How can Sheriff Johnson deny Fayette has a gang problem after recent arrests?

Tue, 06/03/2008 - 4:16pm
By: Letters to the ...

In his letter to the editor Tuesday, May 27, 2008, Sheriff Randall Johnson writes:
“Let me be clear – Fayette County does not have a ‘gang problem.’”
I am at a loss to understand Sheriff Johnson. Perhaps we need to hear his definition of a gang problem. Perhaps he has another term for the collective youth delinquency and violence in our county. In my mind we do have a gang problem.
That’s not to say that the Bloods and the Crips are roaming unscathed throughout the county, but rather to say that the seeds have been planted. The fact that gangs have begun to move into, or are being created within, Fayette County is, in itself, a gang problem.
On Jan. 4, 2008, The Citizen conducted an online poll on gang activity in the county. Sixty-three percent of the 238 respondents stated gang activity is a growing problem in the county. Twenty-three percent stated that police didn’t have a clue about how big the gang problem really is. Only seven percent stated that the police have this small problem well in hand.
Do we currently have a full-blown gang problem? The answer is not yet. However, based on my experience dealing with youth gangs, gangs are well into the formative or “wannabe” stage in Fayette County.
If proper steps are not taken very soon to eradicate this behavior, these gangs will continue to grow and become a serious problem in our community. Hiding our collective heads in the sand until the problem is out of control makes no sense. The time to deal with the problem is now, while it is still manageable.
On Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2008, the first of a series of letters that I sent to the editor of The Citizen was published. The letter was titled, “Entire community must get involved to keep gangs from getting foothold.” Since that time, I have written several other letters to the editor on public safety issues in the county.
As my letter stated, from 1975 to 1985, I worked with youth gangs while assigned to the Detroit Police Department’s Youth Crime Section (Gang Squad), and Special Crime Section, and I also served on the Detroit Public Schools’ School Security Committee. As a result of my work with delinquent youths, I have seen signs that youth gangs have been attempting to form in Fayette County for quite some time.
In searching The Citizen’s archives, one can find reports of gangs attempting to form in Fayette County as far back as 1999. In a recent candidate forum held at Melear’s Restaurant on April 18, 2008, candidate Barry Babb stated that gangs have been attempting to form in the county since 1994.
On May 15, 2008, The Citizen reported that Fayetteville police arrested five individuals on gang charges stemming from a gunfire incident at The Banquet Hall on Glynn Street. Police reported that the arrests were made in connection with an argument between gang members from Creekside High School in Fulton County, ending with one person firing a gunshot into the air. Police searched one of the suspects’ homes and found gang paraphernalia and a “gang bible.”
Police found similar items while investigating the gang fight incident that occurred at Fayette County High School in December 2007. One of the participants in the fight was found to be a recruiter for the Bloods gang. The investigation revealed that the other youth who participated in the fight was attempting to regain his rank in the Crips gang.
Recently, Fayette County Chief Juvenile Judge Tarey Schell stated that he sees the number and severity of juvenile offenses cases growing in Fayette County. He also stated that the court system is beginning to see an increase in violence in juvenile crimes.
The fact that our youths are committing crimes while accompanied by their peers is not unusual. The typical delinquent operates in the company of his or her peers, and delinquency thrives on group support. Disorderly groups of youths, whether or not they have adopted a formal gang name, are still a gang. It has been estimated that between 60 and 90 percent of all delinquent acts are committed with companions. That fact alone makes youth groups, or gangs, a central concern in consideration of delinquency prevention.
Recently, the Fayetteville City Council announced that it was exploring a youth curfew. Fayetteville Police Chief Steve Heaton has asked the council to consider enacting a new youth curfew ordinance. Chief Heaton stated, “We’ve been experiencing some problems with juveniles out roaming the city at night without proper supervision.”
Chief Heaton is quoted in the May 22, 2008 edition of a local newspaper as stating, “The city has experienced problems with juveniles recently around areas such as movie theaters, bowling alleys and shopping centers. He said problems have increased because places such as the roller rink in Jonesboro recently closed, drawing teens looking for something to do to Fayetteville. Peachtree City has been reported to be considering a similar youth curfew ordinance.”
Sheriff Johnson writes, “We will not allow such activity to take root in our community,” but fails to recognize that it already has. As with any problem, the first step to solving it is the admission that a problem exists. Regardless of what Sheriff Johnson elects to call it, we do have a problem with youth groups in our county. Until we openly admit that the problem exists, we cannot begin to work towards a solution.
When I am elected, I will create a unit in the Sheriff’s Department that will be tasked with bringing an end to gang activity in the county. The department will offer gang prevention training programs for parents, school officials, and juveniles.
The training will address the following topics: what is a gang, how do we identify one, why kids join a gang, and the hazards of being involved in a gang. Additionally, I will create a Crime Prevention Unit in the department that will offer alcohol, tobacco, and substance abuse prevention programs for teens.
Once again, community involvement is the key to eradicating the problem. When I am elected sheriff, I will work with community leaders, senior citizens, teens, parents, children, business owners, executives, police, government officials, and most importantly, our religious leaders to eliminate gangs in Fayette County. By working as a “TEAM,” “Together Everyone Achieves More.”
On July 15, 2008, the voters of Fayette County will have the opportunity to select a new sheriff. I request that the voters of Fayette County carefully review the qualifications of the four candidates for sheriff, and select the most qualified person.
Conditions are changing in Fayette County. The next sheriff will be faced with many new challenges. The next leader of the Sheriff’s Department must have the skill, experience, and education to do the job. The next sheriff will not have time for “on the job training.” I have the experience, training and education to successfully transition the department to a proactive 21st century law enforcement agency.
I request your support and your vote on Election Day. I pledge to you that I will work aggressively to enforce our laws, and keep our children and families safe.
Dave Simmons, CPP
2008 Fayette County Republican Candidate for Sheriff
www.simmonsforsheriff.org
Fayetteville, Ga.

