Zackmeister
Member
I read about this yesterday in the paper. I read the whole article and could not tell why the officers were fired and what the hissy fit was about. Everyone was supposed to see the evil M4 and assume something bad had happened.
Police department closes because of "weapons cache"
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spartacus2002
Member
You're thinking of certain parts of Virginia
Diggler
Member
Here's a photo of Mayor Bobby Hill...
Diamondback
Member
I grew uo in a small community like this and let me tell you this has little to do with firearms and policing and nearly everything to do with personal politics. Growing up I saw first hand how petty feuds between neighbors, resentments by merchants toward community members who don't trade with them, and just down right mean spirited folks keep a town in constant turmoil. Living in a small town has its advantages but petty personal politics is not one of them !
Sylvilagus Aquaticus
Member
Growing up in and around rural small Texas towns I saw what happens when 'local podunk politics' go awry. I've seen 2/3 of a local town council given the boot in a recall election in the past couple of months, and 'us vs. them' situations get pretty ridiculous.
I guess with no police force left (to speak of) then inebriated city officials can DWI with impunity. Maybe the county's sherriff department will have a response time of less than an hour when serious traffic accidents happen.
I suppose any violent crime can be dealt with ex post facto easily enough, but altercations which require 'police intervention' must be broken up with pepper spray or batons, but it looks like sticks and rocks are the most readily available tools.
Following the Classic British Model, I suppose.
"Halt, or I'll blow my whistle'.
Oddly, Bartlett is about 45 miles north-notheast of Austin, Texas. Obviously not far enough from there.
Who wants to bet the folks causing this stink weren't raised there?
Just another reason not to import exotic species into an existing ecosystem. They can overbreed and take over, lowering the bar.
Of course, this also raises the possibility of inbreeding, but it's just a theory.
Regards,
Rabbit.
I guess with no police force left (to speak of) then inebriated city officials can DWI with impunity. Maybe the county's sherriff department will have a response time of less than an hour when serious traffic accidents happen.
I suppose any violent crime can be dealt with ex post facto easily enough, but altercations which require 'police intervention' must be broken up with pepper spray or batons, but it looks like sticks and rocks are the most readily available tools.
Following the Classic British Model, I suppose.
"Halt, or I'll blow my whistle'.
Oddly, Bartlett is about 45 miles north-notheast of Austin, Texas. Obviously not far enough from there.
Who wants to bet the folks causing this stink weren't raised there?
Just another reason not to import exotic species into an existing ecosystem. They can overbreed and take over, lowering the bar.
Of course, this also raises the possibility of inbreeding, but it's just a theory.
Regards,
Rabbit.
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Andrew Wyatt
Member
Finally someone has struck a blow for equality in law. Now even the cops get arrested on BS weapons charges.
larry_minn
Member
Finally someone has struck a blow for equality in law. Now even the cops get arrested on BS weapons charges
I didn't notice they got arrested or any charges. Just drunk Mayor got them fired?
I didn't notice they got arrested or any charges. Just drunk Mayor got them fired?
Hmmm...police department gets disbanded.
Were I living there a SHTF rifle would suddenly become a priority. Wonder how many bad guys are wondering if there is anything worth stealing in that town. Not a smart move on the part of the politicians.
Were I living there a SHTF rifle would suddenly become a priority. Wonder how many bad guys are wondering if there is anything worth stealing in that town. Not a smart move on the part of the politicians.
GunGeek
Member
Thats 1 for every 100 residents. Yes the only had 2 officers at the end but if it was like most government purchases it was first put in the works when it was closer to 5.
So one pistol per officer plus 3 spares, I'd have gotten only 2 spares but maybe they wanted to be ready for a 6th officer. One shotgun per officer (story said 4-6) even if it is 6 thats one spare. And one rifle for the whole department..... I don't know about you but if they had any less weapons I'd consider suing for failure to be fully prepared.
Maybe that 68% figure is true in the other 48 states, but here in Kali (especially the cities), the mentality if only the police and the military should have "assault weapons" and if god forbids a civilian has one, he is labeled some "nut" or a criminial.
Why is it that every freaking time some dumbass senator or Congressman wants to propose some new "feelgood" anti-gun law, he always seems to have all the police unions/chiefs supporting him.
I don't know about you guys but I would love a deal where I could get this hardware for $2400.
GunGeek- I gotta agree with you. Any less arms and they are not properly prepared.
