrote:

      “Two weeks ago the Florida State had $127 BILLION in reserves to pay pensions. This week it went down to $119 BILLION and falling steadily. The country has lost its triple A rating and things will get worse before it gets better.”

      Did you continue reading?

      The losses follow a banner season for the fund, which ended the last fiscal year on June 30 valued at $128.4 billion. That represented a gain of $19 billion, a 22 percent return on investment and the fund’s best performance in 25 years.

      Hmmmm..so in time of recession the fund had its best gains in 25 years. One bad day in the market is a little premature to attack one of the strongest pension funds in the country.

  19. Mr. Pallace that was well said. We have been willing to give back to the residents all along. We are owed nothing. It is not our fault of the past practices. Everything needs a change. Just like we have some officers that disrespect people, dont stereo type us. The residents dont appreciate us sterotyping them. This is not about us against you. We are in this together. Treat others as you want to be treated. This council is left holding this mess. Lets support them and together will rise above this. A lot of damage has been done. Let’s “Spread the wealth” and Move on.

  20. View enhanced version | View full site

    Gunmen Sought In North Miami Drive-By Shooting

    Story posted 2011.08.11 at 05:34 PM EDT

    North Miami police are investigating an early-morning drive-by shooting at 12090 NW 12th Ave.

    Investigators believe at least two shooters fired more than 60 rounds into the house and at the car parked in the front driveway. One of the bullets came from an AK-47, police said.

    Six adults and one infant were home sleeping at the time of the shooting, but no one was injured. One of the men inside, who asked not to be identified, said he woke up to the sound of gunfire.

    “Yeah, we were ducking for cover. We got up, we went to see what’s going on, and we hear the glass in the house. As we were calling the police, we hear more shots: ‘Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta.’ And, we’re lucky that nobody got hurt in the house,” the man said.

    Police said they do not have a good description of the gunmen. Investigators had the area of Northwest 12th Avenue and 120th Street blocked off most of Thursday afternoon.

    Anyone with information is asked to call North Miami Police Department.

    Story posted 2011.08.11 at 05:34 PM EDT

    Send to:    

    Back To Headlines
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    Copyright 2011 by Local10.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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    ……….

  21. As per the “taxpayers being shot”, tell us how much it cost the taxpayers of NMB to pay for these shootings? $1 MILLION and counting per incident.

    The first person was in a wheel chair, his back facing the cops. No gun was found in the vicinity of the deceased. The area probably was immediately secured. Why no weapons found?

    The second incident was an individual holding a knife. The taser gun was already invented and was in use for a number of years. Why could this not be used instead?

    The third was an individual with a toy gun or a BB gun? Was it broad day light? Surely the chances of making out it was a real gun or not, the odds were greater.

    The fourth was at Eastern Shores, which the fired chief refused to have an investigation done. Why the cover up from get-go? An employee refusing an order from his employer?

    It is understood in any shooting, an investigation is done irrespective who was right or wrong. Over the years this PD have gotten brazen and rules does not apply to them any longer.

    Reading the blogs of these officers, one can draw we do have an attitude problem. We should not only address their pension and salary issues, but have a serious attitude adjustment of the entire department.

    1. #1- “The first person was in a wheel chair, his back facing the cops. No gun was found in the vicinity of the deceased. The area probably was immediately secured. Why no weapons found?”

      First off I can assure that this individual was not a tax payer; a citizen of the city yes, but not a taxpayer. He slung dope 24-7 in WP. A weapon was found and upon crime scene processing determined to contain the deceased DNA on it. The State Attorney was on board with this shooting from the beginning.

      #2- The second incident was an individual holding a knife. The taser gun was already invented and was in use for a number of years. Why could this not be used instead?

      The officers tried to use the taser but it malfunctioned. The room was maybe 8 feet by 6 feet and had 3 officers, a fire rescue guy and the deceased in it; very cramped space which equates to even less reaction time. The deceased was armed with a knife and was attempting to stab the fire rescue guy when he was shot. Again, not a taxpayer; he was on the government dole due to mental issues. Go figure.

      #3- The third was an individual with a toy gun or a BB gun? Was it broad day light? Surely the chances of making out it was a real gun or not, the odds were greater.

      The fact is if you request it you can come to the PD and they can show you real guns sitting side by side with fake guns or toy guns and I dare you to pick out the toy or fake one. From a distance the officer perceived what he thought was a real gun being POINTED at him and the officer fired. We typically don’t wait until we get shot before shooting back. Is that what you want? You’ll have a lot of dead cops and the city will really go broke paying out insurance claims for the dead cops. Again, not a taxpayer- this individual was a juvenile.

      #4- The fourth was at Eastern Shores, which the fired chief refused to have an investigation done. Why the cover up from get-go? An employee refusing an order from his employer?

      The former Chief didn’t refuse anything; when asked by the CM or ordered as you say to have FDLE investigate the Chief contacted FDLE and was basically laughed at. The CM requested FDLE investigate 4 days after the shooting occurred. They DON’T DO THAT and they won’t do that. They will review the investigation afterward but they don’t investigate police shootings by other agencies 4 days after the fact. FDLE has it’s own cases to investigate. The State Attorney is basically the lead on police shootings and trust me if there was any “cover up” as you like to say the SAO will discover it. Unless of course you think the SAO is corrupt too? The SAO is called to the scene before the PD investigators start the investigation; in other words the SAO is called “from the get go” as you like to say. THIS person might be the only one that paid taxes; not that it matters.

      So before you speculate and assume cover ups and all that, perhaps you should go the PD request some reports and find out what happened. In other words instead of sitting at home or work behind your safe little computer area being a conspiracy theorist get up off you hind end and do some research. I would guess the first 3 shootings can be obtained via a public records request as they are probably closed cases. You’ll have to wait on #4.

