When I came to Fayette County in 1984, there is no comparison then to the current crime rate. I know we have more population in the county (more in the cities who have their own police) but aren't they supposed to keep up?- highgreen109

Actually, there is a strong comparison in these data. The reality is that population versus crime rate data prove that the crime rate in Fayette County has remained wholly constant. Using crime statistics from the GBI and population numbers from the US Census, the crime rate in 1990 was .018; 2000- .015; 2004- .018. In fact, one of the highest years for crime rates in Fayette County was 1980 when the rate was .02. When you compare this to the state and national averages, having a discussion about crime rates in Fayette County is ridiculous.

The facts prove that the police are "keeping up." Are you?

Where do you live in Fayette County that has less crime per person now than 1984? I want to live there.
Those fabricated crime statistics you quoted mean absolutely nothing. More crime is now unreported, or unknown, than we had total in 1984.
Oficers even discourage merchants, for instance, from insisting on filing shoplifting discovered. It is so pervasive that most would go in a big pile at the station, if reported. Other crime is also done in the same fashion. If we are talking murder and armed bank robbery, maybe close. If we are talking dope, white collar crime, corruption, and thousands of non-reportable crimes, then it is ten fold at least. We are just better at "statistics" now.

First, your allegation of the crime statistics being "fabricated" is ignorant at best and borderline libelous at worst. You'd be well-advised to retract that statement.

Those statistics, as I previously stated, come directly from the FBI and US Census. To make it simple, in deference to you, the rates I cite are merely aggregate number of serious/felony crimes divided by the total county population of record. Your point seems to be that the whole number of crimes has gone up; that is true. However it is foolish to cite that solely as proof that the crime rate is worse without examining those numbers in the context of the increase in whole population. To that extent, the rate of serious crime to population ratio has remained constant. You're wasting time and making a silly argument otherwise.

You can continue to argue your perception versus the facts but you only continue to look uniformed. Your argument has moved into the realm of the outlandish and aburd with claims of some mass conspiracy to cover up crime rates and allegations of officers discouraging crime reports. Do you fail to realize how desperate that sounds?

Do you realize where the FBI gets their numbers? Can't trust them either ever since we found out Miss Hoover ran the place. Ask any merchant if the cops want to see a written report on theft.

If thousands of crimes are unreported how do you know it? Are you a seer?
Woof

Don't any of you have friends that are cops? Ask them.

High,
Where in the world are you getting your "facts"??? If the crime is "unreported or unknown", how do YOU know about it? Are you psychic or something? And you honestly believe an officer would discourage merchants from filing shoplifting charges??? GET REAL!

You know nothing about statistics or anything else for that matter!

Police are measured by reported crime and only when the paperwork is filled out and filed under unsolved or solved.
Statistics also show that only about 7% of all crime is reported and followed up on. Even many murders aren't reported! The more population, the more crime, and the more unreported. Do you REALLY think that every dope transaction, every attempted robbery, every robbery, every shoplift, every fight, every drunk driver, and on and on, are reported now or twenty years ago? You simply can't believe numbers thrown around, especially when people are judged by them instead of paid for accuracy. Still, police in the ranks are seriously underpaid and aren't always our best and brightest.

Again, we have a lot of assertions and speculations being tossed around without a single citation or offer of proof. Cite the studies and/or sources for your alleged "statistics." See my posts for examples of how to provide sources for your comments.

Well FR,

You have tipped your hand. How you ask? Two ways actually. How did you know that the Marshal's office asked for 6 people? That kind of information has not even made it to the blabber mouth at Melear's yet. Only someone monitoring the budget approval process on behalf of the sheriff would be so well informed. Is that part of your job over there? If you are in that position, then you know that all of what I have said during this discourse is accurate. Since you are so vehement in your defense then I might suggest that is not Dunn who is squirming, but the folks that you work for instead. Time will tell which of us is right.

The second way you tip your hand is your bringing up of the old Magistrate building issue. That was what...six years ago or so? You want to bring that up now? Why? You would have people believe that Dunn waves his hand and these things happen. If I recall the published information from that time correctly, that building leaked like a sieve and the cost of maintenance was astronomical. Are you suggesting that good money after bad is a good stewardship of tax money? Or that Dunn himself was the sole decision maker? That maybe how it works at the SO as you call it, but not with the County Commission.