Then again as one of our brethern has stated elsewhere: "He was found dead in front of his open gun safe, when it came down to it he simply couldn't choose." I could think of a basic load out for a police cruiser that would include 7 firearms. Otherwise I would feel seriously undergunned.
GunGeek- I gotta agree with you. Any less arms and they are not properly prepared.
Then again as one of our brethern has stated elsewhere: "He was found dead in front of his open gun safe, when it came down to it he simply couldn't choose." I could think of a basic load out for a police cruiser that would include 7 firearms. Otherwise I would feel seriously undergunned.
JohnBT
Member
"Thats 1 for every 100 residents. Yes the only had 2 officers..."
Yup, that was a typo, but my point stands. Trade you a Y for an 0.
The question that comes to mind is...Did they even need one(1) new gun? Didn't they have guns already? Maybe they only needed to replace/upgrade a couple of their weapons, but decided to burn the budget to the ground and buy, buy, buy.
Nah. Probably all politics.
John
Yup, that was a typo, but my point stands. Trade you a Y for an 0.
The question that comes to mind is...Did they even need one(1) new gun? Didn't they have guns already? Maybe they only needed to replace/upgrade a couple of their weapons, but decided to burn the budget to the ground and buy, buy, buy.
Nah. Probably all politics.
John
centexshooter
Member
Keep an eye on the newspapers. You will see more on Mayor Hill. He is not through yet. The word is that the local VFD is next on the target list because they won't relenquish their outside funding to the city's general fund.
RustyHammer
Member
Politics, pure and simple.
Don Gwinn
Moderator Emeritus
Small-town politics are the most dishonest and vicious. EVERYBODY in these situations has a personal score to settle, often from 2-3 generations back.
If my local police department were disbanded and disarmed, I'd be better armed, that's for sure. I'd stop putting off that next formal training, too.
If my local police department were disbanded and disarmed, I'd be better armed, that's for sure. I'd stop putting off that next formal training, too.
Well... there were 5 full time officers and 3 reserves when the weapons were purchased. The idea was to have uniformity between all of the officers. There was one shotgun for each of the 4 patrol cars in the "fleet". The M-4 was owned by the Dept and it stayed in the PD for just in case use. It is a select fire weapon.
The city fathers are helping the Mayor to do his dirty deeds and all should be run out of office for leaving the town with out any police protection.
Bartlett sits on the county line between Williamson and Bell Counties. It is about 25 miles from each county seat. There are potentially long response times for any law enforcement emergency in town.:banghead:
Unfortunately this whole thing is an evil political plot in which the citizens of the town are paying for the Drunken Mayor's vindetta.
The city fathers are helping the Mayor to do his dirty deeds and all should be run out of office for leaving the town with out any police protection.
Bartlett sits on the county line between Williamson and Bell Counties. It is about 25 miles from each county seat. There are potentially long response times for any law enforcement emergency in town.:banghead:
Unfortunately this whole thing is an evil political plot in which the citizens of the town are paying for the Drunken Mayor's vindetta.
DMK
Member
Well, at least it's a state where the citizens can still defend themselves properly.
GunGeek
Member
With that thinking all PDs would still use SA revolvers from the 1900s, I mean why replace them if they still fire?
Working in computers I can not stress how much easyer it is to maintain equipment if everything is standardized, both in training and parts/repairs. Also when one or two of a group of items starts to break you can expect the others arn't far behind, soon it's cheaper to throw them away and start over then replace all the worn out parts. Same reason many people buy a new car every 3 to 5 years.
Perfect example is the color network printers I just replaced, the old printers were costing us $2000 a year each to keep repaired working, for $4000 each I bought brand new printers that not only have a 3 year warrenty, but also have cheaper suppies and more/better features.
In order to have one officer on duty per shift and three eight hour shifts per 24 hour day, you have to have five officers on the payroll.
That's giving each officer on your department two days off per week (someone has to cover all those weekends).
Each town in Texas has a city charter in which the duties of the city are explained - some in more detail than others. The only way that most city charters can be changed is by calling a vote of the residents of the city.
If the charter of the city of Bartlett states that the city will maintain a police department, then the city has to maintain a PD unless and until the charter is amended by vote.
The way things go around this part of Texas, the Sheriff can't charge an incorporated town for patrol activities inside the town's limits unless there is a exisiting contract drawn up between the city and the county.