    2. Mr. Pallance,

      Go back and read your own posts. Lets see where the attitude is. You are not a judge. These cases have been properly investigated, reviewed by the SAO and by the Feds. Unless we missed interviewing you as a witness? If so then we invite you to come and tell us what you saw. If you think change is needed then make changes. This is not about past shootings. This is about bringing the community together so we can live in peace and our children will feel safe. Get into the present. The clock is ticking! We cant control what people say, we are only resposibile for how we react. This is about making a better tomorrow.

  22. Wow….Jack seems a little jealous of police officers. Did your wife run off with one back in the day? You’ve been stewing on this animosity for a long while now haven’t you? You left a few shootings out but I guess you can’t spin the facts on them. Oh wait you have no facts…your just a hater.

    Hey Jack….I have two guns that look identical…one is a bb gun and one is real….how about you choose one from 20 ft away, and I shoot you in the balls. Hurry though….you only have a few seconds to choose. I’m thinking this is pointless though….since I’m willing to bet you have no balls. Your tough guy moment was picking your screen name..Do us a favor and keep judging from the sidelines you coward.

    Mrs. Kienzle…I think this blog is great to allow constructive ideas and comments from both sides of this argument…and the occassional venting….but obviously Jack has a bit of a chip on his shoulder and is using this as a way to spread lies and misinformation on cases he obviously has no idea about.

    1. I’m going to step in here for a minute and comment. The purpose of competitive debate is to win arguments by persuading the debate judges that your side of an issue is the correct side. A judge will score you by whether or not you have presented your side of the argument with a rational explanation, including examples, and that you did a better job with your presentation than your opponent. The same goes with a non-competitive debate, which we are having here. The difference is that here you are trying to convince others that your side of the issue is the correct one. YeahRight, when Jack made his blanket statement about four tax paying citizens being killed by police, you were correct in asking him to be more specific and present his proof. Jack did attempt to respond by listing the four incidences to which he was referring. At that point, it was up to you to rebut the alleged facts he was presenting by responding to each one and presenting your own evidence to the contrary. Instead, you merely went on the offense by accusing him of being jealous, saying something mean about his wife and resorted to name calling. If this were a competitive debate, the judges would have deducted points from your score for not staying on topic, and for allowing your opponent to force an emotional response from you instead of remaining clear headed and rational. In turn, your opponent would have earned points by asking you to explain why you believe he’s jealous. A skilled debater would never respond to a remark about his wife, and by staying above the fray, he most likely would have earned extra credit. Of course, this is not a competitive debate, but by reacting to Jack’s comments in such a manner, you are not helping persuade the opposing side to consider your argument valid. See what I’m saying?

      I’m not telling you this to be critical. I’m merely pointing out that in order to win arguments one needs to be calm, collected and merely point out the facts and present the evidence. As you can see by Frank’s response, he did exactly that. He rebutted Jack’s claims one by one, simply explaining the facts and giving his reasons why he believes his argument is more convincing.

      If we can all try to think of this as a means to present the facts, try not to provoke angry responses or allow ourselves to be provoked, this can be a healthy, honest debate.

      That’s all. Thank you for your consideration.

      1. Kienzle,

        “YeahRight, when Jack made his blanket statement about four tax paying citizens being killed by police, you were correct in asking him to be more specific and present his proof. Jack did attempt to respond by listing the four incidences to which he was referring. At that point, it was up to you to rebut the alleged facts he was presenting by responding to each one and presenting your own evidence to the contrary. Instead, you merely went on the offense by accusing him of being jealous, saying something mean about his wife and resorted to name calling”

        I think you have the wrong person, I never insulted Jack or brought up any mention of his wife. I did ask him to explain the shootings which he couldn’t do, but Frank took care of that.

        1. OMG! You’re absolutely right. It was someone else by the name of “nomibepo.” I’m sorry that I thought it was you. I hope nomibepo reads my comments as they apply to him. Thanks for letting me know.

          I believe Jack did write back and respond, and yes, Frank did respond to each of Jack’s comments.

          Thanks again for reading my blog and joining in the discussion.

  23. Mr. Jack Pallance…

    You seem very smart and well spoken but at the same time so ignorant to what the real facts are. First of all you offering me and the 110 Officers to stay if we take a pay cut and lose benefits.. this is very nice of you to say but the reality is that you’re right.. ALL cities are hurting but NON are laying their cops off or cutting their benefits like we are besides Hialeah but then again the name itself should be enough for you to understand that city.. Yes I do care for this city and it’s residents but at the end of the day this is all a business as you’re making it seem and like you said no hard feelings so why stay here when other cities that are hurting are NOT giving pay raises or increasing benefits but are leaving everything alone.. Sorry you get what you pay for and I can go do the good job I do here somewhere else where I won’t have to worry about not having a pension… you can cut all the offerings and I’m sure there’s plenty of certified Officers who can’t get hired at other departments with high standards who would LOVE to come to serve and protect you… You’re comparing us to FPL and other private companies.. key word is “PRIVATE COMPANIES” were a local city which is operated like a business but there shouldn’t be any profits made like a private one… FPL is a monopoly and their owners are getting richer everyday while their employees don’t get those take home cars.. and listen at the end of the day take home cars don’t put money in my pocket and if a smart resident as you doesn’t understand that it would cost more money to replace a NON take home vehicle every 2 years that runs 24 hours a day then hey it’s your money I’ll just drive my car home and when you have an emergency on 163 ST I’ll be sure to get on the phone and call 911 so someone can come help you since I can’t stop in my personal vehicle.. do some research before making comments that just sound smart.. as far as our Chief not allowing an outside agency to come in to investigate.. it’s called a PROCEDURE in the state of Florida.. the agency does it’s own investigation and then hands it over to the state attorneys office who makes the determination if there was foul play you nor I make that decision.. FDLE was called and they basically laughed at us because that is NOT the procedure.. as far as “tax payers” being shoot by Officers.. sorry unfortunately we don’t check people’s drivers license to verify their city of residency prior to taking action.. hopefully that’ll never be the case because if you’re ever robbed by a local citizen we’ll just have to give them a ride home and tell you were unable to arrest them due to them paying our salary.. As I said in my first post.. police work is a business if you don’t have the money let someone who does have it handle your business.. they’re called Miami-Dade Police Department.. I think the main issue between residents like you and the police is that you have no idea what our true function or procedures are but instead of investigating the facts or come into our station and asking to speak to an Officer so we could explain it to you, you just ASSUME and come up with conclusions that are unreal.. instead of going back and fourth with facts on this site you could easily reach out to me or any other Officer and we’d be more than happy to bring you in and answer all of your questions which you obviously don’t have the answer to.. it would also allow me to learn what it is that some residents don’t understand about their police department and would educate me more on how to address those issues..

