I know I should be ecstatic and happy but why do I feel so bereft?
I guess it is because I feel Denise's life was too high of a price to have paid to see that 9-1-1 dispatchers and call takers get mandatory training.
It just makes no sense. I guess true change and great change only comes after a tragedy.
Why?
I just want to cry.
I still miss Denise everyday. My hurt and heartache has not gotten any easier to bear.
I cannot imagine how Denise's own parents feel or even Nathan.
But, thank goodness Charlie Crist signed it. Thank goodness several politicians took action.
When the bill was passed unaminously through the house, a 9-1-1 coordinator came up to Mark and I angry. Angry! Angry because he did not know how he was going to pay for it. Angry that he has to come up with $150,000.
$150,000????????? That is what he was worried about. Mark had to hold me back. All I said was "it had to be done" and then the man quietly agreed but had no idea how insensitive he had been. My heart broke. $150,000? That is nothing compared to Denise's life and the fact that Nate and the boys have to go on without her. The boys do not have their "mommy" tucking them in at nights, rocking them and kissing their booboos. They will never know her infectious smile. They will never remember her laugh. I could have smacked the man.
sigh
I should be happy I know.
Showing posts with label Governor Charlie Crist. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Governor Charlie Crist. Show all posts
Friday, June 4, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Charlotte Sun
Bill approved by House Governmental Affairs Committee Wednesday
By ELAINE ALLEN-EMRICH
North Port Community News Editor
A bill to keep 911 audio recordings from being made public was approved 8-5 in the House Governmental Affairs Policy Committee Wednesday in Tallahassee.
The bill was introduced after John Hoblick, the CEO of the Florida Farm Bureau's 16-year-old son, was found dead on May 30. The teen allegedly died of an accidental overdose following a night of drinking games and experimenting with prescription drugs, according to investigative reports. The next day, a portion of the one-minute 911 call made by Hoblick's 20-year-old son was aired on DeLeon Springs, Fla., TV news.
Hoblick told Government Affairs Policy Committee House Speaker Larry Cretul, R-Ocala, that hearing the 911 tape brings back painful memories. He asked Cretul to ban the release of 911 tapes to the public.
The bill would make transcripts of a 911 tapes available after 60 days and allows a judge to decide if a tape can be released "upon a showing of good cause."
Not everyone believes the bill is good for Floridians.
"Can I go to the House Speaker and ask for an exemption to the Florida Sunshine Law?" said Barbara Peterson, president of the First Amendment Foundation in Tallahassee. The foundation is a nonprofit group that lobbies for open government. "I'm no one, so I wouldn't get preferential treatment. There is someone who is well-known -- Nathan Lee, who is lobbying for 911 standards, and he is against this bill. He too has been impacted by a family member's death, and he believes 911 calls should be transparent."
Lee, who could not attend Wednesday's hearing because he was receiving a national citizen advocacy award from the E911 Institute in Washington, D.C., wrote a letter to the committee.
"We believe 911 issues need more transparency and not less if we are everto learn from past mistakes," he wrote. "Five 911 calls were made the day my wife, Denise Amber Lee, was kidnapped from our home (in January 2008 in North Port) by a complete stranger. One was made by Denise herself when she dialed 911 with her killer's cell phone without his knowledge.
"During the recent murder trial, we had to listen to over six minutes of this painful call where she begged for her life, desperately pleading to come home to me and our two boys," he wrote. "I understand the pain and suffering of having to listen to tragic 911 calls. Another nine-minute 911 call was made that day from a bystander. She provided the exact location ... (but the call) was never dispatched."
The bill is on a fast track to the House floor.
Gov. Charlie Crist said he thinks the tapes ought to remain available but backers of the legislation say they're an invasion of privacy. Crist has indicated he would not sign the bill if it makes it to his desk.
The News Service of Florida and Associated Press contributed to this report.
By ELAINE ALLEN-EMRICH
North Port Community News Editor
A bill to keep 911 audio recordings from being made public was approved 8-5 in the House Governmental Affairs Policy Committee Wednesday in Tallahassee.
The bill was introduced after John Hoblick, the CEO of the Florida Farm Bureau's 16-year-old son, was found dead on May 30. The teen allegedly died of an accidental overdose following a night of drinking games and experimenting with prescription drugs, according to investigative reports. The next day, a portion of the one-minute 911 call made by Hoblick's 20-year-old son was aired on DeLeon Springs, Fla., TV news.
Hoblick told Government Affairs Policy Committee House Speaker Larry Cretul, R-Ocala, that hearing the 911 tape brings back painful memories. He asked Cretul to ban the release of 911 tapes to the public.
The bill would make transcripts of a 911 tapes available after 60 days and allows a judge to decide if a tape can be released "upon a showing of good cause."
Not everyone believes the bill is good for Floridians.
"Can I go to the House Speaker and ask for an exemption to the Florida Sunshine Law?" said Barbara Peterson, president of the First Amendment Foundation in Tallahassee. The foundation is a nonprofit group that lobbies for open government. "I'm no one, so I wouldn't get preferential treatment. There is someone who is well-known -- Nathan Lee, who is lobbying for 911 standards, and he is against this bill. He too has been impacted by a family member's death, and he believes 911 calls should be transparent."
Lee, who could not attend Wednesday's hearing because he was receiving a national citizen advocacy award from the E911 Institute in Washington, D.C., wrote a letter to the committee.
"We believe 911 issues need more transparency and not less if we are everto learn from past mistakes," he wrote. "Five 911 calls were made the day my wife, Denise Amber Lee, was kidnapped from our home (in January 2008 in North Port) by a complete stranger. One was made by Denise herself when she dialed 911 with her killer's cell phone without his knowledge.
"During the recent murder trial, we had to listen to over six minutes of this painful call where she begged for her life, desperately pleading to come home to me and our two boys," he wrote. "I understand the pain and suffering of having to listen to tragic 911 calls. Another nine-minute 911 call was made that day from a bystander. She provided the exact location ... (but the call) was never dispatched."
The bill is on a fast track to the House floor.
Gov. Charlie Crist said he thinks the tapes ought to remain available but backers of the legislation say they're an invasion of privacy. Crist has indicated he would not sign the bill if it makes it to his desk.
The News Service of Florida and Associated Press contributed to this report.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Go Charlie! Thank you for speaking up.
Crist not keen on keeping 911 calls secret
by Dara Kam March 9th, 2010
Gov. Charlie Crist said today he may veto a measure that would create a new public records exemption for 911 calls.
First Amendment advocates and some victims vigorously oppose the legislation, the brainchild of House Speaker Larry Cretul and other unidentified House GOP “leaders,” according to Cretul’s spokeswoman Jill Chamberlain.
Cretul believes the calls should be made secret to spare victims from reliving traumatic events when tapes of the emergency calls are broadcast.
But some victims, including the family of one of the most notorious 911-calls-gone wrong kidnap and murder victim Denise Amber Lee, want the calls to remain public to keep dispatchers and law enforcement officials accountable when they err.
Crist, whose first act after becoming governor in 2007 was to create the “Office of Open Government,” said he prefers greater openness and transparency.
“What we can learn after the fact many times with these 911 recordings can be beneficial to make sure that it’s done better in the future because you can discover mistakes or maybe better management practices that can be utilized in the application of 911,” Crist said this morning.
“It’s been a great thing for the people, a great thing for safety and it has saved a lot of lives. But if we keep those secret going forward, we might not be able to continue to learn from those experiences as to what might help people in the future,” he said.
The House Government Policy Accountability Council is slated to take up the measure (PCB GAP 10-3, PCB GAP 10-3A) tomorrow morning.
http://www.postonpolitics.com/2010/03/crist-not-keen-on-keeping-911-calls-secret/
by Dara Kam March 9th, 2010
Gov. Charlie Crist said today he may veto a measure that would create a new public records exemption for 911 calls.
First Amendment advocates and some victims vigorously oppose the legislation, the brainchild of House Speaker Larry Cretul and other unidentified House GOP “leaders,” according to Cretul’s spokeswoman Jill Chamberlain.
Cretul believes the calls should be made secret to spare victims from reliving traumatic events when tapes of the emergency calls are broadcast.
But some victims, including the family of one of the most notorious 911-calls-gone wrong kidnap and murder victim Denise Amber Lee, want the calls to remain public to keep dispatchers and law enforcement officials accountable when they err.
Crist, whose first act after becoming governor in 2007 was to create the “Office of Open Government,” said he prefers greater openness and transparency.
“What we can learn after the fact many times with these 911 recordings can be beneficial to make sure that it’s done better in the future because you can discover mistakes or maybe better management practices that can be utilized in the application of 911,” Crist said this morning.
“It’s been a great thing for the people, a great thing for safety and it has saved a lot of lives. But if we keep those secret going forward, we might not be able to continue to learn from those experiences as to what might help people in the future,” he said.
