Here are some more questions for Sheriff candidate Mr. Simmons.

There is some discrepancy in your website and some of your comments in your letters that mention you moved here in either 1997 or 1998. Which is it? Reason being, you also state that you retired from Detroit Police in 1996 then were "appointed" Chief of Public Safety for Highland Park Michigan afterward. When exactly did you serve Highland Park and why was it for such a short period of time before suddenly relocating to GA?

One of your supporters on this blog comments that you became certified in the State of GA in 2000 at the Fulton County Academy. Is that correct? If so, why did you attend Fulton County's academy? Did you feel 8 years ago that you would like to one day be Fayette County Sheriff? Did you attend because you had obtained a job with a particular agency or was it as a pre-service candidate (A pre-service candidate is a person seeking employment and certification as a peace officer but who does not currently work in a law enforcement capacity or agency. They pay for all training expenses to a regional police academy).

It seems odd to me that you would have

a)attended a police academy in another state just to continue working in private sector security;

b)especially with all of your prior experience, education, security certifications (ASIS) and your awards from your time in Michigan- (Why would you need certification in GA??);

c)because you had already retired from this profession. Many who retire don't return especially if they are as successful in the private field like you supposedly were/are. Everyone knows the money is in the private field and corporate security.

We also know, just like in Clayton County, that when a new Sheriff takes over he brings in "his people." Just who will you bring in with you to support your cause?

In today's world, anyone can trump up a resume with titles, qualifications, etc. Just look at former GA Tech football coach George O'Leary. I am only asking for proof of what you claim. I know the other candidates- they don't have to prove their qualifications to me.

If I'm not mistaken around 2000 after obtaining GA certification Simmons worked the metal defectors and other security details at a state government building in Atlanta for a short period. Then, with the ablility to carry a concealed weapon, he worked as a hired gun following someone with the cash deposits from MCDonald's or with bags a raw, uncut diamonds. Again, ask him or someone with the state. Or, vet his GA work record in an employment background check. These positions were things a beat cop would do to pick up a few extra bucks, not a retired police executive. And, not something you'd put on a resume because the jobs were several steps backwards on an executive career path. In the past, before Mayor Coleman Young damaged the professionalism and reputation of the Detroit police department, retired Detroit police executives stayed in the metro Detroit area and had their pick of private sector jobs as security executives for hospital complexes and corporations making many times more than their police department salary. Already law enforcement certified in MI many Detroit police executives had private sector jobs lined up before they retired. Those were white collar, head positions, not positions patting people down before entering a building or following someone around with a gun for protection. So, why leave Detroit where you can best use your professional history? Oh well, I wonder why these aren't on his website as valuable and current law enforcement experiences gained in the last few years? They compare well with the other candidates for sheriff he's running against. During the same period I wonder what the other candidates were doing?

So while Hannah and Babb were managing different divisons in the sheriff's dept. Simmons was x-raying purses at the capitol, after being retired for 12yrs. from real police work??

You have to be kidding?

I have some questions also, do you know there is a blogg dedicated to you?

Joe Swickard reluctantly sent me three articles, that had been shortened and edited after I repeatedly hounded him and said I would pay for all back articles. Based on the articles from that he sent I see one of 2 situations being true:

Either Simmons is lying, or fudging on his work history and experience and was not involved in any scandal...

or

He was involved in some deep doodoo .....

Which is it?

Also are you one of the undercover drug cops whose life was put in jeopardy because the drug money that was supposed to pay the bills and buy equipment and pay rent for a safe house was being EMBEZZLED?

I can understand why you are P O ed. I would be too.