The mayor won't want the Sheriffs maintaining the peace inside of his town. The deputies do not, and will not, answer to him, he can neither bully nor bluff them into doing things his way; and the deputies will not enforce city ordinances.
As a general rule, street cops do not get to choose their beats.
LawDog
TeamOPs
Member
The Facts on Bartlett
1) The articles were written by long time friends of the Hill family
2) The department had 5 officers and 3 reserves = 8 handguns
3) 1 shotgun per patrol vehicle
4) 1 select fire M-4 for the department
During the last budget cycle, the PD was severely cut. The Chief requested a modest budget to comply with operating expenses, equipment needs (no new guns), and mandated federal and TCLEOSE training - from almost $300K to $196K and the loss of 1 full time officer and patrol car. Additionally, the K-9 unit was terminated because the mostly elderly council (4 white males, 1 black male, and the mayor was female) were growing weary of the threats and harassment from the criminals (they were scared!).
After the election, the mayor's twin brother and a friend of Mr. Hill remained on the council (their terms were not up). 2 white males and 1 black male were elected, all friends, former employees, or indebted to Mr. Hill.
According to the voter sign-in sheets, there was approximately an 107% voter turn out. Several registered voters have stepped forward to say they were denied their vote, or did not vote at all. Those numbers certainly do not add up! (See follow-up to this below. . .)
Mr. Hill stated he did not have a key to the ammunition locker, yet I recorded him on video tape when he was shown ALL of the keys to the PD and informed of the various laws concerning the possession of the weapons, files, and evidence, by the former Chief. If you look at the photo, you will also see ammunition on the table. Doesn't add up?
Also, the photograph is evidence that Mr. Hill considers himself above the law. He is in possession of a Class III automatic weapon, without a permit. This is a federal felony!
To Mr. Hill's left, is the evidence room where confiscated guns, drugs, and money were stored. Although the picture doesn't show it, the lighting (of which I am very familiar) suggests that it is open - another felony!
Then after that picture was supposedly taken, Mr. Hill and his wife, and perhaps the city clerk (also a former girlfriend of Mr. Hill), were observed by several citizens removing boxes of documents and other items from the PD. It is a felony for a police officer to request, possess, or use that kind of information except when connected with a legal investigation (we are constantly drilled on this in the academy). Since Mr. Hill is not a sworn police officer, investigating those crimes, isn't this another felony? And, now, what about the missing weapons that Mr. Hill mentioned?
It is all about politics! It is all about an illegal election!! It is all about a system that has been liberalized to overly protect the criminals!!!
The County and State insisted we needed to file only 2 sworn complaints to initiate an investigation, we've filed seven. In return, the State and County have ignored us - not even a courtesy call to tell us to go take a flying leap. It is hard on the good citizens, especially in our mostly elderly community - but it is hardest and most punishing on those who fight for justice! You can help by keeping this thread going and by sending words of encouragement.
Hope this helps,
TeamOPs
1) The articles were written by long time friends of the Hill family
2) The department had 5 officers and 3 reserves = 8 handguns
3) 1 shotgun per patrol vehicle
4) 1 select fire M-4 for the department
During the last budget cycle, the PD was severely cut. The Chief requested a modest budget to comply with operating expenses, equipment needs (no new guns), and mandated federal and TCLEOSE training - from almost $300K to $196K and the loss of 1 full time officer and patrol car. Additionally, the K-9 unit was terminated because the mostly elderly council (4 white males, 1 black male, and the mayor was female) were growing weary of the threats and harassment from the criminals (they were scared!).
After the election, the mayor's twin brother and a friend of Mr. Hill remained on the council (their terms were not up). 2 white males and 1 black male were elected, all friends, former employees, or indebted to Mr. Hill.
According to the voter sign-in sheets, there was approximately an 107% voter turn out. Several registered voters have stepped forward to say they were denied their vote, or did not vote at all. Those numbers certainly do not add up! (See follow-up to this below. . .)
Mr. Hill stated he did not have a key to the ammunition locker, yet I recorded him on video tape when he was shown ALL of the keys to the PD and informed of the various laws concerning the possession of the weapons, files, and evidence, by the former Chief. If you look at the photo, you will also see ammunition on the table. Doesn't add up?
Also, the photograph is evidence that Mr. Hill considers himself above the law. He is in possession of a Class III automatic weapon, without a permit. This is a federal felony!