The House Government Policy Accountability Council is slated to take up the measure (PCB GAP 10-3, PCB GAP 10-3A) tomorrow morning.
http://www.postonpolitics.com/2010/03/crist-not-keen-on-keeping-911-calls-secret/
Orlando Sentinel
Crist takes issue with bill to exempt 911 calls from disclosure
2010 session, Carey Baker, Larry Cretul, Public records — posted by orlandosentinel on March, 9 2010 6:32 PM
TALLAHASSEE — A measure to exempt 911 recordings from public records laws may pit the House sponsor against the governor, a fellow Republican, as lawmakers debate whether they can protect privacy while maintaining oversight over emergency dispatcher performance.
With 911 tapes increasingly used by media outlets as prurient entertainment, calls are growing to restrict who has access to the recordings made during some of life’s most horrific moments.
Such concern has lead Rep. Rob Schenk, R-Spring Hill, to propose a measure that would shield audio recordings of the emergency calls to all but law enforcement officials. Citizens including the caller would be allowed to review the tapes only under a judge’s order.
On Tuesday, Gov. Charlie Crist told the News Service of Florida that he has yet to see the legislation, but generally said he supports keeping the records open for public scrutiny.
”I think we ought to keep it open,” Crist said. “You learn more about what happens with these 911 calls when it’s open. You have that kind of transparency where the truth is more available and easily attainable.”
The bill is scheduled to be heard Wednesday in the House Government Affairs Policy Council, its first committee stop.
“The need for emergency services bespeaks a very personal and often traumatizing event,” the bill reads. “To have the recordings made publicly available is an invasion of privacy that could result in trauma, sorrow, humiliation, or emotional injury to the person reporting the emergency or requiring emergency services, or to the immediate families of those persons.”
Law enforcement officials would have immediate access to the actual recordings. The public would not. Transcripts of the recordings would be available 60 days after the call was made. The requester would be billed the cost of transcription.
The measure has raised concerns from open records advocates who say recordings provide vital oversight of the agencies charged with responding to emergency situations. Others, however, say the tapes have too often become audio fodder in a reality-TV world.
“Quite frankly, I’m more concerned about the victims’ side of it and their ability to use 911,” Schenk said.
The issue has taken on added prominence following a highly publicized Charlotte County case in which a 911 operator sounded confused and rattled during a 10-minute called from Denise Amber Lee, a 21-year-old mother who was abducted and later found murdered. Her parents have since used her case to encourage more training for 911 staff.
And this week, the Palm Beach Post reported that Lee’s parents are against closing off access to the tapes for that reason. The Post also reported that the push for the measure has come from House Speaker Larry Cretul, R-Ocala.
Rep. Will Snyder, R-Stuart, and chairman of the Criminal & Civil Justice Policy Council, said he’s confident a balance can be struck on the issue. While disclosure is often used for prurient motives, oversight is needed to address mishandled 911 calls that Snyder said are few and far between.
“I think there is a lot of room for compromise going forward,” Snyder said
2010 session, Carey Baker, Larry Cretul, Public records — posted by orlandosentinel on March, 9 2010 6:32 PM
TALLAHASSEE — A measure to exempt 911 recordings from public records laws may pit the House sponsor against the governor, a fellow Republican, as lawmakers debate whether they can protect privacy while maintaining oversight over emergency dispatcher performance.
With 911 tapes increasingly used by media outlets as prurient entertainment, calls are growing to restrict who has access to the recordings made during some of life’s most horrific moments.
Such concern has lead Rep. Rob Schenk, R-Spring Hill, to propose a measure that would shield audio recordings of the emergency calls to all but law enforcement officials. Citizens including the caller would be allowed to review the tapes only under a judge’s order.
On Tuesday, Gov. Charlie Crist told the News Service of Florida that he has yet to see the legislation, but generally said he supports keeping the records open for public scrutiny.
”I think we ought to keep it open,” Crist said. “You learn more about what happens with these 911 calls when it’s open. You have that kind of transparency where the truth is more available and easily attainable.”
The bill is scheduled to be heard Wednesday in the House Government Affairs Policy Council, its first committee stop.
“The need for emergency services bespeaks a very personal and often traumatizing event,” the bill reads. “To have the recordings made publicly available is an invasion of privacy that could result in trauma, sorrow, humiliation, or emotional injury to the person reporting the emergency or requiring emergency services, or to the immediate families of those persons.”
Law enforcement officials would have immediate access to the actual recordings. The public would not. Transcripts of the recordings would be available 60 days after the call was made. The requester would be billed the cost of transcription.
The measure has raised concerns from open records advocates who say recordings provide vital oversight of the agencies charged with responding to emergency situations. Others, however, say the tapes have too often become audio fodder in a reality-TV world.
“Quite frankly, I’m more concerned about the victims’ side of it and their ability to use 911,” Schenk said.
The issue has taken on added prominence following a highly publicized Charlotte County case in which a 911 operator sounded confused and rattled during a 10-minute called from Denise Amber Lee, a 21-year-old mother who was abducted and later found murdered. Her parents have since used her case to encourage more training for 911 staff.
And this week, the Palm Beach Post reported that Lee’s parents are against closing off access to the tapes for that reason. The Post also reported that the push for the measure has come from House Speaker Larry Cretul, R-Ocala.
Rep. Will Snyder, R-Stuart, and chairman of the Criminal & Civil Justice Policy Council, said he’s confident a balance can be struck on the issue. While disclosure is often used for prurient motives, oversight is needed to address mishandled 911 calls that Snyder said are few and far between.
“I think there is a lot of room for compromise going forward,” Snyder said
Monday, March 8, 2010
Apparently Governor Crist agrees
Originally published March 4, 2010
House to hear 911 bill: Measure would exempt tapes from open records laws
By Paul Flemming
A House member wants to block release of 911 tapes and exempt them as open records to protect victims from further trauma by public release.
The bill by Rep. Robert Schenck, a Spring Hill Republican, drew the swift opposition of open-government advocates. Schenck's bill will be heard next week in the House council he chairs.
"I just feel like victims need protection," said Rep. Robert Schenck, a Republican from Spring Hill. Identifying personal information contained in the calls is already blocked from release.
Gov. Charlie Crist said he favors keeping the tapes as public records.
"I think it's always better when you shed light on any situation, whether it's a 911 call, whether it's public expenditures, no matter what it might be, transparency is always the right call," Crist said.
Barbara Petersen, president of the Florida First Amendment Foundation, on Tuesday alerted her media-supported group about the bill. She labeled the proposal the Tiger Woods Relief Act, linking it to the release late last year of calls to 911 following Woods' November car crash outside of his Florida home.
"With all due respect, that is completely ridiculous," Schenck said.
The bill was scheduled for a hearing Wednesday, but discussion of other legislation delayed its consideration for a week.
"We're not going to discount their concerns" about victims, Petersen said. "Sometimes we have to look at the broader picture, too."
Recordings of 911 calls that are now open to the public would be closed by the bill if it became law. Instead, transcripts of the calls would be made available within 60 days.
Released 911 recordings have revealed negligence by emergency responders. Schenck said his proposal protects victim privacy while maintaining watchdog abilities.
"We're still keeping that intact with release of the transcript," Schenck said.
Petersen said transcripts wouldn't allow the same level of scrutiny. She cited a recent Tampa case in which a dispatcher was argumentative with a caller, did not follow procedure and the woman died.
"Access to these tapes is important. The transcript doesn't do us any good," Petersen said. "Intonation is as important as what's being said."
Schenck said he was contacted by individuals and victim advocates to ban the release of the tapes, though he said he couldn't name them off the top of his head.
In 2001, the Legislature banned the release of autopsy photos in the wake of race-car driver Dale Earnhardt's death in a wreck at the Daytona 500.
http://www.floridacapitalnews.com/article/20100304/CAPITOLNEWS/3040319
House to hear 911 bill: Measure would exempt tapes from open records laws
By Paul Flemming
A House member wants to block release of 911 tapes and exempt them as open records to protect victims from further trauma by public release.
The bill by Rep. Robert Schenck, a Spring Hill Republican, drew the swift opposition of open-government advocates. Schenck's bill will be heard next week in the House council he chairs.
"I just feel like victims need protection," said Rep. Robert Schenck, a Republican from Spring Hill. Identifying personal information contained in the calls is already blocked from release.
Gov. Charlie Crist said he favors keeping the tapes as public records.
"I think it's always better when you shed light on any situation, whether it's a 911 call, whether it's public expenditures, no matter what it might be, transparency is always the right call," Crist said.
Barbara Petersen, president of the Florida First Amendment Foundation, on Tuesday alerted her media-supported group about the bill. She labeled the proposal the Tiger Woods Relief Act, linking it to the release late last year of calls to 911 following Woods' November car crash outside of his Florida home.
"With all due respect, that is completely ridiculous," Schenck said.