I'm not suggesting Commander (Deputy Chief) Simmons did anything wrong or illegal under the law. In no way am I suggesting that. Under Mayor Coleman Young, the Detroit police department had become so political, so much a "good-ole boy" political patronage system that hard-working cops, that bust their asses and put their time in and followed the rules, were passed over for cops that were good at selling the mayor's campaign tickets and in-fighting, to the detriment of a once great police department. The department has become a joke because of the promotion policies during Simmons' time on that force. Over the years I worked at many precincts and units finally ending up on the 3rd floor of the headquarters building back in Detroit. You can imagine the low morale on the department during Chief Hart's tenure that continued to decline when the next mayor after Coleman Young, which was Mayor Dennis Archer, appointed Chief Ike McKinnon as police chief. When Dennis Archer became mayor he threw out all the unsigned letters of resignation that the former Mayor Coleman Young had all police command staff sign. The new Mayor Archer then basically turned the police department over to the new police chief Ike McKinnon to allow the police department to become more independent from the mayor's political influence. This was not a bad decision but Mayor Archer selected the wrong person, Ike McKinnon. McKinnon and Simmons were two egomaniacs with a long history going back to the old Gang Squad days where Simmons’ was McKinnon’s second in command. McKinnon allowed Simmons to run roughshod over the troops of the unit. Simmons lorded over the troops in gang squad. Browbeating the troops for every mistake. McKinnon leaves the police force and the gang-squad for the private sector. A new commanding officer was assigned to gang squad, Commander James Younger. Commander Younger seeing how Simmons is treating the troops in the unit, Commander Younger starts to denigrate Simmons in front of the troops. The troops loved it! I’d see some of the troops at the hangout busting a gut at the way Commander Younger was paying Simmons back with his own medicine. Normally it's wrong for command staff to do that. But, for unit morale Commander Younger knew it was necessary and he was trying to teach Simmons that anyone in a leadership position must earn the followership of those he commands. Commander Younger went on to become a Deputy Chief on the department. He can confirm this incident. Years later, a new mayor is elected, Mayor Archer. The new mayor appoints Simmons’ ole buddy to be Police Chief, bringing Ike McKinnon back to the department. McKinnon appoints Simmons his chief of staff. During this time Deputy Chief Younger is forced out of the department into retirement. Younger was a good command officer who knew what leadership was about. Everyone on the 3rd floor watched these developments. Just because you can politic your way up the ladder does not make you a leader. I could go on and on, the point is these are character issues. Simmons' has done nothing legally wrong. Police have a code of honor. We like to see right and fairness prevail. That’s what led us to this profession despite the low pay and dangerous conditions. I truly feel bad for anyone who has the misfortune of coming "under his authority.” But, Simmons has done nothing wrong … legally. The only thing he might have done wrong is perhaps by sharing things with loose-lips McKinnon.

So did Simmons know what Chief Hart was doing, did he just look the other way? I know he wasn't charged with any wrong doing, but did he just let it go on without doing anything?

So Simmons worked under Chief Hart and after Hart left he worked for Chief McKinnon?

First of all my hat is off to you for being a cop. I think my job is stressful, but at least I'm not getting shot at.

Our county is basically very quiet, low crime, we don't like scandal or corruption. We like people who are honest.

Thanks for tipping us off that everything is not what it appears to be. The judge had some very harsh words for all of the "top brass" at Detroit PD. He basically said he did not believe that they could have been in those positions close to the chief without knowing what was going on.

Thanks for your info.