Could it be that all of your arguments have been repudiated and you need something else to deflect from the real issue here...the sheriff's adamant refusal to follow county mandated procedures. Procedures that everybody else....everybody else follows. When all else fails, change the subject.

It still amazes me that just because Dunn and the commissioners disagree with the sheriff..that makes them failures in their jobs......you wish.

TN,
It goes beyond Dunn's disagreements with the Sheriff's office... How many law suits, initiated by Dunn, are pending right now? Does he have any idea how much the County has paid in LEGAL FEES? Fayette County Commission is starting to sound like Clayton County Commission with all of the public disputes!

You had your say about the cell phone bill... now let's talk about LEGAL FEES! Dunn's attitude is that HE IS RIGHT about everything, and if you disagree with him, he initiates a LAW SUIT to get his way. Reasonable and responsible officials go about business another way and, as our Chairman, he needs to know that the Taxpayers are tired of his "bully" attitude.

Maybe in the near future there will be a forum where Dunn can answer to the taxpayers. (In case you didn't know, you can't do that at the Commission meeting.) I'm appalled at the waste and it's time for someone to answer to it.

FR, first...I am not Janet Dunn. I thought we had settled that issue.
You just cannot believe that there is someone other than Greg Dunn's wife who believes that he might be doing a pretty good job.

Second, I go away for a couple of days and your on the verge of a stroke from all this ranting. Chill out.

Now to your point about the legal fees. Herb Frady (in published remarks) says that we spend $500k on legal fees. He intentionally does not clarify that statement, leading the uninformed assume that the bulk of that money is spent by the county sueing the sheriff. (because he supports Maxwell and would say or do anything further his agenda). The problem is this. There is only one suit presently being contested that was initiated by the county. The other two have been initiated by the Sheriff to protect his turf. Now the standard procedure (glad at least the county follows procedure) is when the county or one of its' constitutional officers sues or gets sued by someone then the county pays all the legal fees. So when the sheriff sues the county and hires outside counsel (Rick Lindsay, former attorney for Peachtree city)(who was on retainer with them by the way)) is paid by the county. That amount does come out of the $500k that is spent for legal fees. For the sake discussion lets say that 30% of that $500k is spent on those disputes. What does the county spend the rest of the money for then? The other 70% is spent on those legal issues faced by all counties. Developer issues, defending zoning and land use issues. In other words, defending those things that make Fayette a great place to live. You think an inhouse counsel could do that? A single attorney with the expertise to deal with the myriad of issues that face our county daily? No, you might have two in house lawyers some of the skills needed, a couple of staff support people and then you have to hire outside experts to deal with specific issues that the "in house" people cannot because they lack the expertise. When all is said and done you would spend more money, and add a fixed cost to the county budget..it would cost more not less. Hey I just thought of a solution to cutting the legal costs. This is radical so study it closely. Have the sheriff drop his suits...follow procedure and suddenly there is money freed up in th budget for other things.
Nawwww...the Lt. Col. would never see the logic in that...it is far too reasonable.

TN,
I agree with you on one thing... I can't believe that there is someone else out there other than Greg Dunn's wife that believes he is doing a good job.
As for all your other comments... blah, blah, blah...you keep bringing up the same things to deflect the issue away from Dunn...
FR

Legal fees are high. We're told the county spent over half a million dollars in legal fees last year, with a good portion attributable to lawsuits the county is involved in. That's about $10,000 a week, on average. One could hire four lawyers full-time at $100,000 a year, and there'd be money left over for office expenses, secretarial help and taxes with that.

Greg Dunn is NOT responsible for all that much of that.

This is what we need to blame: (1) The pervasive inefficiency of our legal system, which makes a mountain of every molehill, takes forever to come to a decision, and sucks money out of people until they are bled dry and ready to give up from exhaustion. (2) The blindness of people who accept all of this as normal.

When Greg Dunn has a difference of opinion with another official, he should not have to give up his position just because we have a legal system that sucks. However, if he was smart, he would stop farming out the county's legal work to lawyers who charge by the hour and start an in-house Legal Department staffed by lawyers on salary.

Meanwhile, anybody who accepts as inevitable that all disputes require tons of money to be resolved plays into the hands of our unresponsive money-grubbing legal system, which I consider a disgrace.

Don't blame Dunn. Blame the dullness and apathy of our citizens for tolerating our inefficient legal system, and for electing unworthy legislators too blind to see the system's faults and too weak to correct them.