    1. Ofc. Garcia,

      I will not comment on job performances. We can go back and forth for a year on this. However, our city like many others, are dry on cash. Do you understand this? This is not about performance. This is about being able to pay for services without going further into a deep hole and then having to declare bankruptcy as some cities are already doing.

      Now if our city advertise to fill any job position in the police department, offering to pay 50 to 70% of your current salaries and pensions, you and your colleagues would be first in line to get back the same job you are now scoffing at.

  24. Ms. Kienzle thank you for your well taken points.

    Frank:

    #1 “First off I can assure that this individual was not a tax payer; a citizen of the city yes, but not a taxpayer. He slung dope 24-7 in WP. A weapon was found and upon crime scene processing determined to contain the deceased DNA on it. The State Attorney was on board with this shooting from the beginning.”

    # 1 rebuttal: The guy (in a wheel chair) slung dope 24/7 and the NMBPD were not able to lay hand son him all the while? They waited until he had his back facing them to shoot him in the back?

    Irrespective if he slung dope 365, only a coward would wait for an opportunity to shoot someone in the back.

    As per tax paying, you people collect LETF funds from crooks, convert the money to your OT, and pay taxes from it. Who is to say the alleged dope pusher did not pay his taxes? Was he not living in a house? Did the city not receive property taxes from his home?

    #2- The second incident was an individual holding a knife. The taser gun was already invented and was in use for a number of years. Why could this not be used instead?

    The officers tried to use the taser but it malfunctioned. The room was maybe 8 feet by 6 feet and had 3 officers, a fire rescue guy and the deceased in it; very cramped space which equates to even less reaction time. The deceased was armed with a knife and was attempting to stab the fire rescue guy when he was shot. Again, not a taxpayer; he was on the government dole due to mental issues. Go figure.

    #2 observation: The size of room you described seems to be a kennel, of which I have my doubts. You have three officers and all three of them were armed with tasers. All of their tasers malfunctioned at the same time? Just can’t imagine 5 people in a small box and you had to use a gun to subdue the suspect. Why could you not wrestle the knife away?

    The fire rescue guy in his deposition said he was more afraid of the cops behind him than the suspect in front of him. Go figure.

    No wonder we paid what we paid to the individual’s estate.

    #3- The third was an individual with a toy gun or a BB gun? Was it broad day light? Surely the chances of making out it was a real gun or not, the odds were greater.

    The fact is if you request it you can come to the PD and they can show you real guns sitting side by side with fake guns or toy guns and I dare you to pick out the toy or fake one. From a distance the officer perceived what he thought was a real gun being POINTED at him and the officer fired. We typically don’t wait until we get shot before shooting back. Is that what you want? You’ll have a lot of dead cops and the city will really go broke paying out insurance claims for the dead cops. Again, not a taxpayer- this individual was a juvenile.

    #3 observation: I am guessing this will be the excuse to mow down every kid with a toy gun in hand.

    How many cops were shot at and killed in NMB for the last 10 years? None.

    #4- The fourth was at Eastern Shores, which the fired chief refused to have an investigation done. Why the cover up from get-go? An employee refusing an order from his employer?

    The former Chief didn’t refuse anything; when asked by the CM or ordered as you say to have FDLE investigate the Chief contacted FDLE and was basically laughed at.

    #4 observation: Are you kidding me? Laughed at? Maybe the FDLE needs to get serious if this is so. But you may want to check back on your notes exactly what the ex Chief actually told or wrote the CM before you go speculating.

    As was stated, it is imperative an investigation is done after ALL shootings. The CM requested one because he is taking more precautions since we have paid out millions in a few short years on police shootings.

    None of us want our cops to be killed in the line of duty. At the same time, we should use all other means necessary in the execution of our duties and help preserve lives.

  25. Point taken, but it is obvious that Jack does not have the facts. If I am not mistaken those cases should be public record. I encourage anyone to review the investigatons. Frank was kind enough to put them out there. The comment about Jack suggesting an officer or anyone could identify a replica bb gun in a split second is just insane. Hence my response. Attack our pay, attack our benifits, but don’t attack such serious situations involving the taking of someones life unless you have all the facts. NONE of us go to work hoping to take someones life.

    And the payments to the families are as we have been told “its cheaper to settle out of court”. The officers don’t like this as it shows the appearance that they were in the wrong. The reality s the city would rather settle then to littigate in court..I know this happens in the private sector often too. Deep pockets….

    1. nomibepo, thanks for taking my suggestions in the spirit in which they were given.

      You brought up a very good point about the legal department being too quick to settle cases. As you’ve probably figured out by now, I’m not to thrilled with the job the legal department is doing to begin with. The argument that it’s cheaper to settle also makes me grit my teeth because I’m a firm believer in justice. I may be naive or disingenuous to believe that the truth is always the best defense, I’m also realistic to know that just about anything can happen in court when lawyers are involved. A “good” lawyer will be able to convince you that the sky is green. Witness what happened in the Casey Anthony trial, for example. In my opinion, that woman was guilty as sin, but the jury didn’t find her guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. In civil court, however, a plaintiff doesn’t have to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, and a wily attorney can convince a jury, or even a judge, that they have a case. It really sucks, but I have to admit that I’d rather be tried in a court of law in America than in Iran, where you are considered guilty even before the trial begins.