Yes, Chief Hart, the next Police Chief McKinnon, Commander Simmons, as well as others, were all part of Mayor Coleman Young's patronage system. But, none of them, McKinnon or Simmons, were in a position to know what Chief Hart was doing. In the articles you have what the judge probably meant but didn't quite understand was that corruption can skew a person’s ethical judgment to the point that the individual can't tell right from wrong after awhile. There was so much questionable behavior at all levels that when Chief Hart started taking the drug fund money no one had the ethical grounding to see that something was wrong. In Detroit there were drug bust going on all the time. Money was being confiscated during these drug busts. Of course, this money went to the police department to fight drugs and buy equipment. However, when undercover teams needed money for drug buys there was no money in the drug fund. On some occasions undercover cops had to use their personal money to make a buy. If money was continuously coming into the drug forfeiture fund but there was no money to make drug buys where was the money going? A good cop on an ethically pure department would have been concerned and raised the issue. What was happening was Chief Hart was giving money to various girlfriends, buying one girlfriend a house, giving some money to his adult children, making repairs on his private property, buying cars with cash and that caused the IRS to look into his finances. Simmons had nothing to do with this. But, this reveals the kind of department Detroit's police had become. Chief Hart's defense for why he could not have taken the drug fund money was that everyone knew he was not bright enough to steal over 2 million dollars. Again, a reflection on Detroit's department where the Chief admitted he was stupid as a criminal defense. You see, a system can become so ethically corrupted that everyone who is part of that system becomes negatively affected by existing in a system of ethical corruption. In this setting some will naturally slide into overt criminal corruption, which happened to Chief Hart. There was such a corruption of morals, ethics and good professional standards on the Detroit police department that for Chief Hart the next step was outright stealing from the department and the city. Anyone coming out of that system, the Detroit police department, has to be ethically damaged because for someone to volunteer to become part of an unethical system has to cause them to experience some major character damage.

I am reading the few articles forwarded to me by Joe.

Thanks again for the info.

Hi Sky,
I would like to hear the answers too. Wonder why we aren't hearing more from the other candidates.

Thanks for taking the time to stay on top of this.

So far Tom1939's story and information checks out.

You can call Detroit Free press also I just talked to Joe Swickard again and he was more helpful this time. His # 1-313-222-8769 e-mail JSwickard@Freepress.com

White collar crime T's me off.

Skyspy, political machine politics, as was the case in Detroit during Democratic Mayor Coleman Young, are founded on the "political patronage" system: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_machine. It was a system of "quid pro quo (something for something)." The mayor uses his or her politcal appointees to build up a political campaign flush fund of potentially multiple millions of dollars and the person joining to this patronage system received as payment, an appointment or promotion in their department. On the Detroit police department you could purchase a ranking position on an on-going basis, as long as you delivered the money, through the patronage system. The Mayor didn't care where the money came from. From some scared business owner, a citizen or your bank account. Just come back with the cash value of the tickets in the ticketbook from the Mayor's office. Ask Joe at the Free Press about how this system worked under Mayor Young's Democratic administration. No Republicans allowed. What was the long-standing damage from this political patronage system on the Detroit police department? The US Justice Department had to take control of the department because it had become so unprofessional and ineffective as a community policing system. The standard for achieving rank was based on money not talent, skill or investigative expertise. Earning rank through payment also produced an un-usual symptom among some of Mayor Young's police department patronage appointees called "bombastic megalomania": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megalomania. This could explain why someone would assume his or her 25 year old training and experience is more credible than current law enforcement experience. And, this could also suggest something about the "people skills" of someone rising through the ranks under this system. Once losing power, rank or authority over an underling that command officer might feel they have to "get out of Dodge" to feel safe from the former underling. Put authority back in their hands?!?! Look out! Already there is a veiled threat under the guise of a promise that there will be "no staff reprisals!" The question is, reprisals for what because reprisals are retaliations? Why use words like "staff reprisals" in the discussion? Wow ... the mere fact we're questioning his qualifications might be grounds for, in his mind, later reprisals. No wonder some Free Press reporters seemed "too scare to talk." It's all bombastic ego with nothing to support the ego except BS. Again, unless you are informed of the patronage system of promotions on the Detroit police department, as it existed during Commander (Deputy Chief to receive the retirement pay) Simmons' years of service, how would you know? You would never have any concept of any of this from anything you've experienced in your entire life. To verify the truthfulness of this post call Joe Swickard of the Free Press (313-333-8769) as an outside, independent source.

