Newspaper Page Text
November 2, 2016
MCI
VENT!
www.mymcr.net/vent
A clean county audit for last
year? Seriously? votes: 11
The individuals that need
assistance to do their jobs
get big raises while the
ditch diggers get nothing,
votes: 10
I agree with Evans & Ham
on jumping the gun on the
county raises. It appears the
two in charge of this project
lack the competence to
perform this task, votes: 9
Secure your trash on the
way to the Recycling Cen
ter. You know if you leave
home with a truck full and
get to the center with 2
pieces...DUH! Something
Coverup
continued from front
A December 2015 inves
tigation, completed by for
mer Forsyth Police Major
David Brown on Dec. 14,
2015, found city 9-1-1 dis
patcher Barbara Shannon
violated department code
prohibiting possession/use
of alcohol while on duty on
Nov. 12, 2015. According
to Brown’s report., the
department ordinance
stipulates that, employees
who violate the alcohol
possession policy be fired
immediately. However,
because there was no
physical evidence to prove
Shannon violated the
code, she instead received
a written reprimand with
instructions for mandato
ry, professional substance
abuse counseling.
According to Brown’s
report., then-Chief Keith
Corley, prior to his Dec.
3, 2015 resignation,
requested Brown’s inves
tigation after receiving a
report, by Major George
Foster, another member
of Corley’s command staff,
because Corley didn’t,
feel Foster’s report, of the
incident, “contained a suf
ficient. amount, of correct,
information.”
Foster was subsequently
found in Brown’s investi
gation to have exhibited
“acts of unprofessional
conduct” in trying to
“conceal and prevent, dis
closure of certain informa
tion” during the incident..
Brown then forwarded
his allegations concern
ing Foster to the Georgia
Peace Officer Standards
and Training Council for
further inquiry.
According to Brown’s
report., Crystal Smith,
a Forsyth dispatcher,
received a phone call from
Shannon at. 1:07 p.m.
on Nov. 12. Smith said
Shannon, who was sup
posed to relieve Smith
from duty at. 5 p.m.
that, day, spoke errati
cally with “periods of emo
tional highs and lows.”
According to the report.,
Smith believed Shannon,
who commented that, if
she’d been driving at. that,
time she would have been
DUI, was intoxicated.
Smith said Shannon also
said she had not. had any
sleep, so Smith agreed to
cover Shannon’s shift, until
7 p.m. However, Smith
also reported the incident,
to management.. According
to the report, shortly after
5 p.m. Shannon reported
for duty. When Smith told
Shannon she was early,
Shannon had no recollec
tion of the previous con
versation.
According to Brown’s
report, Forsyth Police
Officer Steven Hood wit
nessed Shannon arrive
at. work with eyes that,
were puffy, reel and glazed
over. Hood told Brown
he believed Shannon
was impaired. He then
immediately reported his
observations to another
Forsyth Police Officer
happened!!! Juliette Rd. is
full of your trash! votes: 7
Smoke blowers that work
for the county get 3-8 dol
lars per hour raise while
educated people who are
good at what they do get 32
cents. In need of location
of a gift of gab college or
smoke blowing university.
Please help, votes: 6
Some ditch diggers make
more than desk workers,
especially if they can run a
backhoe. They can actually
become rich if they own
their own backhoe. votes: 4
If you think “they” already
know who will win, why
would you even go vote?
I hope you don’t influence
others not to vote, votes: 3
I will not VOTE for any
man who thinks WOMEN
are TOYS. WE are already
thought of as less than
equal and paid less, votes:
3
Patrice Kemer. Kemer
then contacted Major
Eddie Harris, who was
subsequently hired as
Corley’s replacement,
as chief. Harris notified
Foster, who responded
to the police department,
to investigate. Kemer
told Brown she later
delivered an Alco-Sensor
breath alcohol test, device
to Forsyth Police Officer
Bruce Hughley. She said
Hughley told her later
that, night, that. Shannon
was not drunk. According
to the report, Kemer said
Hughley told her that,
“they” in reference t.o
Foster and he had spoken
with Smith and instmeted
her not. to do that, again.
Kemer said she asked
Hughley what, he meant,
by “not. to do that.” and
Hughley replied by say
ing Smith had no basis
for her allegations about.
Shannon. When Kemer
advocated that. Smith
had done what, she was
expected in the situation,
Hughley did not. respond
other than t.o say Shannon
was no longer at work.
According to his report.
Brown also interviewed
Hughley, who said he
noticed nothing unusual
about. Shannon’s behavior
when she arrived that,
day. Hughley said he later
administered a breath
test, to Shannon with
Foster and Shannon’s
husband present, which
did not. result, in a defini
tive reading. Hughley
said Shannon failed each
time to blow sufficient, air,
which he attributed either
to her being too upset, at.
the time or asthma, which
she claimed. Hughley told
Brown he saw Shannon
crying and visibly upset
but no odor of alcohol
was present.. He said it.
did appear as if Shannon
had not. slept.. However,
Hughley later demon
strated the breath test, for
Brown and admitted it.
was possible for an intoxi
cated person t.o t.o show
insufficient, test, results.
According to Brown’s
report, Gloria Buckner,
Forsyth Police
Department, administra
tive assistant, told Brown
the dispatchers report, to
Foster. Buckner said she
detected no odor of alcohol
on Shannon when she
arrived at. work. She said
she witnessed Smith’s
comment, to Shannon
about, being early and
Shannon replied she
could go back home then.