Dunn is the Chairman... HE HAS TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE. The legal fees are out of control... most of the money going to Davenport. There is an investigation right now, by private citizens, into campaign contributions to make sure there is no "conflict of interest". I hope no improprieties are found.

ERIC MAXWELL, running for Dunn’s position in July, first suggested that an “in house” legal department was warranted. I think he has a great idea!

I disagree with your comments, “Blame the dullness and apathy of our citizens for tolerating our inefficient legal system, and for electing unworthy legislators too blind to see the system's faults and too weak to correct them.” I think Fayette Voters are ANYTHING BUT APATHETIC!! Yes, we Do elect “unworthy officials”, but when they are found out, most of them are VOTED OUT. That is why I am so determined to GET DUNN OUT OF OFFICE!
IT IS TIME FOR A CHANGE!

You just do not get it. It takes 5 people on the commission to make any decision. 5...not 1. Check the voting records...there is almost complete unity on the issues on this commission...even old Herb agrees the vast majority of the time...even when he denies it later. Eric Maxwell was not the first one to suggest in house counsel. It comes up every election cycle when someone wants to ding the commission for spending. You are determined to make all this noise because your buddy the sheriff is not doing what is right for the people of this county (administratively not law enforcement) and you figure if you try to deflect the issue people will focus on Dunn and the commission instead of the shenanigans going on at the sheriff's department.

Nice try...won't work no matter how many words you capitalize in your rantings.

Unfortunately, since Dunn is the Chairman, he is the one who takes the heat for poor stewardship of the taxpayer's money. That is the bottom line!

By the way, you aren't suggesting that Mr. Frady is a liar are you?

Let's see how many people realize there is even an election for a new commissioner on March 21, and let's see how many vote, and then we'll reexamine your statement "I think Fayette Voters are anything but apathetic!"

You can't be serious when you say you hope no improprieties are found about campaign contributions coming from the county attorney. Contribution reports from past elections have shown contributions from the county attorney to some candidates. What happens next is that Candidate A gives money to Candidate B, and Candidate B gives money to Candidate C, and that's how the money is laundered.

These lawyers also have partners and friends through whom they can funnel money.

It's not time for a change, if the only change is jumping from the frying pan into the fire! That's the usual choice we're given.

Davenport contributed to the Commissioner's Campaign? Wouldn't that be considered a "conflict of interest"? It just doesn't seem right to me! The county attorney has made A LOT OF MONEY supporting the many Law Suits initiated by the commissioners!
Who appointed the County Attorney/Davenport??? Is it the commissioners who appoint him, or is he an elected position?
Just wondering...

Tipped your hand? Certainly you have. And you're not kidding anyone, we all know who sits in Dunn's lap at every meeting. Question is, whose lap you going to sit in next?

Sorry Robert M and FR. I am not Janet Dunn. As for lap sitting...
You two seem to think that no one supports Dunn. Don't believe what you read (or write to) the paper.

TN, (aka JD)
Oh darn! Now you went & figured it out! You aren't just a masterful writer, you're a detective too! HA, HA, HA!!! Come on, I'm on the computer all day! Does it look like I work for the Sheriff, or anybody else for that matter? Actually, I'm retired now and enjoy every minute of it!

My information comes from the same place as yours, right??? The paper, commission meetings, and oh yea, let's not forget the rumor mill... However, some of my information comes directly from the "horse’s mouth".

The information about the request for six new deputy marshals came from a phone call I made to someone named Ed at the Marshal's Office... I'm not sure who he is, but he was very nice and was more than happy to share information with me. Ask him about a call he received about three weeks ago from a "Fayette resident"... I'm sure he will remember! I hope this doesn't get Ed in trouble, because Dunn has fired people for lesser things? (former County Administrator who's "services were no longer needed")

Concerning the Magistrate Building... YES I AM suggesting that Dunn waved his hand and had the building demolished! And YES I AM bringing this up again after 6 years! AND YES I AM suggesting that Dunn was a bad steward of the taxpayer's money! Can you prove otherwise?

FR

Every one seems to be concerned with the Sheriff, need to be worried about the Chief in Fayetteville. Why would they pick a guy that has been in law enforcement for 23 years,and had 5 positions.There were plenty of more quailified canidates locally. They knew who they wanted before the position was ever posted. Another Victor Hill wait and see.