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Submitted by CI5835 on Wed, 06/04/2008 - 2:06pm.

still stuck on page 6!?

Submitted by CI5835 on Wed, 06/04/2008 - 12:09am.

Why is this letter to the editor on the "back page". The only way I found it was following one of the comment links. This is truly unfortunatea and should be corrected immediately. Randall gets front page star treatment while Simmons gets stuffed where no body can find him. Sad for a news agency that is suppossed to be a champion of free speech.

By the way Tom1939, we all know you are from Detroit and have an axe to grind against Simmons. Why dont you disconnect from our servers and mind you own business. We can make an informed decision for Fayette County without your baseless rants. And when did Dave ever suggest he can prevent all youth/gang crime? That is a ludicrous assertion. Reading comprehension sir, reading comprehension.

Mr. Simmons, very well written, level headed response to Johnsons attacks on you. It is good to know you are not afraid to stand up to him or anybody else for that matter. If the way you have run your campaign is any indication of your character, leadership ability, and future management of the SO then we will be in good hands with you Sir. You are the only candidate who has truly been engaged with the public and this is what we need in our Sheriff. We have heard very little form Mindar and even less form Babb. The only thing we have heard form Hannah has been negative and relates to a silly campaign sign issue (signs in right-of-ways) and a quite serious one (confronting private citizen at his home). You are obviously the right man for the job and I think most of the mainstream voting public of Fayette County know this, even if the radical no life full-time bloggers do not. Thank you for your willingness to serve.

Submitted by kikenbutt on Wed, 06/04/2008 - 7:02am.

was found by either Hannah or Babb’s and spurred on by Skyspy and is obviously a very disgruntled ex Detroit cop. Yes, by his own admission, he doesn't care for Simmons because he thinks he is to old for the job and he believes in his mind that most Fayette County residents are uneducated enough not to see through his anti-Simmons ranting. Most bloggers that I personally know, thought he was very close to becoming slanderous in his tirades.