While you have this reporter, or any reporter from Detroit that will talk to you, on the phone, ask the reporter these questions, "Would you want a ranking police official from Detroit who came up through the ranks during the Mayor Young adminstration to head the police department or sheriff's office where you live? Is Highland Park a community you would move into with your family? Would serving as a ranking police official on the Detroit police under Chief Hart and Mayor Young in Detroit, and, as the Head of Public Safety for Highland Park, then, leaving public law enforcement for 12 years, be sufficient preparation to step in and run a Sheriff's department, today?" If the reporter answers 'no' to these questions, ask why. Then, post what the reporter replies to the questions.

How was Mr Swickard helpful?

Also, there are several references to Tom1939 who set you straight. You offered that info up and you were to post that again. Would you be so kind as to re-post Tom1939? I missed it.

He did forward several articles that verified Tom1939's story. I thought I would check out his info, because he could have been just a disgruntled ex-employee or something, so I wanted to see if any of it was true.

The articles in the newspaper do not name Simmons, just chief Hart for embezzlement, mis-use of drug money. The worst scandal happened involved the mayors campaign. Tom's story checked out.

I asked simmons those questions because there really is 2 sides to every story, and I wanted to hear his verson. He was at detroit PD when this happened, there could be a logical explanation....he could have been the whistle blower on the whole mess, ...in which case I would call him a hero.

For one of Toms posts you have to scroll to the 2nd. page.

I don't have a "dog in this fight", I just hate white collar crime.

To be a Sheriff in Georgia all you have to be is a 25 year old registered voter; lived in the county 2 years; high school degree; no felonies (DUI ok though).

Pike County elected an ambulance driver as Sheriff.

C'mon lockboy, Pike CO. Sheriff Jimmy Thomas was a lot more than just "an ambulance driver."

Check POST. Looks like Fayette County Sheriff's Office, Fayetteville PD and Union City PD are also on his law enforcement resume. It's a public record.

I must make a notation to my earlier post that referred to Mr. Simmons not being certified in the State of GA. According to his website, he mentions being a certified officer in the State of GA, however this is not dated as many of his other credentials are not dated either. When did he obtain GA certification and from where? Was he certified recently or many years ago when he moved from Michigan? If many years ago, he would still have to complete weeks of re-training to even attempt to get to the level of those currently active in law enforcement. His security qualifications and credentials don't count with GA POST training. Why doesn't he claim his certification in Michigan where he used to serve? Is that certification still valid? Why would he be certified in GA unless he was trying to or obtained a police/sheriff job in GA? He has no credentials as having ever served in GA as a peace officer?

When a new officer (never before certified) is hired with a department, that officer usually undergoes about 12-16 weeks of FTO training to learn policies/procedures of the department as well as the area they serve. The time frame is different depending on the experience of seasoned officers and the particular department. Seeing as how Mr. Simmons has never worked in GA, let alone Fayette County, how again would he "better serve" Fayette County's needs as Sheriff? Not to mention he has not worked one day in law enforcement for the last 12 years or so! Mr. Simmons claims he is "qualified" but to run what? He talks about hiring the "best candidates" for the job, but he, himself, does not seem to be the best candidate for Sheriff!!

In order to hold the office of sheriff I think you have 6 months after the election to be certified as a peace officer in your state. Some states give you up to a year to become certified. If you fail you forfeit the election.

When we hire cops off of the street the GBI usually does a background check. Do we you do a background check on candidates for sheriff?

I understand that Mr. Simmons was post certified in Georgia at the Fulton County Public Saftey Training Center in May 2000.

Pretty sure it's within one year of taking office for sheriffs in GA. It's one year for police chiefs in municipalities too.

I'm glad we have at least 3 candidates that are ready to hit the ground running.

One day they'll figure out it doesn't work - especially when the ones who are part of the good ole' boy's system - wake up one day and realize those days are gone!
What's the status of the investigation? I have not been updated in a couple of weeks....just wondering if you have any new information.