      In all fairness, it can be difficult to successfully defend a lawsuit alleging wrongful death. But agreeing to a settlement when the defendant knows he did nothing wrong just goes against everything I believe in about justice. Yeah, I guess I can be naive.

  26. Jack Pallance,

    It’s obvious if we tell you the sky is blue and were able to provide you the pictures, your gonna continue arguing it’s purple.

    If you have some time, check out http://www.odmp.org , it might show you officers that paid the ultimate sacrafice because instead of stopping a threat, they tried to “wrestle” the knife away.

  27. Cause and Effect. Most of us have been taught this concept throughout our school careers, and if not life presents us with plenty of examples. There is no way that the budget problems that the council is racing to rectify just came to light. Reading the blogs that have been posted nauseates me, I’m not sure that the actual issue is being addressed. I feel like it has become more of a forum to bash OUR police officers, who are not just police officers, they are people. Citing officers sitting on their behinds and collecting paychecks at the end of the week (etc etc) as if there is nothing in between. I gauruntee that if we sent efficicieny experts into every business, the layoffs to follow would make the 24 proposed layoffs seem miniscule. And mind you, that is NOT why these layoffs are being proposed. While you’re sitting at work today take a look around and see how many people are or aren’t doing their jobs. Pay attention to the perks that we have come to expect, how about that hour and a half lunch break; Take a look at yourself. How much time do you spend actually working? Are you always there on time? Does your job require you to put your life on the line everyday for people? People who are now expressing a grand lack of support. Just so you know, crime doesn’t care if there is a shift change, or a lunch break, or anything else that we take for granted as an expected part of our day.
    After reading many of the blogs I found that certain issues are being repeatedly addressed. I find that there is a lack of common sense and/or education when it comes to how and why our police department operates the way it does. Many people seem up in arms that the police take home cars. How many people drive company cars? Plenty. And why? Not to wear and tear on their own car, use their own gas etc. Well as for the police, remember they are responding to EMERGENCIES. How would you like an additional 10-15 minutes added on to a response time so the officer coming on shift can go get his car at the station. Which is a nice segway to the next complaint, officers not living in the city. OUR officers deal with rapists, drug dealers, domestic violence and other things that we as citizens can’t even fathom. How can you expect them to walk their children down our streets or go to Publix around the corner? Be realistic people. Most of us can’t even imagine the feeling that would incur. You think its bad to run into an ex boyfriend or girlfriend at the store? Imagine running into the family or associates of someone you just arrested. I feel like many residents are taking the police presence we have now for granted. Just because they don’t live in our city doesn’t mean they are not part of our community. I gauruntee that all of the officers working at North Miami Beach know more about our city than most of the residents. There is talk of contracting Metro Dade police to take over the specialized units in our department, even the entire department. These officers truly have no affiliation with our city. All we, as a community, would mean to these now contracted officers is extra work and some additional money in their paycheck. I by no means am trying to insult Metro Dade, but its not like they don’t have their own jurisdictions to handle. Do you know how lucky we are to even have our own police department? Within the past year I remember a certain prestigous North Miami Beach community complaining about the lack of police presence during a crime surge over Easter/Passover break. So please, tell me how taking 24 officers out of our city is going to help. We are under budget but now crime infested? Cause and effect. There is not a dollar amount in this world that I would take to deal with the ungrateful citizens of this city, let alone the criminals mixed in with them. These officers, our officers are here everyday. Our officers are people; men, women, mothers, fathers, grandparents etc. Just like us. Even now, in light of the issues OUR officers are willing to negotiate pay cuts to ensure the safety of OUR city doesn’t get lost amid the political and financial problems we, as a community, are facing. I have lived, worked and attended school in this city for more than 5 years. I particularly picked this area, after having lived on west side of 95 for a couple of years, because of the saftey and sense of community. The recent uprising of these issues amongst us as citizens has created somewhat of a divide, threatening the sense of commnunity I once look upon as comforting. Now our safety has been put into jeopardy. Please, help us get back the sense of community that once lured me to this beautiful city we call home.
    Eastern Shores Resident

    1. Dear Eastern Shores Resident,

      Thank you for visiting my website and reading my blog. I got confused when you said “reading the blogs,” until I realized you meant the comments posted on this blog. I wanted to clarify that in case anyone else was wondering.

      The comments posted here come from both residents and police officers, and as you can see everyone has their own opinion about the state of our city. Like everyone else weighing in here, I agree with some comments and disagree with others, but I wanted to give everyone the chance to speak freely. I’m hoping that at least some members of the council are reading the comments so that they can get an idea of what’s on everyone’s minds. Thanks again.

      Stephanie

  28. Stephanie, I love your blog, but I love your hair even more. Dont put it up in a pony tail anymore. Let it loose. What I enjoy even more is deciphering the usernames on the comments. It is obvious that BLUEINTHEFACE, and JACK PALLANCE is one and the same Mubarak Kazan. Funny how he tries to use different user names like if people cant see the same rants and idiotic comments with wrong facts that he spews at the Council meeting. I’m waiting for blueintheface or jack pallance to start using the word “liming”…. 🙂

    1. Rickyticky, that’s too funny what you said about my hair. I had to run to the mirror to try to see why you love my hair. I swear my hair LOL’d at me! Seriously, with all this rain and humidity we’re having, it would be a daily battle to try to control this hair, and believe me the hair would win. By putting it up in a pony tail, I’m basically telling my hair to STFU. See? No more battle!