And the beat goes on!

Git Real's picture
Submitted by Git Real on Wed, 06/04/2008 - 7:22am.

Most bloggers that I personally know, thought he was very close to becoming slanderous in his tirade.

Tom 1939 has provided many proven document stories and links relating to Mr. Simmons' prior history and associations. That hardly border lines slander. This sheriffs' race is a no brainer. The easy choice is for one of our local guys who are 'in the game' and have known and proven law enforcement skills. Mr. Simmons perhaps has what it takes to be a big city cop and politician, but with what I've studied up on, he is not the right man for Fayette County. I will say that I'd back Mr. Simmons a 100% if he'd run in Clayton County and take on Napoleon the Monstrous Midget.

Again we're safe with our local guys running although I do believe Simmons will make a run-off before he gets spanked once again at the polls. After that I suppose he can do like Linda Wells and run for tax commissioner or something like that.

Vote for our local guys. And as for me..... I'm going to concentrate on our biggest and the greatest vulnerability that we face at this moment in Fayette County. The replacement of our inept and lenient District Attorney.

Have fun guys with trying to bring to fruition Dunn and Bost's latest pet project in seeking retaliation against our long serving and respected sheriff, Mr. Randall Johnson.

________

"That man was Griffin Judicial Circuit District Attorney Scott Ballard".

CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF THE STORY


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Submitted by NUK_1 on Wed, 06/04/2008 - 8:23am.

You can have the greatest sheriff/law enforcement in history, but if you have a DA who isn't zealous about prosecuting to the fullest their legitimate arrests and cases, it doesn't mean a whole lot in the end. For that reason, I'm much more concerned about getting Ballard out of there and Hayes in office.

In all likelihood, any of the sheriff candidates would probably do a good job. I know Minder isn't as experienced as the rest, but that's not always a bad thing. Some people don't like him and think he's a jerk. Goes with the territory. Babb and Hannah have plenty of Fayette experience and aren't going to need any time to formulate their own goals and directives; that's probably been on their minds since Johnson made it pretty clear he was ready for retirement.

I don't think some of the anti-Simmons stuff has any merit whatsoever and it verges on hysterical ranting at times. It's also to the point that some of what is implied is real close to slander and such an overkill that people are tuning out the bitter, disgruntled ramblings. I'm not sold on Simmons being the best choice, but hating the guy because he lives in a big house in an upscale neighborhood is retarded. THAT'S A GOOD THING, PEOPLE! To imply that he had to be a criminal in order to afford it is pure sleaze and unfounded mud-slinging of the lowest form. Same with the "Detroit" bit that tries to tie him personally into everything wrong about that city.


Submitted by Tom1939 on Tue, 06/03/2008 - 8:28pm.

It is disingenuous for Dave Simmons, an experienced law enforcement officer, to suggest the FCSD can stop all crime flowing from the youth population. In fact, most crimes that plaque modern policing flow from the youth population of any community anywhere around the country. Young populations tend to commit the majority of crimes. This is not rocket science but basic police knowledge. So it is very easy to point to youth based crime and see a "problem" to create the false impression of a crime wave.

Therefore, it is disingenuous at best and dishonest at worst for Dave Simmons' to suggest the FCSD can stop these kinds of crime or every gang related incident before it happens. As William Barrett14 has suggested, the real issue is, are the few gang related incidents that do occur originating from young people within our community or from other areas of metro Atlanta and coming into the FCSD’s jurisdiction, which the FCSD has no control? And, as William Barrett14 has suggested, the law enforcement strategy then becomes to make the price of coming into Fayette County to break the law so high that young people, gang member wannabes, go something else to break the law.