The bill was scheduled for a hearing Wednesday, but discussion of other legislation delayed its consideration for a week.
"We're not going to discount their concerns" about victims, Petersen said. "Sometimes we have to look at the broader picture, too."
Recordings of 911 calls that are now open to the public would be closed by the bill if it became law. Instead, transcripts of the calls would be made available within 60 days.
Released 911 recordings have revealed negligence by emergency responders. Schenck said his proposal protects victim privacy while maintaining watchdog abilities.
"We're still keeping that intact with release of the transcript," Schenck said.
Petersen said transcripts wouldn't allow the same level of scrutiny. She cited a recent Tampa case in which a dispatcher was argumentative with a caller, did not follow procedure and the woman died.
"Access to these tapes is important. The transcript doesn't do us any good," Petersen said. "Intonation is as important as what's being said."
Schenck said he was contacted by individuals and victim advocates to ban the release of the tapes, though he said he couldn't name them off the top of his head.
In 2001, the Legislature banned the release of autopsy photos in the wake of race-car driver Dale Earnhardt's death in a wreck at the Daytona 500.
http://www.floridacapitalnews.com/article/20100304/CAPITOLNEWS/3040319
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Today's Sun
This in today's Port Charlotte Sun. My opinion at the end of article.
link: http://www.sunnewspapers.net/articles/edStory.aspx?articleID=437261
05/12/09
Legislature fails on 911 certification
OUR POSITION: Statewide, mandatory 911 dispatcher certification got pushed aside in the Legislature this session. Let's do better next year.
It's no surprise that a bill calling for mandatory training of all 911 emergency call center dispatchers in the state was sponsored by local legislators.
We in Charlotte, Sarasota and DeSoto counties are all too aware of the potential horrors associated with a breakdown of the emergency call system.
However, the passion to provide a higher level of public safety apparently becomes diluted with distance and time. It also can be hard to counterpunch past Tallahassee lobbyists. That's the way it goes in the capital.
Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, who sponsored a Senate bill this year requiring state certification of all 911 operators, said the lobbyist for the state's emergency operators pushed hard for changes in the wording of the bill.
Rep. Paige Kreegel, R-Punta Gorda, who co-sponsored a House bill with freshman Rep. Ken Roberson, R-Port Charlotte, told Sun staffer Ed Scott this week, "There are some lobbyists for the 911 operators who interfered with the process greatly."
The bill just didn't have the traction, or didn't get enough of a push, so it stalled in the final days of a session that concentrated so much on budget problems.
It was Kreegel who took the lead on 911 dispatcher certification last year in the wake of the murder of Denise Amber Lee.
By now, we know the story of how Lee was kidnapped from her North Port home in January 2008. A witness saw the 21-year-old woman struggling in a car with a man and called 911, but no officers were dispatched to the scene by the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office.
This mistake led to a campaign by Lee's family for greater accountability and uniform standards that might help restore confidence in a system that had failed them so badly.
Last year, Kreegel won passage for a bill that called for voluntary training, but it had no teeth and came with no funding, so it had little impact. This year, Roberson led the team effort, but still there was enough resistance and too many questions.
The bill will be back next year, and Kreegel thought the effort chances might smooth the path to passage. We hope so.
The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office insists its requirements for dispatchers exceed national standards. Sarasota County announced this week that its communications center had won certification from a national accreditation agency.
That's comforting, but we need to know that emergency dispatch has consistent -- and consistently high -- standards throughout the state. We have seen what can go wrong.
As Detert told the Sun, "It's unbelievable that something with this much common sense could not pass the Legislature."
Well put.
My opinion
Thank you, Charlotte Sun for keeping this story alive. It's extremely important not just for Charlotte County but for the whole state of Florida.
Thank you, Senator Detert, and Reps Roberson and Kreegel. God bless you for following your consciences by doing the right thing for the citizens of the state of Florida.
As most of you know the foundation has been traveling across the nation to tell Denise's story. So, many things went wrong and it's not just about training. From what I understand (and I've seen their training manuals for call takers and dispatchers) the CCSO does have an excellent training program. The problem the night Denise died goes deeper than training. They were not using the training they recieved and they were not using the technology they had at their fingertips. Why? Your guess is as good as mine. Hopefully Denise's death has not been in vain and they are using their CADs properly now, the way they were trained to use them. Also, hopefully BOLOs are being monitored 24/7. But it shouldn't have taken Denise's death to accomplish this. Again, the best training and technology in the world are absolutely worthless, if they are not being used.
I am of the opinion that even the new legislation that was presented this year fell short of what we're fighting for. The proposed law that failed gave the sheriff's and police departments until 2012 to step up. Who wants to wait until 2012? Several people died in just the past year in Florida due to 9-1-1 mishaps, not just Denise! Also, it would have allowed them to be pretty much "grandfathered" in. Heh!
Well, if anything, we've been told and we believe now that this is a national issue. So, dear Florida, you can be a leader in this or you can continue to be embarrassed and neglectful of your citizens. People will continue to die so long as call takers and dispatchers are not held to a standard. People will continue to die in canals, trunks and cars as long as we're not using GPS in cell phones.
Just so there's no doubt about it, there is no way we're going to drop this! We'll fight even harder this year and we'll be even stronger. Also, the law we propose will be much stronger. We had a lesson in politics this past year and we're not going to shut up. We're that motivated.
Aside to Governor Crist: I hear you're going to run for senator. I do hope you look into this issue for the benefit of the citizens of Florida. You've avoided it so far like an expert dancer. But you will not be able to avoid it forever. And it IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO! Step out of the meetings with the lobbyists in Tallahassee and meet with what Bill O'Reilly calls "the folks". Meet with Nathan and hear his story. His mission is a noble one.
Again, a big thank you to the Sun.
link: http://www.sunnewspapers.net/articles/edStory.aspx?articleID=437261
05/12/09
Legislature fails on 911 certification
OUR POSITION: Statewide, mandatory 911 dispatcher certification got pushed aside in the Legislature this session. Let's do better next year.
It's no surprise that a bill calling for mandatory training of all 911 emergency call center dispatchers in the state was sponsored by local legislators.
We in Charlotte, Sarasota and DeSoto counties are all too aware of the potential horrors associated with a breakdown of the emergency call system.
However, the passion to provide a higher level of public safety apparently becomes diluted with distance and time. It also can be hard to counterpunch past Tallahassee lobbyists. That's the way it goes in the capital.
Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, who sponsored a Senate bill this year requiring state certification of all 911 operators, said the lobbyist for the state's emergency operators pushed hard for changes in the wording of the bill.
Rep. Paige Kreegel, R-Punta Gorda, who co-sponsored a House bill with freshman Rep. Ken Roberson, R-Port Charlotte, told Sun staffer Ed Scott this week, "There are some lobbyists for the 911 operators who interfered with the process greatly."
The bill just didn't have the traction, or didn't get enough of a push, so it stalled in the final days of a session that concentrated so much on budget problems.
It was Kreegel who took the lead on 911 dispatcher certification last year in the wake of the murder of Denise Amber Lee.
By now, we know the story of how Lee was kidnapped from her North Port home in January 2008. A witness saw the 21-year-old woman struggling in a car with a man and called 911, but no officers were dispatched to the scene by the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office.
This mistake led to a campaign by Lee's family for greater accountability and uniform standards that might help restore confidence in a system that had failed them so badly.
Last year, Kreegel won passage for a bill that called for voluntary training, but it had no teeth and came with no funding, so it had little impact. This year, Roberson led the team effort, but still there was enough resistance and too many questions.
The bill will be back next year, and Kreegel thought the effort chances might smooth the path to passage. We hope so.
The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office insists its requirements for dispatchers exceed national standards. Sarasota County announced this week that its communications center had won certification from a national accreditation agency.
That's comforting, but we need to know that emergency dispatch has consistent -- and consistently high -- standards throughout the state. We have seen what can go wrong.
As Detert told the Sun, "It's unbelievable that something with this much common sense could not pass the Legislature."
Well put.
My opinion
Thank you, Charlotte Sun for keeping this story alive. It's extremely important not just for Charlotte County but for the whole state of Florida.
Thank you, Senator Detert, and Reps Roberson and Kreegel. God bless you for following your consciences by doing the right thing for the citizens of the state of Florida.
As most of you know the foundation has been traveling across the nation to tell Denise's story. So, many things went wrong and it's not just about training. From what I understand (and I've seen their training manuals for call takers and dispatchers) the CCSO does have an excellent training program. The problem the night Denise died goes deeper than training. They were not using the training they recieved and they were not using the technology they had at their fingertips. Why? Your guess is as good as mine. Hopefully Denise's death has not been in vain and they are using their CADs properly now, the way they were trained to use them. Also, hopefully BOLOs are being monitored 24/7. But it shouldn't have taken Denise's death to accomplish this. Again, the best training and technology in the world are absolutely worthless, if they are not being used.