      I’m surprised that you think it’s obvious that Kazan is behind blueintheface and Jack. Pallance. I honestly don’t think Kazan is the alter ego of either one. First of all, they both came from two different email addresses, neither of which is Kazan’s. Granted, anyone can easily create a new email address. The main reason I don’t think these two guys are Kazan is because I’ve come to instantly recognize Kazan’s writing style and phrasing. Kazan write exactly how he speaks. In fact, when I read Kazan’s comments I can practically hear him saying it! I never once got the impression that either blueintheface or Jack would be Kazan in disguise! As for “liming,” I had never heard this word until he started using it. I also have no idea what the exact definition of “liming” is but I sort of gleaned its meaning by the way Kazan uses it in a sentence. Unless I’m way off, I believe it’s supposed to mean “slacking off.” If that’s the correct usage, then I can tell you with reasonable certainty that my cats are liming on the job because I saw another bug today. I’m going to have to start rationing the Fancy Feast.

    2. RT, while I love Stephanie’s hair too, and I think she should let it lose (sorry, inside joke there), I beg to differ with you about Kazan being behind either of those monikers. Anyone’s who’s read Mr. Kazan’s catalog can immediately recognize his unique way with words. Moreover, unlike myself (and yourself), Mr. Kazan is not afraid to put his name behind his words, even when they are contentious. And in spite of his creative (and in my opinion entertaining) turns of phrase, at least he knows how to use the apostrophe. (That’s for you too, Stopthemadness…can we spread love, joy and goodwill with apostrophes? Please!)

      1. Kazan can be very entertaining when he’s not pissing people off. Most people don’t realize that despite his gruff demeanor at city hall, when he lets his hair down (so to speak), he actually has a great sense of humor. And, he does use some unique and quirky phrases, doesn’t he? Has anyone ever googled “liming?”

      2. Sorry, I didn’t know this was English class. Watch the video while you grade the comments. That reminds me of Mrs. Wiggins from Carol and Burnett. Spead the Love.

  29. Why are we still talking about the past? Today is a new day with new ideas. Let’s use this day in a way that is benefical to our committment in making this a better world. I have to share a funny story. Before going to bed, I watched the special “The neighbors are eating the children”. It is a comedy that you can see on NMB TV website. I then asked my kids what OMG stood for. My five year old told me On my Game! Please use this day as a new beginning. Lets all Spread the wealth” and may God be with you.

  30. Stopthemadness says:
    August 12, 2011 at 1:12 pm
    Mr. Pallance,

    Go back and read your own posts. Lets see where the attitude is. You are not a judge. These cases have been properly investigated, reviewed by the SAO and by the Feds. Unless we missed interviewing you as a witness? If so then we invite you to come and tell us what you saw. If you think change is needed then make changes. This is not about past shootings. This is about bringing the community together so we can live in peace and our children will feel safe. Get into the present. The clock is ticking! We cant control what people say, we are only responsible for how we react. This is about making a better tomorrow.

    Reply

  31. Be thankful for the things you have. Love yourself, your children, your family and friends. Life is to short to sweat the small stuff. This is a great time in our life because at least we have a job and benefits to worry about. Some people dont even have that. We will make a difference. Spread the wealth!

  32. This is the best day the world has ever seen. Tomorrow will be better. -R.A. Campbell
     
    Today’s words of Love. Enjoy and be Happy.

  33. A shooting on my street last night – too close to home this time. Apparently a car was shot at with a handgun multiple times last night – three blocks from my house. I know we are in bad times, but I have to put safety first. My daughters need to be safe. I know finances are tough, but we cannot afford to decrease our police force when we are having shootings on our own blocks. I need to sleep at night. My children need to be able to go outside without feeling like that have to be prepared to duck for gunfire. I don’t care about parks and recreation. Safety first please!

    1. Mam, Eastern Shores residents pay an extra $1/2 million a year to have officers guarding their gates 24/7. Irrespective, they still have robberies and murders being committed there. Maybe you may want to invest in a licensed firearm like many of us do and rest more peacefully. Don’t forget to pray as well. It is a powerful tool many of us neglect to do.

      1. What robbery and murder do you speak of?

        Please present facts with your replies ( who what when where why & how), your jumping on Mike about his comments on “2 books” without presenting proof. That’s what you’ve been doing all these years with the PD and past councils.

        “We expect Mr. Pons to apologize to our mayor and council. He tried putting them down with misinformation”

        If you practiced what you preached, you owe the men and women of NMBPD alot of appologies.

        1. Yeah, you got me mixed up with Mike Pons and his two books. That was Stef.

          As per murder and robberies, a few weeks ago a guy murdered his friend, and later he was shot and killed by police officers.

          We all know of the robberies over there. They have one of the highest car theft incidents in the entire NMB among other crimes.

          My points are, you can have dozens of police officers patrolling on the streets anywhere in America, but that would not prevent family disputes from happening. On the other hand, those same patrols would prevent other crimes.

          Usually I do not go back to old blogs to read. It so happen this one was up and I saw these, hence replying.

          1. “Eastern Shores residents pay an extra $1/2 million a year to have officers guarding their gates 24/7. ”

            Just pointing out how your full of misinformation. The murder didn’t happen in the gated community. You owe us an apology.

          2. Wrong Again Mr. Kazan. You have no clue when it comes to police work! It would be like me being a computer expert. NOT! Please find Jesus.

  34. Wow Stef, you have the boys and girls going. 😉

    Have read what Officer Juan Pinillos asked about Mike Pons, “As far as Mike Pons, what do you expect the man to do??” end of quote. We expect Mr. Pons to apologize to our mayor and council. He tried putting them down with misinformation. For a union leader, he should know better than to be questioning why an interim Police Chief is not sworn in.

    Stay well.

    1. Kazan, thanks for bringing that up about Mike Pons. Someone here stated that I said Mr. Pons was “threatening” the council. I went back to see what that person was talking about, and I didn’t use the word “threaten.” What I wrote in my “State of the Union” blog was this, “Pons first put the Council on the defensive by making completely false and unprovable allegations about the city’s financies, and then he tried to elicit humility and shame by accusing them of disrespecting the interim Chief.”