To Mr. Hill's left, is the evidence room where confiscated guns, drugs, and money were stored. Although the picture doesn't show it, the lighting (of which I am very familiar) suggests that it is open - another felony!
Then after that picture was supposedly taken, Mr. Hill and his wife, and perhaps the city clerk (also a former girlfriend of Mr. Hill), were observed by several citizens removing boxes of documents and other items from the PD. It is a felony for a police officer to request, possess, or use that kind of information except when connected with a legal investigation (we are constantly drilled on this in the academy). Since Mr. Hill is not a sworn police officer, investigating those crimes, isn't this another felony? And, now, what about the missing weapons that Mr. Hill mentioned?
It is all about politics! It is all about an illegal election!! It is all about a system that has been liberalized to overly protect the criminals!!!
The County and State insisted we needed to file only 2 sworn complaints to initiate an investigation, we've filed seven. In return, the State and County have ignored us - not even a courtesy call to tell us to go take a flying leap. It is hard on the good citizens, especially in our mostly elderly community - but it is hardest and most punishing on those who fight for justice! You can help by keeping this thread going and by sending words of encouragement.
Hope this helps,
TeamOPs
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preacherman, the pd consisted of 7 white officers, and one hispanic officer who worked part time and he was the guy who had the drug dog. there was only one drug dog working with the bartlett pd, and it literally did not know which way to "hit" first when taken into one of the bars. the drugs were everywhere.
the council is currently, 4 white males, and one black male. the mayor is a white male. the previous council had the same ethnic distribution, but with different people, and a white female mayor. two of the previous council were not up for re-election, two did not run again, and the old mayor got beat by the guy who's picture was in the article in the paper at the start of this thread.
the new mayor signed for the entire inventory being accounted for, on video no less, of the station and evidence locker last thursday morning and announced that afternoon that there were missing weapons and computers. neither of which was/is true. there were two reserve officers who still had their guns , which he was told when he took over the pd and signed for everything, and the computers were never the department's, but loaners from a larger neighboring city, their old mdt's, which were legally wiped and reissued to another agency.
the council is currently, 4 white males, and one black male. the mayor is a white male. the previous council had the same ethnic distribution, but with different people, and a white female mayor. two of the previous council were not up for re-election, two did not run again, and the old mayor got beat by the guy who's picture was in the article in the paper at the start of this thread.
the new mayor signed for the entire inventory being accounted for, on video no less, of the station and evidence locker last thursday morning and announced that afternoon that there were missing weapons and computers. neither of which was/is true. there were two reserve officers who still had their guns , which he was told when he took over the pd and signed for everything, and the computers were never the department's, but loaners from a larger neighboring city, their old mdt's, which were legally wiped and reissued to another agency.
TeamOPs
Member
Correction
Above, I stated that there was 107% voter turn out, this is not true. I was not satisfied with the results I was seeing and investigated deeper. It seems that the information I received from an open records request was not complete!
Our city is divided by two counties, I was provided only the "complete" voter rolls for the one smaller county and all of the voter sign in sheets. When you do the math that way, it "looked" like double the numbers.
The actual turn out was more like 50%. While this is still abnormally high for this town, or any other election, it is not nearly the smoking gun some had hoped for.
I apologize for the error in reporting.
TeamOPs
Above, I stated that there was 107% voter turn out, this is not true. I was not satisfied with the results I was seeing and investigated deeper. It seems that the information I received from an open records request was not complete!
Our city is divided by two counties, I was provided only the "complete" voter rolls for the one smaller county and all of the voter sign in sheets. When you do the math that way, it "looked" like double the numbers.
The actual turn out was more like 50%. While this is still abnormally high for this town, or any other election, it is not nearly the smoking gun some had hoped for.
I apologize for the error in reporting.
TeamOPs
Sylvilagus Aquaticus
Member
Thanks for the local updates, folks.
I imagine the hearses were busy during that election. Local hotly contested elections do tend to bring out the dead vote, especially in Texas.
You might check for the catatonic vote in nursing homes, too.
Are you getting any response from the AG's office or the Texas Rangers?
Are your local county sherrifs any good?
Regards,
Rabbit.
I imagine the hearses were busy during that election. Local hotly contested elections do tend to bring out the dead vote, especially in Texas.
You might check for the catatonic vote in nursing homes, too.
Are you getting any response from the AG's office or the Texas Rangers?
Are your local county sherrifs any good?
Regards,
Rabbit.
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