I am of the opinion that even the new legislation that was presented this year fell short of what we're fighting for. The proposed law that failed gave the sheriff's and police departments until 2012 to step up. Who wants to wait until 2012? Several people died in just the past year in Florida due to 9-1-1 mishaps, not just Denise! Also, it would have allowed them to be pretty much "grandfathered" in. Heh!
Well, if anything, we've been told and we believe now that this is a national issue. So, dear Florida, you can be a leader in this or you can continue to be embarrassed and neglectful of your citizens. People will continue to die so long as call takers and dispatchers are not held to a standard. People will continue to die in canals, trunks and cars as long as we're not using GPS in cell phones.
Just so there's no doubt about it, there is no way we're going to drop this! We'll fight even harder this year and we'll be even stronger. Also, the law we propose will be much stronger. We had a lesson in politics this past year and we're not going to shut up. We're that motivated.
Aside to Governor Crist: I hear you're going to run for senator. I do hope you look into this issue for the benefit of the citizens of Florida. You've avoided it so far like an expert dancer. But you will not be able to avoid it forever. And it IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO! Step out of the meetings with the lobbyists in Tallahassee and meet with what Bill O'Reilly calls "the folks". Meet with Nathan and hear his story. His mission is a noble one.
Again, a big thank you to the Sun.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Todays Bradenton Herald
My opinion with article to follow.
As David Garofalo was quoted as saying this is a great big first step. But it really is only a first step.
I believe 2012 is way too long to wait for change. It would be difficult to fully support this knowing that tragedies could be prevented if the change was brought about sooner. What are we to say to those families that may lose a loved one between now and when this is fully implemented through either a 9-1-1 mishap or by not using technology that's available now?
Also, we don't believe certain 9-1-1 centers should have an opportunity to be "grandfathered" in.
It's difficult to support anything that suggests that the 9-1-1 industry continue to watchdog itself. When tragedies occur we need outside persons investigating, in my opinion. That's part of my frustration with Governor Charlie Crist. He's apparently the only person that can demand an external investigation into Denise's 9-1-1 debacle that occured in the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office. The sheriff's office still insists they have no problems in their 9-1-1 center and that the problems they had have been addressed. How do we know this? We don't. We have to take them at their word. Gee. We took them at their word and found their word didn't mean much.
So, we still have a ways to go.
But, this is a positive first step! It shows that people truly do care and want to make a difference. That, and I don't want to seem ungrateful for all the work that everyone has been doing because truly it means so much to us.
No, they can't save Denise and they can't bring her back. But! They can help prevent further tragedies!!!! It's awesome that people who may have been asleep on this issue are waking up and that others who have been diligently working on this for years are seeing some results.
It's a start anyways. Just my opinion.
911 training bills moving forward
By SARA KENNEDY - skennedy@bradenton.com
MANATEE — Legislation requiring statewide training and certification for 911 dispatchers has won the backing of the Florida Police Chiefs Association and the Florida Sheriffs Association and is given a good chance of passage this year, officials said.
“My understanding is it has strong support in both House and Senate,” said Longboat Key Police Chief Albert Hogle, who also serves on the legislative committee for the Florida Police Chiefs Association.
“It’s going very, very well,” noted Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Sarasota, a sponsor of the bill attempting to remedy Florida’s patchwork system of voluntary training by instituting mandatory instruction and certification.
Last week, a companion bill, House Bill 769, won approval from one House of Representatives committee, and an amended version of Detert’s original bill, Senate Bill 2040, is slated for review before a Senate committee today, said Rep. Kenneth Roberson, R-Port Charlotte, a co-sponsor of the House bill with Rep. Paige Kreegel, R-Punta Gorda.
“It will improve the public’s confidence in the 911 system in Florida,” Roberson said Tuesday.
The 911 system came under scrutiny last year after the family of an abducted North Port woman complained that confusion at a Charlotte County 911 call center deprived law enforcement officers of a chance to save her life. The family of murdered Denise Amber Lee set up a foundation in her memory to urge reforms.
The police chiefs’ doubts about how the plan might work and which agency would oversee training and certification have been resolved, Hogle said.
He added that the sheriff’s association, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and a national organization of dispatchers are working together to formalize standards. They also are discussing a reasonable deadline for when 911 operators must have completed formal training and certification, he said.
“It appears the Senate and the House will help make this happen in a fashion that will work for the benefit of all concerned parties,” said Hogle. “Everybody recognizes there’s been opportunities to do a better job and everybody wants to do a better job.”
Gerald Monahan, president of the chiefs’ association, said amendments to the House version helped bolster support for it because it clarified that operators could train at their own dispatch centers as long as they finished an approved curriculum and won state certification.
That’s important to local government because in order to have everybody certified by a certain date requires a vehicle to help make it happen, Monahan said.
“The Florida police chiefs certainly understand how this all came about,” he added. “Our hearts are still heavy for the (Lee) family. We want to do the right thing, We do want good training for our dispatch centers. Our mission and goals are the same as the foundation’s and the family’s.”
Dispatchers have been looking for a long time for some type of certification process, and “we finally reached a point where everybody can agree,” said Roy Hudson, director of law enforcement services for the Florida Sheriffs Association. “It adds a little more to their professionalism.”
The early version of the House bill would have required uniform training, so operators in Palm Beach and Hillsborough counties, for example, would have had to meet the same standards, said David Garofalo, North Port city commissioner and a board member of the Denise Amber Lee Foundation.
“Now, it may be minimum standards, but not really uniform standards,” he said. “We probably want to go to the next level, with uniform training, but we want the police chiefs and sheriffs on our side.
“It’s a big step,” he added.
New requirements probably would have little effect on about 30 full-time sheriff’s office 911 dispatchers, since they already take intense training, said Manatee County Sheriff Brad Steube.
Still, he favors mandatory standards and certification because “it does put a template out there for the minimum of training for all dispatchers, whether it be 911 or sheriff’s office or police department dispatchers.”
Sara Kennedy, Herald reporter, can be reached at (941) 708-7908 or at skennedy@bradenton.com
As David Garofalo was quoted as saying this is a great big first step. But it really is only a first step.
I believe 2012 is way too long to wait for change. It would be difficult to fully support this knowing that tragedies could be prevented if the change was brought about sooner. What are we to say to those families that may lose a loved one between now and when this is fully implemented through either a 9-1-1 mishap or by not using technology that's available now?
Also, we don't believe certain 9-1-1 centers should have an opportunity to be "grandfathered" in.
It's difficult to support anything that suggests that the 9-1-1 industry continue to watchdog itself. When tragedies occur we need outside persons investigating, in my opinion. That's part of my frustration with Governor Charlie Crist. He's apparently the only person that can demand an external investigation into Denise's 9-1-1 debacle that occured in the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office. The sheriff's office still insists they have no problems in their 9-1-1 center and that the problems they had have been addressed. How do we know this? We don't. We have to take them at their word. Gee. We took them at their word and found their word didn't mean much.
So, we still have a ways to go.
But, this is a positive first step! It shows that people truly do care and want to make a difference. That, and I don't want to seem ungrateful for all the work that everyone has been doing because truly it means so much to us.
No, they can't save Denise and they can't bring her back. But! They can help prevent further tragedies!!!! It's awesome that people who may have been asleep on this issue are waking up and that others who have been diligently working on this for years are seeing some results.
It's a start anyways. Just my opinion.
911 training bills moving forward
By SARA KENNEDY - skennedy@bradenton.com
MANATEE — Legislation requiring statewide training and certification for 911 dispatchers has won the backing of the Florida Police Chiefs Association and the Florida Sheriffs Association and is given a good chance of passage this year, officials said.
“My understanding is it has strong support in both House and Senate,” said Longboat Key Police Chief Albert Hogle, who also serves on the legislative committee for the Florida Police Chiefs Association.
“It’s going very, very well,” noted Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Sarasota, a sponsor of the bill attempting to remedy Florida’s patchwork system of voluntary training by instituting mandatory instruction and certification.
Last week, a companion bill, House Bill 769, won approval from one House of Representatives committee, and an amended version of Detert’s original bill, Senate Bill 2040, is slated for review before a Senate committee today, said Rep. Kenneth Roberson, R-Port Charlotte, a co-sponsor of the House bill with Rep. Paige Kreegel, R-Punta Gorda.
“It will improve the public’s confidence in the 911 system in Florida,” Roberson said Tuesday.
The 911 system came under scrutiny last year after the family of an abducted North Port woman complained that confusion at a Charlotte County 911 call center deprived law enforcement officers of a chance to save her life. The family of murdered Denise Amber Lee set up a foundation in her memory to urge reforms.
The police chiefs’ doubts about how the plan might work and which agency would oversee training and certification have been resolved, Hogle said.