      I said he put the Council on the defensive, not that this was a threat. I apologize if it appeared I was accusing him of threatening, because that is not what I intended.

      The thing is, by accusing the Council or Manager of having “two sets of books,” Mr. Pons should have been able to back up those allegations with proof that this was, in fact, the case. Otherwise all of us could go around accusing people of just about anything without having to prove that our accusations are justifiable. You just can’t make ridiculous accusations and not be able to back them up without looking like an idiot. I’m just saying.

      1. Had I not been who I am, I too would have been scared out of my booths. We may have to call in the National Guard at our next council meeting. Many residents who support our mayor and council initiatives of fixing the budget is afraid to speak out.

        Bruce Lamberto brought some piece of stinking old pipe and spoke at the podium we need to replace these in our city. The pipe was a water pipe, and it was clogged over the years with residue from the elements of the water. This would cost many millions and presently we have no reserves. I would prefer to have clean flowing water, a beautiful well kept looking city, as many other residents would.

        Our alleyways are neglected and needs fixing. We need to reorganize 163rd 167th corridor, working with Miami Dade or adopt it and improve on our welcoming mat. I am tired arguing with a few people who think they are more important than everyone else and we must rob banks to pay them.

        Our constitution says we are all equal. For a small group to say they are more important than everyone else, is a slap in the face of our constitution.

        1. Mr. kazan, I feel like YOU are the one who thinks you are better than everyone else. Can you agree to simply disagree. The police department has legitimate reasons to be upset, and just like you, other citizens are allowed to defend their police department and care for their safety. I am sure that when someone buys a new house, they are more concerned with having a front door with locks, windows that close, and if financially capable, putting in an alarm system. At least that is what I would want before I decide to landscape or paint the walls. The same should go for a city. We obviously cannot put a wall to perimeter the city, but we can definitely have enough officers to patrol the streets. That’s not to say that my pipes shouldn’t be cleaned, but looking beautiful is 2nd on my list of importance. Lastly, if anyone is afraid of anyone, I think its people being afraid of you because though intelligent, you are extremely opinionated and I don’t seem to take disagreements well.

          1. NMB, not a problem for me to agree to disagree without being disagreeable, bu tell me, would you take half of your budget of your home to provide locks, doors, windows and putting in an alarm system?

            Obviously not. So why should we not be concerned our police department is taking more than 50% of our general budget to provide security?

  35. This is the second time Mr. Kazan talked about robbing a bank. Maybe we should keep an eye on him. I don’t think there are any banks south of 163 street. I have to write a book. This is good stuff. Only in Dade County!

  36. I only would like to clarify some statements that Ofc. Sergio Garcia has made:

    #1:
    I LOVE NMB but I’m just a hard worker who got caught in between politicians and the 10 people who call the shots for them.

    The majority of the politicians that approved most of your benefits are no longer up on the dais, and if any of them still are, they will be held accountable on their next election.
    Also that “STP” saying, (same ten people), came about during Baker’s reign.
    Baker used this saying to demeanor anyone that was smart enough to see through his B.S. and expose his incompetency.
    How many budget proposals were submitted to Council and not one with a pay cut for himself or upper management?

    #2
    I’ll just drive my car home and when you have an emergency on 163 ST I’ll be sure to get on the phone and call 911 so someone can come help you since I can’t stop in my personal vehicle..

    I have never thought of NOT stopping to help someone in need, whether I was in or out of uniform, in a county vehicle or not.
    What you actually sound like is “If you don’t side with me I wont help you when you need it.

    #3
    I also thank and commend your husband, me being a Miami Beach native, for his services and dedication and I guarantee you my family and I would’ve supported and fought for his job and benefits when he was still working.. I’m sure hes enjoying his pension.. Have a nice day

    Sounds like jealousy to me, and more of a cheap shot then a compliment.
    Miami Beach has its own Fire Department; don’t follow you on this one.

    I will inform you that I’m one of the only firefighters that are left that went through the riots in Liberty City years ago.
    We responded to fire/rescue calls while rocks and bottles were being thrown at us and also my favorite, SHOT at!
    Only the police had guns, with real bullets. The National Guard only had rubber bullets.
    I also remember being briefed at station 32, (Uleta Park) when I came to work that morning just before we went down into Liberty City by Lt. Barbara. (Union President)
    He informed us about how he gave the order to axe the hose lines when his crew started to be shot at.
    Also, that the broken windows on the fire truck will be replace immediately so that the NMB residents wouldn’t know that their fire apparatus had been used in this civil disturbance.
    NMB Fire Department had just merged with the county (Politics go figure)

    NOT ONCE DID THE THOUGHT OF NOT DOING MY JOB EVER ENTER MY MIND, only how to survive and get the job done. (Shame on you sir)

    As far as enjoying my pension….well it’s kind of hard to do that with the whole country being flushed down the toilet by debt and an incompetent president.

    1. Carmen, you made good points address Sergio G. Your last sentence though, is questionable. Incompetent president?

      Take for instance our mayor, Mr. Vallejo. He inherited a choked up toilet from his predecessors. Today for a small one horse city, we owe $70 million in debts and growing to an underfunded pension to the police officers, numbering no more than maybe 300 people. We have underfunded pensions in other departments throughout the city. The budget would not be fixed this year. Are you to tell me after swirling in this cow poo for the next three years, we must label Mr. Vallejo as incompetent? Mr. Vallejo is a very smart individual, but it will take more than him to fix this mess.

      Go figure the rest. Mr. Obama has inherited the most screwed up economy ever. Two wars, almost to an end, 13% unemployment, now down to 9%, a melted Wall St. now beaming, and a country with still great hope. No country out there slacking off buying our bonds as of today.

      You are lucky you did not go to your bank one morning and it was closed due to lack of funds, but beaming with incompetency.

      Let us stick to it locally and address these problem.