Buckner told Brown that
Shannon had never pre
viously been accused of
reporting for duty while
intoxicated.
Brown also interviewed
Foster as part, of his
investigation. According
to the report, Foster told
Brown he only inter
viewed Shannon and
Smith and no other wit
nesses as part, of his initial
report.. Foster told Brown
he observed no odor of
alcohol on Shannon and
only believed she was
tired. Foster said due to
the seriousness of the
complaint, he required
^Reporter
PAGE 3A
My co-worker said she is
voting for Trump because
he won’t kill babies. No, he
will blow up the whole dang
world, votes: 3
WONDER how long it will
take for the two new mem
bers of the Monroe County
Development Authority to
start wearing overalls and
buying some cows, votes: 3
Trump is a populist, and
like all populists worldwide,
his proposals lack well
thought-out strategy and
will not work, and he will
soon become unpopular if
elected, votes: 2
Being in a RED county, but
in a BLUE state of mind, I
just didn’t mark anything if
the only choice was Repub
lican. votes: 2
Georgia is no longer all
RED. We are turning pink,
votes: 2
Shannon t.o take a breath
test.. However, he said,
according to the report, he
contacted Shannon’s hus
band to come to the police
department, because he
believed she was unsafe to
drive. Foster told Brown
that, based on the nega
tive breath test, results, he
advised Shannon to seek
professional counseling
for depression. He then
relieved Shannon from
duty and allowed her sick
leave to cover the remain
der of her shift. Shannon
was then driven home by
her husband.
According to the report.
Brown also interviewed
Shannon, whose “over
all tendencies were
to be uncooperative.”
Brown’s report, stated
that. Shannon told him
her interview with Foster
didn’t, go well, and she
refused further comment,
on it.. However, Shannon
maintained to Brown that
she was not. intoxicated
when she reported for
duty.
Brown concluded: “No
physical evidence exists
to implicate Barbara
Shannon. However,
interviews and witness
information tend t.o estab
lish the probability that.
Shannon was intoxicated,
a circumstance that, oth
erwise according to policy
would require immediate
termination.”
Smith, the dispatcher
who reported Shannon,
was also the subject, of a
Forsyth Police internal
affairs investigation in
February 2016. At. the
conclusion of the investi
gation, Brown determined
that, an accusation that.
Smith displayed cruelty to
animals was unfounded.
According to Brown’s
report, Monroe County
Animal Control received
an anonymous complaint,
of dogs with inadequate
shelter at. Smith’s home.
Dep. Paul Stewart, of the
Monroe County Sheriffs
Office investigated the
claim on Jan. 20, 2016
and found a dog chained
t.o the wooden deck in
the backyard. Stewart,
saw bowls he assumed
were for food and water
were instead turned over
and empty. Stewart, then
allowed Animal Control
to take custody of the dog
while his efforts t.o locate
the home’s residents were
unsuccessful. Smith was
later found not. guilty of
animal neglect, in Monroe
County Magistrate Court
on Feb. 11, 2016.
Brown’s investigation
also determined that.
Foster had alleged Smith
had violated Georgia code
by committing cruelty to
animals.
Brown’s report, stated:
“Preliminary review of the
internal affairs request,
revealed no mention of
a State Law violation.
Unclear as to why Major
Foster inserted the allega
tion, I questioned him of it.
in the presence of Interim
Police Chief, Eddie
Harris.”
According to the report,
Foster replied by saying
Paved Rumble Rd = coun
try living I came for. Paved
Rumble Rd = traffic and ac
cidents. votes: 2
Monroe County VOTES
RED. What does that
mean? votes: 2
If you are hung up on the
Planned Parenthood, pro-
choice issue, please notice
that the Democratic Vice
Presidential nominee is Ro
man Catholic, and they are
totally against any abortions
or birth control at any time,
votes: 2
Who is this mysterious
“they” who already knows
who is going into office??
votes: 2
THE BEST CANDIDATE.
Enough said. You know and
I know who has the EDU
CATION AND THE EXPERI
ENCE. But WATCH WHAT
MONROE COUNTY DOES,
votes: 2
he typically associates any
lesser charge with viola
tion of a higher state stat
ute. Brown told Foster his
assumption was incorrect,
and told him the internal
investigation into Smith’s
alleged wrongdoing was
being suspended.
Brown’s report, stated:
“Chief Harris reacted by
providing Foster with the
incorrect, document, and
instructions for making
corrections.” The report,
continued: “A short, period
later, Foster provided me
with the document, he’d
altered by whiting out.’ the
accusation of Cruelty to
Animals. However, includ
ed with the document, was
a letter to Crystal Smith
by Major Foster stating
that, she was being repri
manded for the State Law
violation.
Brown’s report conclud
ed by stating that. Smith
was “wrongfully accused
by Major George Foster” of
violating the state Cruelty
to Animals statute. He
then recommended
rescinding any pre-det.er-
mined disciplinary mea
sures against. Smith and
recommended a review
of Foster’s performance
under the departmental
code of Unsatisfactory
Performance.
Forsyth and Monroe
County are in discus
sions to combine city
dispatch with the Monroe
County Sheriffs Office,
but. no timetable has been
established. Brown sub
sequently retired shortly
after Harris was named
full-time chief saying the
city was promoting locals
regardless of education or
professionalism.
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