He added that the sheriff’s association, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and a national organization of dispatchers are working together to formalize standards. They also are discussing a reasonable deadline for when 911 operators must have completed formal training and certification, he said.
“It appears the Senate and the House will help make this happen in a fashion that will work for the benefit of all concerned parties,” said Hogle. “Everybody recognizes there’s been opportunities to do a better job and everybody wants to do a better job.”
Gerald Monahan, president of the chiefs’ association, said amendments to the House version helped bolster support for it because it clarified that operators could train at their own dispatch centers as long as they finished an approved curriculum and won state certification.
That’s important to local government because in order to have everybody certified by a certain date requires a vehicle to help make it happen, Monahan said.
“The Florida police chiefs certainly understand how this all came about,” he added. “Our hearts are still heavy for the (Lee) family. We want to do the right thing, We do want good training for our dispatch centers. Our mission and goals are the same as the foundation’s and the family’s.”
Dispatchers have been looking for a long time for some type of certification process, and “we finally reached a point where everybody can agree,” said Roy Hudson, director of law enforcement services for the Florida Sheriffs Association. “It adds a little more to their professionalism.”
The early version of the House bill would have required uniform training, so operators in Palm Beach and Hillsborough counties, for example, would have had to meet the same standards, said David Garofalo, North Port city commissioner and a board member of the Denise Amber Lee Foundation.
“Now, it may be minimum standards, but not really uniform standards,” he said. “We probably want to go to the next level, with uniform training, but we want the police chiefs and sheriffs on our side.
“It’s a big step,” he added.
New requirements probably would have little effect on about 30 full-time sheriff’s office 911 dispatchers, since they already take intense training, said Manatee County Sheriff Brad Steube.
Still, he favors mandatory standards and certification because “it does put a template out there for the minimum of training for all dispatchers, whether it be 911 or sheriff’s office or police department dispatchers.”
Sara Kennedy, Herald reporter, can be reached at (941) 708-7908 or at skennedy@bradenton.com
Sunday, March 29, 2009
"When is Governor Charlie Crist going to step up"
Be prepared for a rant.
Seriously, how can we wait? Right now there are two bills being proposed up in Tallahassee both requiring some sort of mandatory 9-1-1 dispatcher/call taker training. Both bills are flawed.
Both bills expect us to wait until 2012 before persons need to be certified. The bill headed to the house states that police and sheriff departments can submit to the Department of Health their training standards before 2012 and have them approved. This essentially means that the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office can submit for approval their training program and may not have to change their "business as usual".
Either way 2012 is way too far away.
Someone asked me just this morning (and it's what got me fired up even more than usual, I'm always fired up over this but still....) "Can we find out how many people die due to 9-1-1 mistakes?"
NO! There's no possible way to find this out without someone (preferably a regular citizen) overseeing the 9-1-1 community in Florida. How many people have died in Florida due to 9-1-1 mistakes? We have no idea.
We would never have known about Denise's mishandled 9-1-1 call if it hadn't been for Jane Kowalski. See bottom paragraph of this post http://toosad4words.blogspot.com/2009/01/denise-amber-leetop-ten-reasons-i.html
Jane, God bless her, hounded the NPPD until they figured out who she was. Once they figured it all out they had to REQUEST the information on her call from the CCSO. Why? Because they knew they not only mishandled the call and didn't dispatch a car but they weren't monitoring their Teletype and several BOLO's issued by the NPPD were ignored describing the suspect and his car. They were covering it up.
Their side of the story is one person thought the other person called the NPPD while the other person said the other one did. Yeah. Just like the one dispatcher said she thought the other dispatcher dispatched a car and the other dispatcher thought.....................
WE WOULD NEVER HAVE KNOWN.
Who's overseeing the 9-1-1 community in Florida?
Yep. 9-1-1 industry people.
As Nathan said in his speech YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME?????
PEOPLE ARE DYING. And it's not just because of human errors. It's because we have a system where all the counties, townships etc... have different protocols and procedures.
We're not using technologies that are available to us. More and more people are using cell phones to report emergencies and we can't find them!!! The two most glaring examples are of course, Denise and Olidia Kerr Day. But how many others aren't being found? How about those football players lost in that boating accident? And how about the errors being made in these 9-1-1 centers? Olidia asked the dispatcher to have police waiting for her outside the station! Our call taker had a CAD and didn't use it! Or at least didn't use it properly because she wrote things down on a piece of paper! And then handed the piece of paper to a dispatcher! Huh? Florida's 9-1-1 "system", if you will, is flawed! Big time.
And more people are going to die. Some we'll hear about and others will be swept under the rug.
When is Governor Charlie Crist going to step up and say "This is wrong. We need to have someone OUTSIDE OF THE 9-1-1 INDUSTRY looking into these tragedies. And then 9-1-1 industry experts from many companies (not just one) looking into the problems, then suggesting and providing solutions! Our citizens are dying and we can do better!"
Having 9-1-1 industry peeps watchdogging their own industry is like having the fox watch over the henhouse.
I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to North Port City Commissioner David Garofalo, Senator Nancy Detert, Representatives Paige Kreegel and Ken Roberson for their hard work, dedication, diligence and compassion for our cause. You are our heroes and I'm in tears just thinking about all you are doing for us. You all have been simply wonderful.
But it is my opinion that we can do better. WE HAVE TO DO BETTER.
And to those lobbyists and companies with agendas to make more money and garner more control, I say........ shame on you. People are dying.
Seriously, how can we wait? Right now there are two bills being proposed up in Tallahassee both requiring some sort of mandatory 9-1-1 dispatcher/call taker training. Both bills are flawed.
Both bills expect us to wait until 2012 before persons need to be certified. The bill headed to the house states that police and sheriff departments can submit to the Department of Health their training standards before 2012 and have them approved. This essentially means that the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office can submit for approval their training program and may not have to change their "business as usual".
Either way 2012 is way too far away.
Someone asked me just this morning (and it's what got me fired up even more than usual, I'm always fired up over this but still....) "Can we find out how many people die due to 9-1-1 mistakes?"
NO! There's no possible way to find this out without someone (preferably a regular citizen) overseeing the 9-1-1 community in Florida. How many people have died in Florida due to 9-1-1 mistakes? We have no idea.
We would never have known about Denise's mishandled 9-1-1 call if it hadn't been for Jane Kowalski. See bottom paragraph of this post http://toosad4words.blogspot.com/2009/01/denise-amber-leetop-ten-reasons-i.html
Jane, God bless her, hounded the NPPD until they figured out who she was. Once they figured it all out they had to REQUEST the information on her call from the CCSO. Why? Because they knew they not only mishandled the call and didn't dispatch a car but they weren't monitoring their Teletype and several BOLO's issued by the NPPD were ignored describing the suspect and his car. They were covering it up.
Their side of the story is one person thought the other person called the NPPD while the other person said the other one did. Yeah. Just like the one dispatcher said she thought the other dispatcher dispatched a car and the other dispatcher thought.....................
WE WOULD NEVER HAVE KNOWN.
Who's overseeing the 9-1-1 community in Florida?
Yep. 9-1-1 industry people.
As Nathan said in his speech YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME?????
PEOPLE ARE DYING. And it's not just because of human errors. It's because we have a system where all the counties, townships etc... have different protocols and procedures.
We're not using technologies that are available to us. More and more people are using cell phones to report emergencies and we can't find them!!! The two most glaring examples are of course, Denise and Olidia Kerr Day. But how many others aren't being found? How about those football players lost in that boating accident? And how about the errors being made in these 9-1-1 centers? Olidia asked the dispatcher to have police waiting for her outside the station! Our call taker had a CAD and didn't use it! Or at least didn't use it properly because she wrote things down on a piece of paper! And then handed the piece of paper to a dispatcher! Huh? Florida's 9-1-1 "system", if you will, is flawed! Big time.
And more people are going to die. Some we'll hear about and others will be swept under the rug.
When is Governor Charlie Crist going to step up and say "This is wrong. We need to have someone OUTSIDE OF THE 9-1-1 INDUSTRY looking into these tragedies. And then 9-1-1 industry experts from many companies (not just one) looking into the problems, then suggesting and providing solutions! Our citizens are dying and we can do better!"
Having 9-1-1 industry peeps watchdogging their own industry is like having the fox watch over the henhouse.
I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to North Port City Commissioner David Garofalo, Senator Nancy Detert, Representatives Paige Kreegel and Ken Roberson for their hard work, dedication, diligence and compassion for our cause. You are our heroes and I'm in tears just thinking about all you are doing for us. You all have been simply wonderful.
But it is my opinion that we can do better. WE HAVE TO DO BETTER.
And to those lobbyists and companies with agendas to make more money and garner more control, I say........ shame on you. People are dying.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
A year in the papers
Mark and Nate fly back from San Diego today and I'm trying to get as much done as I can while I'm still on my own. I miss them desperately. I also miss the babies. Sue (Denise's mom) has had them all week. I've picked up Adam from school a couple of the days but that's really all I've seen of them.