      1. Sorry, I hate to get partisan here, but every time I hear Obama say he “inherited a mess,” I get a little crazy. Please consider the following:

        The Washington Post babbled again about Obama inheriting a huge deficit from Bush. Amazingly enough, a lot of people swallow this BULL. So once more, a short civics lesson.

        Budgets do not come from the White House. They come from Congress and the party that controlled Congress since January 2007 is the Democratic Party.

        Furthermore, the Democrats controlled the budget process for FY 2008 & FY 2009 as well as FY 2010 & FY 2011.

        In that first year, they had to contend with George Bush, which caused them to compromise on spending, when Bush somewhat belatedly got tough on spending increases.

        For FY 2009 though, Nancy Pelosi & Harry Reid bypassed George Bush entirely, passing continuing resolutions to keep government running until Barack Obama could take office. At that time, they passed a massive omnibus spending bill to complete the FY 2009 budgets.

        And where was Barack Obama during this time? He was a member of that very Congress that passed all of these massive spending bills, and he signed the omnibus bill as President to complete FY 2009.

        If the Democrats inherited any deficit, it was the FY 2007 deficit, the last of the Republican budgets. That deficit was the lowest in five years and the fourth straight decline in deficit spending. After that, Democrats in Congress took control of spending, including Barack Obama, who voted for the budgets.

        If Obama inherited anything, he inherited it from himself.

        In a nutshell, what Obama is saying is I inherited a deficit that I voted for and then I voted to expand that deficit four-fold since January 20th.

        Sorry, if this offends anyone, but the facts do not lie. You can check the voting records for yourself here: http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/legislative/a_three_sections_with_teasers/votes.htm

        And here: http://clerk.house.gov/legislative/legvotes.aspx

  37. Khazan,

    “For a small group to say they are more important than everyone else, is a slap in the face of our constitution.”

    Please provide facts of when this statement was made and by whom. Or is this the same ole misinformation youve been spewing over the years.

  38. Stephanie, I would like to commend you on creating this thread as it seems the dialogue between citizens and officers has been reasonably fair and balanced (with the exception of a few trolls venting their personal frustrations). Furthermore, it seems likely that a forum like this will allow for better communication than any three minute speech or workshop offered by our city counsel. I’m not big into politics and have no desire to get up in front of the dais and cram my all of my concerns into a three minute rant where there’s a strong probability I will piss off the wrong people. With that said allow me to introduce myself.

    My name is Karl Anderson (AKA number 20). I’ve been a police officer for the city for over five years and have spent the majority of my adult life as a police officer. I began my career at a relatively young age, in fact, when I was in the academy I was too young to buy bullets for target practice so my mom had to by them for me. As a little kid I really had no interest in becoming a police officer… I wanted to be batman. Batman used 3 things to fight crime and those were training, tactics, and technology. All of which were attainable without superpowers making him the most plausible superhero in the comic book arena. But when I got older, after searching through the classified ads and finding no batman positions in the job listings section, I turned my attention to a career in local law enforcement when I realized the job uses the same crime fighting formula – Training, tactics, and technology.

    I started my career and learned firsthand just how dangerous this job can be after attending more police funerals than I can count. I’ve been punched, kicked, spit on, assaulted with deadly weapons, and dragged by a car. I’ve broken bones, torn muscles and I’ve been infected with deadly diseases during altercations with subjects. I have been rushed to the emergency room so many times I am on a first name basis with most of Aventura Hospitals staff. And that was just the fun stuff… I’ve also had the misfortune of being on several scenes where an officer, just like me was slain by the hand of some bottom feeding street urchin. With that said, it sickens me when people bash my brothers and sisters at counsel meetings or on this site, acting like they know what my job is all about. They want to tell you my job isn’t dangerous and I get paid too much for what I do. As our favorite village idiot loves to point out, this isn’t Iraq or Afghanistan. He’s right, it’s not… That’s because a fully funded and fully staffed police department is what suppresses violent crime and keeps your community from erupting into a war zone of gang violence. Local media stations have a policy to omit gang violence from the news because it is so rampant in this area of Dade County. So unless an innocent bystander was a casualty in one of these attacks, you will probably never see “Rival Gangs shoot it out behind your house” on the front page of the Herald. If you would like an accurate depiction of crime in this city I urge you to request a copy of our Daily Activity Logs if a public records request allows for this, I’m not completely sure. If not, ask me and I’ll tell you what goes on here between 11:00 PM and 9:00 AM.

    I learned there are few guarantees in this field. There’s no guarantee I won’t get hurt performing my duties. There’s no guarantee the stress from dealing with the scum of the earth won’t take its toll on my relationships with my friends and family. And there’s no guarantee I will make it home every night. I was guaranteed however, when I started my career, decent pay, job security and benefits which almost make it worth the risk. Now, my pay, my benefits and my job are being threatened because of reckless spending, mismanagement of the budget, and public corruption in a retrograding economic climate. I am number 20 on a list of 24 officers who were told they may lose their jobs. These are not just recent hires. These are officers who have served several years with this city. They go into harm’s way every day they show up for work. They’ve witnessed unimaginable horrors, they’ve been injured, and they’ve had to engage in combat all in the name of serving and protecting the citizens of North Miami Beach.

    Morale is at the lowest I have ever seen in my career. My colleagues feel over-worked and under-appreciated. Now they carry with them the stress of losing their jobs or taking pay cuts, coupled with the existing stress of the job itself. It becomes an officer safety issue when these stressors cloud an officers mind while he/she is on patrol, but how can anyone blame them for fearing the worst? So these officers are supposed to just shake it off and put their asses on the line knowing the city just wants to chew them up and spit them out anyway? I am well aware of the financial hardships every city is facing but public safety is not a luxury, it is a necessity. Never in my career have I seen such animosity towards law enforcement officers. Sadly, this does not seem to be the same city I swore an oath to protect over five years ago, that city had appreciation for its officers and knew the true value of public safety.