This is the course the FCSD has been applying to suppress youth and gang based crime that comes into Fayette county for some time. A law enforcement professional cannot break the law to enforce the law. Applying Police Deviance (Google these terms) practices in law enforcement cost police agencies millions in lawsuit judgments from applying corrupt law enforcement practices as has been the history of the Detroit police department, Dave Simmons’ agency, that has paid out $123 million in lawsuit awards between 1988 and 2001. Writing a good letter to the editor is one thing. Actually doing good, proactive law enforcement is another.

Any experienced career law enforcement professional understands that under our US Constitution there are limitations placed on what police professionals can do in our free society to enforce the law. Dave Simmons' attempt to use the "best practices" applied by all levels of our local law enforcement professionals against them for personal political ends is a shame. The US Justice Department has standardized through federal training the methods and practices all policing systems around the country employ to suppress youth and gang related criminal activities. Almost a quarter of a century ago, in 1984, Dave Simmons attended these federal law enforcement training sessions himself.

Law enforcement officers are a brotherhood because we understand the pressures there are that stand in the way of us doing our job of providing public safety. Law enforcement officers are a special breed … when others run from danger our police and sheriff professionals run toward danger, putting their lives and families at risk.

The easiest thing a candidate for office can do is to find fault. This is easy because in a free society no law enforcement agency can totally stop the human tendency to break the law, especially among the youth. It is easy to magnify a handful of incidents into a "gang crime wave." However, closer inspection reveals other parts of the greater Atlanta area would love to enjoy Fayette County’s gang-related crime statistics and have much to learn from our methods of gang control and youth crime suppression. In fact, while Dave Simmons was assigned to the Gang Squad unit in Detroit over 30 years ago, that unit would have loved the gang related crime statistics that the FCSD regularly produces.

Detroit city historically maintains one of the highest homicide rates for young murder victims and homicide suspects in the nation. In fact, in most metro areas the majority of urban crime is youth related and has organized gang implications. Any experienced law enforcement officer knows this fact of modern criminology. For this reason, in Detroit, the Gang Squad in still attempting to get a handle on youth and gang related crime, which still is spiraling out of control negatively affecting the quality of life there. Again, it is easy for a fault-finder to find fault in Fayette County. Detroit city and Fayette County have two completely different population and crime statistics. The Detroit police Gang Squad should come to Fayette County to take lessons.

The undeniable issue in this election is one of leadership. Who will lead the FCSD? In Fayette County, there are candidates who are in the midst of their law enforcement careers, which provide some indication of their leadership potential. We have a basis and a standard to judge their qualifications for the office they are seeking to obtain. In one candidate, we have to examine his past record from decades ago to examine his qualifications for the office he is seeking to obtain. Making this comparison is necessary.

While on the Detroit police department Dave Simmons spent many years at the Gang Squad, being among the original group of command officers, a sergeant transferred from the Tactical Services Section, selected to serve in that unit when it was created over thirty years ago in 1976. Rising through the ranks while at the Gang Squad, he was never selected to lead the Gang Squad and instead left that unit in 1985. Being familiar with the circumstances of his departure from the Gang Squad unit, without being specific, one must use common-sense to read between the lines. Retired Detroit Police Deputy Chief James Younger and police investigator John Simon, both former Gang Squad unit personnel that served with Dave Simmons can provide the names of numerous other former Gang Squad personnel who will give testimony regarding life under Dave Simmons’ dictatorial command style.

Having a decade of experience at the Gang Squad unit, the Detroit police never put him in charge commanding the Gang Squad unit. Ike McKinnon, who served as Dave Simmons’ superior at the Gang Squad unit for almost a decade until McKinnon left the department in 1984, who later came back to become the Chief of Detroit police, never assigned Dave Simmons to a “superior in command” position at any Detroit police unit, bureau, precinct, or division or anywhere else on the department. This speaks volumes ... no common-sense needed to figure this one out!

Fayette County knows the law enforcement “superior in command” executive style of the other candidates for sheriff. Using common-sense and reading between the lines, does this information provide any relevant insight for making a determination of Dave Simmons’ “superior in command” qualifications to lead the FCSD?