But it's been nice having the house to myself and getting so much done without interruptions. I've packed up both guest bedrooms, so they're pretty much done along with the dining room, my music books and I've gone through tons of old pictures. I threw many out. I mean, how many photographs of sunsets do we need? And mountains? Gee, we have tons of mountain photos. So, I threw a lot away. I'll probably regret it but I'm tired of going through them every time we move. I kept all the people pictures and IMO they are what's important. At least for me that is. I also came across a couple more pictures of Denise. That's ALWAYS a nice surprise. Gosh, I miss her.
Okay, back off of that topic or I'll start crying.
The other task at hand, as I posted a couple days ago, was going through all the newspapers and clipping the articles. That stirred up many many emotions and I guess it was best for the guys not to be here for that. Actually, I'm surprised at how well I've gotten through it.
The odd thing is the articles started on January 18, 2008. I've been clipping every night. I was hoping to finish tonight and decided if I wasn't done by 9PM I'd stop anyway. I don't want to get burned out and want to be somewhat human when Mark does get home however late that will be.
I've been placing each article in it's own plastic sleeve along with notes. At pretty much exactly 9PM I ran out of plastic sleeves. And! I had just enough sleeves to end on January 18, 2009. So, it's exactly one year of newspaper articles in the binder. I thought that was pretty cool.
Some of the emotions I experienced going through the articles:
Sadness I guess being the prominent one. Simply sadness. After a year the numbness has worn off and I've come to terms with the fact that she's not coming back and that life will go on and actually needs to go on. We'll survive without her. It's just terribly sad. I think depression is different than sadness. Depression is almost like a place and is a sort of funk people like myself get into and have a hard time crawling out of. Sadness is not a place it's a reality.
Anger probably came in second. Seeing that man's face taking up the same ink and print as Denise and on the same page. It's particularly hurtful when the papers print the pictures side by side. So, there you see sweet, innocent Denise right next to that awful picture of Michael King. One thing I do like about the papers is they always print that same picture of Michael King and it's just the worst picture imaginable of a person. I'm glad they use that picture of him. Some of the pictures of Nate bother me. There's one that the Sun Herald uses that looks like a mug shot. It drives me crazy! They have plenty of pictures of Nate that are better than that. And Nathan's not a villian, he's a good guy doing what he thinks is right. But the worst is when I see Denise and King side by side. It makes my skin crawl.
Peace was another feeling I experienced and you wouldn't expect that. But, because the guys weren't here it was as if I was spending my evenings alone with Denise. Just Denise and I. She was so quiet. I felt that I was doing something for her. I believe someday the boys may want those articles. It's different feeling having a newspaper in your hand and reading an article on line. Just as it's a different feeling actually looking a word up in the dictionary as opposed to looking it up on line. Or looking up something in an encyclopedia as opposed to Wiki. Who knows? Maybe they'll never want them. I don't know. But they are there for them.
I was upset a few times oddly not so much at the 9-1-1. Maybe that's because I feel we're able to do something about that. I no longer feel frustrated. I feel as if things are happening on that front. Slower than I'd like! but things are moving. I was more upset over the politics played last year. I came across the article talking about Nathan trying to see the governor. I would think the governor would want to see him. I honestly believe Governor Charlie Crist is going to have regrets about not seeing Nathan. But we'll see. I came across many of the letters to the editors and the interviews with the candidates for sheriff. It's extremely upsetting and disappointing that Cameron was elected. Everyone said it was a done deal. I guess it was. The good ole boys won again.
Cameron and Davenport IMO put their egos, power, money and politics before public safety. Bill Cameron actually spent over $100,000 in signs!!!! People like us are losing their houses and he's buying $100,000 in signs!!!! But I'm past ranting about it. Ugh!
Karma.
Here's an example of what I came across. Thank goodness someone responded.
Charlotte Sun (Port Charlotte, FL)
April 24, 2008
Column: Sheriff John Davenport
No Headline
Over my 30 years of working for the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office I have tried to accept the fact that the media report stories the way they wish to report them whether the facts are accurate or not. I think we can all agree that the media is a powerful force who is able to shape public opinion; for most people truly believe everything they read or see in the news.
The inaccuracies have never been more evident than in the infamous "E-911 Call incident." Literally from the first story released on this call, the media has misquoted, misinformed and misled the public dealing with this entire incident.
As sheriff I am expected to be accountable for my employees' actions, and I accept that responsibility. But to paint a picture of incompetence over the entire Sheriff's Office, particularly the employees of our 911 Center is irresponsible on the part of the media and anyone else who has done so.
On the evening of this tragic event the men and women of the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office went above and beyond the call of duty to try and find Denise. Remember, she is the daughter of one of our own. All available resources responded to help and everyone worked tirelessly to find this young lady and to capture the man who abducted her. The men and women working the 911 call center that evening were also working in overdrive to do everything they could to try and find Denise. Frankly, in their busy efforts to do as much as they could they made a mistake, something each of us has done on more than one occasion in our lives.
One thing I have come to realize in my thirty year career is that people don't often think of law enforcement professionals as simply being human just like anyone else. We are supposed to be perfect at all times no matter how stressful the situation and we are not permitted to make mistakes. It is very easy to Monday morning quarterback any incident when you have all the time in the world to do so, but many times when an incident is unfolding you don't have that kind of time and must make decisions immediately under very stressful conditions, and sometimes those decisions are not perfect. Sometimes the situation is hectic and confusing and mistakes can easily be made under the worst of conditions. We work in what is often a life and death business and mistakes can have consequences similar to that of a doctor making a mistake in surgery, or a soldier making a mistake in combat.
I am astounded that more emphasis has been placed on the mistake of two dispatchers than on the alleged murderer himself. One would think, based on media representation that we should be throwing the dispatchers in a cell next to Mr. King. Little has been reported of the outstanding police work that was done in this case. It was a monumental effort by so many people and so many agencies that led to this suspect being captured within six hours of the reported missing of Denise Lee, but little is said about that.
In spite of what the media has portrayed, the two dispatchers who made this mistake are good people and good dispatchers who have dedicated many years of service to our citizens. They, more than anyone else, feel terrible about the entire situation, but they are human, and because they are human they feel the hurt, the nastiness, the threats, and all the hate that has been thrown towards them. They do not deserve it and I blame the media more than anyone else for painting them in such a negative light from the beginning when all they have ever tried to do is help people, and have done so many more times than not.
This incident has not only devastated the Lee and Goff families but it has also devastated the Sheriff's Office family who grieves with them. These two dispatchers made a mistake, they admitted their mistake, they brought it forward and they apologized for it. They didn't make the mistake intentionally or maliciously. They have been disciplined and I assure you they will never make that same mistake again.
The media has shaped the public's negative opinion about this call from the beginning, and they have done so with inaccuracies, but the damage is done. I don't expect anyone to change their opinion, but I feel obligated to at least try and make our citizens understand the human side of all of this. I want to thank our citizens for their continued support.
Copyright (c) 2008, Charlotte Sun
Below was just one of the responses in the editorial section, written by a Sue Humphreys in Rotonda West on May 2, 2008. Imagine what she could've written if she knew all the other things that went wrong.
When will the sheriff just apologize?
But it's been nice having the house to myself and getting so much done without interruptions. I've packed up both guest bedrooms, so they're pretty much done along with the dining room, my music books and I've gone through tons of old pictures. I threw many out. I mean, how many photographs of sunsets do we need? And mountains? Gee, we have tons of mountain photos. So, I threw a lot away. I'll probably regret it but I'm tired of going through them every time we move. I kept all the people pictures and IMO they are what's important. At least for me that is. I also came across a couple more pictures of Denise. That's ALWAYS a nice surprise. Gosh, I miss her.
Okay, back off of that topic or I'll start crying.
The other task at hand, as I posted a couple days ago, was going through all the newspapers and clipping the articles. That stirred up many many emotions and I guess it was best for the guys not to be here for that. Actually, I'm surprised at how well I've gotten through it.
The odd thing is the articles started on January 18, 2008. I've been clipping every night. I was hoping to finish tonight and decided if I wasn't done by 9PM I'd stop anyway. I don't want to get burned out and want to be somewhat human when Mark does get home however late that will be.
I've been placing each article in it's own plastic sleeve along with notes. At pretty much exactly 9PM I ran out of plastic sleeves. And! I had just enough sleeves to end on January 18, 2009. So, it's exactly one year of newspaper articles in the binder. I thought that was pretty cool.
Some of the emotions I experienced going through the articles:
Sadness I guess being the prominent one. Simply sadness. After a year the numbness has worn off and I've come to terms with the fact that she's not coming back and that life will go on and actually needs to go on. We'll survive without her. It's just terribly sad. I think depression is different than sadness. Depression is almost like a place and is a sort of funk people like myself get into and have a hard time crawling out of. Sadness is not a place it's a reality.