    I was the envy of my academy class when I got hired with the North Miami Beach Police Department because of its world renowned reputation as a leader in providing the best police service. Many police departments, local and international, send their new officers to NMB for the experience. Our FTO program is one of the most prestigious in the nation and is responsible for training our new officers. The training is hardcore and demanding which insures only the most qualified applicants make the cut to patrol and protect your city. Some people want to say we are being greedy when we try to voice our concerns. So I guess I’m being greedy if I don’t want to lose my job or go bankrupt by taking even more pay cuts. We voted in a contract which amounted to a 10% reduction in pay and benefits. But apparently that isn’t enough for some people. Some people have the distorted perception that we make more money than most other police departments and they love to tell you that. But given the fact we pay over 11% into our own pension and have worse benefits than most agencies, anyone who does the math can conclude we are in fact one of the lowest paid police departments in South Florida. But acknowledging what’s required on our part to help remedy a “financial state of urgency” we took those pay cuts as professionals playing a leadership role. But where does it stop? You get what you pay for people! If this city can not afford to fund a full service police department then it should close its doors and have MDPD take over. Either that, or lay me off along with my 23 brothers and sisters and try to start fresh by hiring new officers at a lower pay scale. But make sure you lower your standards for applicants, because no qualified applicant would work here for the pay scale our city manager would like to impose. I’m sure you can get a fresh batch of river cops for that price… They would end up committing more crimes than the criminals they arrest and bankrupt the city with lawsuits, but hell they’ll work for next to nothing.

    Officers have been criticized for ranting and raving about their jobs but not offering any ideas to get the city’s finances under control. So here are some of my ideas:
    It was brought to my attention that several homeowners in NMB owe years worth of backed taxes. Maybe our well funded and well staffed legal department can get the ball rolling on collections sometime in the near future. Or perhaps the city should put leans on some of these properties and have our esteemed finance directors get into the real estate business. Maybe, we should hold off on buying $500,000 fences, $100,000 landscaping, and $70,000 street signs for a while? I am in no way an expert on any of these topics, but they seem pretty obvious to me unless someone has some info on why they wouldn’t be feasible.

    I have had the best and worst days of my life serving your city. I have met some great members of the community, but having spent most of my career on the graveyard shift, I’ve met more bad guys than good guys. Either way, I would hate to leave this city but I am prepared to do what I have to do if things go south. In the end the counsel will have the final say on this fork in the road and I hope they can be reasonable for the sake of the people who live, work and play in this city. God Bless.

    1. Officer Anderson, thank you so much for writing. I completely agree that this is a bad situation, and one that has been brewing for years due to poor leadership and disastrous mismanagement. While all of us are sitting here wresting with the wreckage left behind, please note that the two biggest offenders, former mayor Myron Rosner and former city manager Kelvin Baker, are laughing all the way to the bank. Baker got the job in 2008 while Myron was on the council, and then became mayor in 2009. A study of the city’s finances will show that the both of them raped the reserves of both the city and the water department, which was recently downgraded by Fitch. Rosner left office with a health insurance policy that is FULLY PAID FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE!!! Baker, who should have been fired for cause but the previous council (including Myron) only would fire him without cause so that he wouldn’t lose his GENEROUS severance package and pension. Considering what the both of them did to ruin our city, and the various crimes many of us suspect they committed, not only should their benefits be stripped, but they should be in jail! I still don’t believe Marty King acted alone when he stole $2.6 million from the city considering he worked under Baker for years! And as for Myron and his alleged campaign finance reporting fraud, if found guilty he’s facing up to a year in jail. That investigation is still ongoing.

      Of course, none of this has to do with the fact that the city now has to deal with cutbacks and layoffs, regardless of whose fault it is. I certainly don’t have the answers, which is why I’m not in charge. But that doesn’t stop me and everyone else from trying to look for solutions.

      With regard to unpaid taxes, I’m sure there are plenty in NMB, as well as other cities. I happen to know a little bit about this since I am a real estate closing secretary (among other titles LOL!). As you know, taxes for a current year are due by no later than March 31 of the following year. By paying before November 30 of the current year, a property owner can get a 4% discount. If paid by December 31, the discount is 3%. If paid by January, the discount is 2%, and by February 28 the discount is 1%. Full payment of taxes are due and payable by March 31 or else interest and penalties start accruing. I believe taxes must be paid by June 1st or the county puts a tax certificate on the property and literally can sell it “on the courthouse steps” at a special tax certificate auction. See details here http://www.miamidade.gov/taxcollector/property_tax_certificate_info.asp. In other words, the city or its attorney have no power to do anything with unpaid tax liens, nor can the city impose any liens on properties for unpaid taxes. Once the county collects the delinquent taxes, the city will get its share, but there is a process that has to occur first.

      As for the $500,000 fence, I was surprised over that one, but I can tell you with absolute certainty this was planned way before this mayor was elected and this city manager was hired. More waste, in my opinion, and more crap that the new administration has to deal with. Like you, I’m no expert on this stuff, but I can tell you that the residents who are paying attention feel the same way.

      Look, I never said our cops were overpaid. I have raised an eyebrow at the pension contracts, specifically with respect to the city paying 8% interest. This percentage rate was negotiated three years ago (again – Rosner & Baker’s work), or it may have been in the previous contracts, as well. The point is, no one is earning 8% on anything! No one is earning 4%, 5%, 6% or even 7% on any investment today. That alone needs to be renegotiated to bring it into a reality based scale. I don’t know what else is involved in pension reform. I’m no expert. But when the city is paying a police officer a full salary, and also paying approximately 80% of that salary into a pension account at the same time, I simply cannot see how this is affordable, especially during these economic down times. The point is NOT whether the cops deserve this pay or benefit. The point is whether the city can afford to maintain them. Therein lies the entire problem – figuring out how to run a city with a specified number of dollars in the pot. Whoever can figure out this problem while making everyone happy will deserve a medal.

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