Can Fayette County afford to have a sheriff that might destroy the morale of the department and, in addition, cause a brain drain of the FCSD by causing the top commanders to leave? Past behavior is an excellent, and many times, the best way to predict future performance. And, any law enforcement officer knows, you know a lot about a person by the company they keep. What company is Dave Simmons’ keeping in his run for sheriff?

Leadership requires earning the followership of organizational members. Would members of the FCSD want to follow Dave Simmons’ lead? A confrontational and dictatorial leadership style will cause followers to become fearful and only do the bare minimum that is required of them for fear of confrontation. Organizational stress will increase because the culture of that department will devolve into “since leadership is against us and we can’t trust leadership to have our back, we have to protect ourselves because it’s every man for himself.” This is the root cause of police stress on any policing organization; distrust, disrespect and fear of leadership that soon becomes fear and distrust of each other. This was and still is the culture of Detroit’s police department. In law enforcement, officers must trust and depend on each other for their saves and this starts at the top!

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. And, if change is necessary for the FCSD it is anybody but Dave Simmons based on his past history on the Detroit police as a commander of police officers. If the Detroit police department and his friend, Ike McKinnon, noticed his pattern of dictatorial behavior and never assigned him to a “superior in command” position over police officers in Detroit why should Fayette County? Is this something we can risk if, as Dave Simmons suggest, gang violence is knocking at the door?

Most crimes are youth related and drug related. To serve as a basis of comparison, the population of Fayette County has risen by 400% but crime has dropped. Meaning the population of youths has also increased but the crimes committed from youths have gone down. In Detroit, in the 1970’s the population was 1.2 million. Today, in 2008, the Detroit population is 880,000 but the crimes have gone up among youths and gangs making Detroit one of the most violent cities in the nation. Again, most crimes are youth and drug related. This suggests Fayette County must be doing something right that Detroit police should model. Detroit law enforcement practices have nothing to offer Fayette County except knowledge of what doesn’t work.

As it stands, Sheriff Randall Johnson is leaving a department with the necessary foundation and independence to easily take the next step in its path toward excellence. Sheriff Johnson has fought in the courts to keep the FCSD an independent agency, where he isn't and never has been someone else’s puppet under their political control.

Under the right leadership, the FCSD can continue down that path toward excellence. Under the wrong leadership, the foundation and independence that Sheriff Johnson has fought in court to create and maintain will be damaged, sending the department backward. Dave Simmons’ intentions might be good but is he able to stop what his fear-mongering promises to be our future? On the other hand, will his mismanagement of the FCSD more than likely be part of the determining factors that cause his fears to manifest in our future?

Did he have any effect on youth and gang crime in Detroit and, looking at his record on the Detroit police, did his department think he did? After not doing it in Detroit and after being retired for over a decade, what makes him think he can do here what the Detroit police department didn’t trust him to do there?

Ask yourself, are my assertions regarding Dave Simmons' professional law enforcement history substantial, relevant and useful? We know almost everything there is the know about the other candidates for sheriff. Was there any other way to bring out useful background information about Dave Simmons' executive background from over a decade in the past, over 700 miles away? Therefore, is a public service being provided by bringing out this background information? Dave Simmons' supporters and campaigners have attacked me and have tried to use my motives as a red herring to shift attention ... but notice this, they never challenge the truthfulness and validity of the background information on Dave Simmons that I've posted during this election cycle.

Submitted by William Barrett14 on Tue, 06/03/2008 - 6:52pm.

I've read my blog and realized its pretty sarcastic and I thought about not submitting it. I asked myself why did it turn out this way. I guess its hearing about the rudeness you manifest everytime you encounter someone who differs with you. I guess those people won't blog for them self, but for me its hearing how you treat people. Plus, reading for myself about the things Tom1939 has posted about you. Nope, its how I feel and this is a forum for that.

Where do I start....