Anger probably came in second. Seeing that man's face taking up the same ink and print as Denise and on the same page. It's particularly hurtful when the papers print the pictures side by side. So, there you see sweet, innocent Denise right next to that awful picture of Michael King. One thing I do like about the papers is they always print that same picture of Michael King and it's just the worst picture imaginable of a person. I'm glad they use that picture of him. Some of the pictures of Nate bother me. There's one that the Sun Herald uses that looks like a mug shot. It drives me crazy! They have plenty of pictures of Nate that are better than that. And Nathan's not a villian, he's a good guy doing what he thinks is right. But the worst is when I see Denise and King side by side. It makes my skin crawl.
Peace was another feeling I experienced and you wouldn't expect that. But, because the guys weren't here it was as if I was spending my evenings alone with Denise. Just Denise and I. She was so quiet. I felt that I was doing something for her. I believe someday the boys may want those articles. It's different feeling having a newspaper in your hand and reading an article on line. Just as it's a different feeling actually looking a word up in the dictionary as opposed to looking it up on line. Or looking up something in an encyclopedia as opposed to Wiki. Who knows? Maybe they'll never want them. I don't know. But they are there for them.
I was upset a few times oddly not so much at the 9-1-1. Maybe that's because I feel we're able to do something about that. I no longer feel frustrated. I feel as if things are happening on that front. Slower than I'd like! but things are moving. I was more upset over the politics played last year. I came across the article talking about Nathan trying to see the governor. I would think the governor would want to see him. I honestly believe Governor Charlie Crist is going to have regrets about not seeing Nathan. But we'll see. I came across many of the letters to the editors and the interviews with the candidates for sheriff. It's extremely upsetting and disappointing that Cameron was elected. Everyone said it was a done deal. I guess it was. The good ole boys won again.
Cameron and Davenport IMO put their egos, power, money and politics before public safety. Bill Cameron actually spent over $100,000 in signs!!!! People like us are losing their houses and he's buying $100,000 in signs!!!! But I'm past ranting about it. Ugh!
Karma.
Here's an example of what I came across. Thank goodness someone responded.
Charlotte Sun (Port Charlotte, FL)
April 24, 2008
Column: Sheriff John Davenport
No Headline
Over my 30 years of working for the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office I have tried to accept the fact that the media report stories the way they wish to report them whether the facts are accurate or not. I think we can all agree that the media is a powerful force who is able to shape public opinion; for most people truly believe everything they read or see in the news.
The inaccuracies have never been more evident than in the infamous "E-911 Call incident." Literally from the first story released on this call, the media has misquoted, misinformed and misled the public dealing with this entire incident.
As sheriff I am expected to be accountable for my employees' actions, and I accept that responsibility. But to paint a picture of incompetence over the entire Sheriff's Office, particularly the employees of our 911 Center is irresponsible on the part of the media and anyone else who has done so.
On the evening of this tragic event the men and women of the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office went above and beyond the call of duty to try and find Denise. Remember, she is the daughter of one of our own. All available resources responded to help and everyone worked tirelessly to find this young lady and to capture the man who abducted her. The men and women working the 911 call center that evening were also working in overdrive to do everything they could to try and find Denise. Frankly, in their busy efforts to do as much as they could they made a mistake, something each of us has done on more than one occasion in our lives.
One thing I have come to realize in my thirty year career is that people don't often think of law enforcement professionals as simply being human just like anyone else. We are supposed to be perfect at all times no matter how stressful the situation and we are not permitted to make mistakes. It is very easy to Monday morning quarterback any incident when you have all the time in the world to do so, but many times when an incident is unfolding you don't have that kind of time and must make decisions immediately under very stressful conditions, and sometimes those decisions are not perfect. Sometimes the situation is hectic and confusing and mistakes can easily be made under the worst of conditions. We work in what is often a life and death business and mistakes can have consequences similar to that of a doctor making a mistake in surgery, or a soldier making a mistake in combat.
I am astounded that more emphasis has been placed on the mistake of two dispatchers than on the alleged murderer himself. One would think, based on media representation that we should be throwing the dispatchers in a cell next to Mr. King. Little has been reported of the outstanding police work that was done in this case. It was a monumental effort by so many people and so many agencies that led to this suspect being captured within six hours of the reported missing of Denise Lee, but little is said about that.
In spite of what the media has portrayed, the two dispatchers who made this mistake are good people and good dispatchers who have dedicated many years of service to our citizens. They, more than anyone else, feel terrible about the entire situation, but they are human, and because they are human they feel the hurt, the nastiness, the threats, and all the hate that has been thrown towards them. They do not deserve it and I blame the media more than anyone else for painting them in such a negative light from the beginning when all they have ever tried to do is help people, and have done so many more times than not.
This incident has not only devastated the Lee and Goff families but it has also devastated the Sheriff's Office family who grieves with them. These two dispatchers made a mistake, they admitted their mistake, they brought it forward and they apologized for it. They didn't make the mistake intentionally or maliciously. They have been disciplined and I assure you they will never make that same mistake again.
The media has shaped the public's negative opinion about this call from the beginning, and they have done so with inaccuracies, but the damage is done. I don't expect anyone to change their opinion, but I feel obligated to at least try and make our citizens understand the human side of all of this. I want to thank our citizens for their continued support.
Copyright (c) 2008, Charlotte Sun
Below was just one of the responses in the editorial section, written by a Sue Humphreys in Rotonda West on May 2, 2008. Imagine what she could've written if she knew all the other things that went wrong.
When will the sheriff just apologize?
Editor:
Our sheriff defends the "mistakes" made in the search for Denise Lee by comparing them to the mistakes of surgeons and combat soldiers? Are you kidding? Irresponsible surgeons generally lost their license. Irresponsible combat soldiers generally end up dead. In either case, their "mistakes" typically result in the loss of their own occupation or life.
How does this compare to those whose mistakes, even if on a solitary occasion, aided Denise Lee's murderer? Most of us comprehend that dispatching emergency calls is a stressful, hectic, mostly thankless job. But like a surgeon, solder, firefighter or EMT, you are absolutely held to a higher standard in your occupation. If that causes emotional distress may I suggest a different line of work?
Even without the sheriff's editorial lecture, we understand that mistakes happen and that the dispatchers involved are human, good, and are subject to failures, as are we all. But extra training and a brief suspension for failing to dispatch critical information to their colleagues (they are dispatchers after all) is truly unconscionable.
Yes sir, we know that Denise was the daughter of one of your own and as such we expect your office to "above and beyond the call of duty" (whatever that means). When life-and-death mistakes occur, we also expect you to readily addres them, fire or reassign those responsible, fix internal issues, and apologize to those your office failed.
Instead, you elect to chastise the media and public because your employees "feel terrible."
Are you kidding?
Sue Humphreys (Rotonda West)
So, in going through the articles I went through a variety of emotions. But I made it. And as I said, the most prominent emotion that blasted them all out of the water was sadness.
I still don't understand why Denise was taken from us. Why?
I still don't understand how so many things could go wrong in a 9-1-1 center. How? I mean I don't get it. One thing, two things... maybe. But the mistakes seemed to snowball on them. ugh!
I guess I'll never understand. I'll never get over it.
I really do need the boys home. And I need to put the binder away.
Miss you, Denise. You're beautiful in every picture. And, sweetheart, you're saving lives as I type.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Lt Governor Jeff Kottkamp
I truly hope someone looks into this guy. He seems to think he's above the law too. This is the guy who is protecting our governor, Gov. Charlie Crist, from our family. We don't believe the governor sees or wants see anything we've written to him about 9-1-1 reform. We don't believe the governor hears or wants to hear anything we have to say about 9-1-1 reform. Why? Because this guy, Lt Gov Kottkamp, grew up and is buddy buddy with guess who! Sheriff Bill Cameron. The man directly responsible for the 9-1-1 debacle that happened in Charlotte County the night my daughter in law, Denise Amber Lee was kidnapped, raped and shot in the head. I'm amazed Governor Charlie Crist hasn't taken an interest in all the 9-1-1 issues especially with all the coverage from the media. We're talking about public safety. The entire nation is talking about Denise's story and her story is being used in training centers as far a way as California. California wants to talk about it. Nathan is going to California to speak before a 9-1-1 convention. And our governor won't even look at the issues that I'm aware of.
There can be only one reason. He endorsed Bill Cameron who would love for this to be "kept" under the rug. It'll be embarrassing if people find out that his Lt Gov Jeff Kottkamp knew about it. Just my opinion, of course. We don't know for sure because we need an external investigation and only the governor can request and insist on that.