Well, Mr. Simmons, Sheriff Johnson served Fayette County for more than 32 years as Sheriff and decided to retire. Yes, he did build a a home at Lake Westpoint, if you knew much about him you'd realize that he is an advid fisherman and that is his favorite pastime and Westpoint is where he goes to enjoy his past-time. Its a short jaunt down Interstate 85, not far from his family (where he grew up and they still live). Its sure a lot closer than Detroit. By the way, aren't you two pretty close in age?

You seem to be so dismissive of Sheriff Johnson, why was it then that you told more than one person that Sheriff Johnson was supporting you when he wasn't... Now don't go Litigious on me. Can't be slanderous when its the truth, or are all of those people lying.

Local law enforcement makes arrests on activities that that have some connection to gang activities. Don't think even you can put up a border patrol to keep out gang members from driving through. Tell me, until they commit a crime, how does one keep a gang member from driving through Fayette County (On 2nd thought, that's not a question but a statement). Surely you are not suggesting that you wouldn't let a little thing such as the law get in the way of a good case would you? Oh, I get it...be tough on crime--Hey, what an idea, only problem with your plan is that Fayette County (including all of the municipal law enforcment agencies you disparage) has been doing that since before you retired from Detroit 12 YEARS AGO!

The facts are as Sheriff Johnson said they were. Local law enforcement is monitoring these "wannabes" and making cases as they occur. The goal is to discourge hoodlums from coming to Fayette when they can be much more comfortable in their own county. At the NAACP Forum/Ambush in January, your co-panelist Reverend Brown (a self admitted former gang member) who spoke immediately after you contradicted your own pious statement. He said, and I quote "Fayette County, you don't have a gang problem, you've got a wannabe problem. Fayette County, you are doing things right."

Please, for all your "vaunted" successes in Detroit, are there any fewer gangs in Detroit as a result of your "ideas" and philosophies? Not according to Forbes magazine.

T.E.A.M. - Acronyms aren't a plan. Its a cutsey way of diverting attention from the fact that you have been out of the game since 1996 and living in a gated, private security patrolled, community of $1,000,000.00 homes on a retired policeman's salary. Hardly the realm of the "in-touch" law enforcement professional you claim to be. When is the last time you had a hand in arrest? 1996? 1997? I'll bet if you checked Sheriff Johnson, you'd find that his last arrest wasn't in 1996, but what...the last 3 months?

His letter is accurate. You are fear mongering. The voters will consider every thing about you when they vote.

By the way, Harold Bost as your campaign manager, Greg Dunn putting your campaign signs up in Horseman's Run. Two discredited former politicians on your team. Go for the Trifecta, see if you can get Peter Pfiefer's endorsement! Yep... The voters will consider every thing about you when they vote.

How are you going to deal with crime, when you can even follow the law about putting your signs up. Oh thats right, you are putting them up correctly, somebody else is stealing them.

One last thing...Do you really feel like you are already the Sheriff of Whitewater?

http://www.aarp.org/

Submitted by skyspy on Tue, 06/03/2008 - 10:25pm.

Geez, what a losing team, add a cop with a checkered past.

First of all simmons can't even follow simple county ordinances. (still placing signs on the right of way, and then snivling when the county picks them up) Why on earth would we elect someone who breaks the law??

To top it off he couldn't even recognize or chose to ignore white collar crime when it was happening right under his nose in detroit. (chief hart drug money embezzlement thing, 8-28-1992 Detroit Free Press) How on earth would he deal with the real criminals?

Detroit's problem with violent crime has increased 5% every year since 1991, that's the kind of "help" we DON'T need!!! Fast foreward to this year and detroit is named the worst place to live in the U.S. because of violent crime. Gee, what a shocker.

Let's stop beating around the bush, mr. simmons wants to be sheriff so he can have access to the drug money we confiscate here. I think he learned too much from chief hart. Many people think that is the only possible reason someone who has been retired for 12+yrs. would want to run for sheriff. He does not appear to have the citizens best interest at heart.

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