I would love to see the entire story come out someday. I would love to have our questions finally answered.
sigh
link http://www.palmbeachpost.com/storm/content/state/epaper/2009/02/09/0209costlytrips.html
There can be only one reason. He endorsed Bill Cameron who would love for this to be "kept" under the rug. It'll be embarrassing if people find out that his Lt Gov Jeff Kottkamp knew about it. Just my opinion, of course. We don't know for sure because we need an external investigation and only the governor can request and insist on that.
I would love to see the entire story come out someday. I would love to have our questions finally answered.
sigh
link http://www.palmbeachpost.com/storm/content/state/epaper/2009/02/09/0209costlytrips.html
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Denise Amber Lee / Charlotte County Sheriff's Office Timeline for January 17, 2008
Hopefully today will be the last time I ever have to look at this timeline. Because I'm the one who read the I/A report, I'm the one who has to present it anew to any persons who are getting involved in the case whether they be reporters, investigators.... whatever.
I honestly don't want Mark or Nate to ever have to read the I/A report if they don't have to but! if I keep having to go over it, I'm afraid one of them will have to take over. And, it's just painful.
I just want to hand it to somebody and say "go at it" but they need to have the passion for 9-1-1 reform that we have.
Every time I present it to new persons I go over it to make sure it's all there and I have my facts straight.
I went over it again today. Sigh! Hence this post.
The other day I talked about feeling ill whenever I see a CCSO car. I assume it's because I associate them with this crap.
I don't feel sick when I see NPPD cars! I get a good feeling when I see them. I want to wave and yell thank you to them!
In any case, I won't post the timeline here. This timeline I'm talking about is much more detailed and more explicit than the timeline I posted a couple of weeks ago. I really don't want anyone else to ever have to read it unless it's going to help Nathan's case and it's going to help fix the problems.
I would like Governor Crist to read it sometime. So........ if anyone out there has any connections and can guarantee that he'll see it and that it'll get past his Lt Gov Kottcamp (apparently a childhood buddy of Bill Cameron's), I'd appreciate the help.
He should know what's going on down here.
here's the full time line I posted before:
http://toosad4words.blogspot.com/2009/01/denise-amber-lee-timeline-of-january-17.html
I honestly don't want Mark or Nate to ever have to read the I/A report if they don't have to but! if I keep having to go over it, I'm afraid one of them will have to take over. And, it's just painful.
I just want to hand it to somebody and say "go at it" but they need to have the passion for 9-1-1 reform that we have.
Every time I present it to new persons I go over it to make sure it's all there and I have my facts straight.
I went over it again today. Sigh! Hence this post.
The other day I talked about feeling ill whenever I see a CCSO car. I assume it's because I associate them with this crap.
I don't feel sick when I see NPPD cars! I get a good feeling when I see them. I want to wave and yell thank you to them!
In any case, I won't post the timeline here. This timeline I'm talking about is much more detailed and more explicit than the timeline I posted a couple of weeks ago. I really don't want anyone else to ever have to read it unless it's going to help Nathan's case and it's going to help fix the problems.
I would like Governor Crist to read it sometime. So........ if anyone out there has any connections and can guarantee that he'll see it and that it'll get past his Lt Gov Kottcamp (apparently a childhood buddy of Bill Cameron's), I'd appreciate the help.
He should know what's going on down here.
here's the full time line I posted before:
http://toosad4words.blogspot.com/2009/01/denise-amber-lee-timeline-of-january-17.html
Monday, January 19, 2009
The Herald Tribune 9-1-1 stories
There were several 9-1-1 stories written by Zac Anderson which were published this past Saturday, Sunday and today (Monday).
I think I have them all. See these links:
Critical flaws in Florida's 911 system
911's experience gap
The legacy of Denise Amber Lee
Standards and accreditation at 911 call centers
911 rules are a hard sell
FWIW, I cannot give much incite as to other counties 9-1-1 centers. I have to trust what Mr Anderson has written. I have met Mr Anderson a couple of times and his diligence truly impressed my husband and me. And, believe me, we've met many reporters.
This is a little off topic but I have to say the majority of the reporters I've met, let's say 80%, I have genuinely gotten to like. I think most of them do care and look at us as more than just a story. There is that other 20% that I think are snakes. There's that 80/20 rule. I imagine this to be the case in most industries. You've got nice people, and then you have the "pleasant" but not really so nice people.
I'll lump Zac in with the 80%. He's got to be one of the smartest and most driven reporters I've met. I was truly impressed. And, for him it most definitely was about his story. But, he still was able to express compassion for us as a family. He gave our thoughts and feelings respect.
Also, FWIW, we're not media "whores". Someone said something not so nice to me the other day and I just want to set the record straight. We don't like the spotlight. We have been thrust into a situation that's not comfortable for us. Putting your pain on display the way Nathan has, isn't easy. But he does it. Rick (Goff) does it. I do it. Why? Well, I know why I do it. I do it for Nathan. I'd do anything for Nathan if it was the right thing for him. Same for Brian. But I can only guess as to why Nathan and Rick do it. I guess it's because they (me too) desperately NEVER want to see this happen to another family. Denise fought so hard. To fight the way she did and then to die in vain? It's still seems so surreal to me. We know there will always be mistakes. We know that to err is human. And, we truly can forgive human error. But, we have a very difficult time forgiving people that don't recognize the problems (or worse do recognize the problems) and don't fix them at the expense of loss of life. It just seems unconscionable.
I don't think Mr Anderson was trying to throw anyone under the bus as was said in many comments to his articles. Publishing people's names for mistakes they made in the past, made me a bit uncomfortable but maybe he needed to do that for credibility.
I'm just grateful he wrote the articles. For a while I felt as if I was going crazy because it seemed as if no-one was listening. I feel saddened that Denise's case isn't isolated. It would be so much easier to accept and understand if it was.
When it happened, I had an inkling of "this must happen more than we suspect. We never would have known about it if Ms Kowalski hadn't been so persistant in being heard." I imagined it happening in big cities and small towns. I thought that right away. Imagine the cover ups. I think they're scattered through the country.
The CCSO has absolutely no transparency at all.
So, I'm truly am glad he wrote the articles. He did his research.
I do hope that, if anything, it brings about awareness. And that when future legislation is presented, that maybe this will help sway people's votes into making positive changes in the 9-1-1 industry.
And, FWIW, then I'll stop running on, out of the 4 9-1-1 calls Sarasota County received the night we lost Denise, ALL were handled perfectly. Kudos from us to them.
God bless all call takers and dispatchers, everywhere, with guidance and strength.
Anyone have any ideas of how we can Governor Crist's attention? He's the only person who can insist on an external investigation into what happened in the CCSO 9-1-1 center that night.
You'd think he'd be interested in this! So far, he's ignored our attempts at communication with him.
I'm thinking of starting a petition and going door to door. The only problem with that is, I'd have to tell Denise's story over and over again. How painful would that be? And even if the angels in blue were to do it, it would still be painful for them as well. They never met Denise but they've grown to love her.
I hate the idea of email. Because, it's cold and I don't know if email petitions are taken as seriously as hand signed petitions. Maybe at future events we should have a petition clip board and carry it wherever we go.
I'm just starting to think (not aloud) but as I type. Same thing.
Oh! several people have asked about the picture at the top right of the blog. Ben, Tammy's (http://www.amomandherblog.com/) husband took it. Mark was very upset over the gray hair. So, I'll be doing something about that tomorrow. Still, I think it's a great pic because it expresses exactly how I was feeling.
Much love and peace to all. And thank you, Zac Anderson, for bringing light to this issue.
I think I have them all. See these links:
Critical flaws in Florida's 911 system
911's experience gap
The legacy of Denise Amber Lee
Standards and accreditation at 911 call centers
911 rules are a hard sell
FWIW, I cannot give much incite as to other counties 9-1-1 centers. I have to trust what Mr Anderson has written. I have met Mr Anderson a couple of times and his diligence truly impressed my husband and me. And, believe me, we've met many reporters.
This is a little off topic but I have to say the majority of the reporters I've met, let's say 80%, I have genuinely gotten to like. I think most of them do care and look at us as more than just a story. There is that other 20% that I think are snakes. There's that 80/20 rule. I imagine this to be the case in most industries. You've got nice people, and then you have the "pleasant" but not really so nice people.
I'll lump Zac in with the 80%. He's got to be one of the smartest and most driven reporters I've met. I was truly impressed. And, for him it most definitely was about his story. But, he still was able to express compassion for us as a family. He gave our thoughts and feelings respect.
Also, FWIW, we're not media "whores". Someone said something not so nice to me the other day and I just want to set the record straight. We don't like the spotlight. We have been thrust into a situation that's not comfortable for us. Putting your pain on display the way Nathan has, isn't easy. But he does it. Rick (Goff) does it. I do it. Why? Well, I know why I do it. I do it for Nathan. I'd do anything for Nathan if it was the right thing for him. Same for Brian. But I can only guess as to why Nathan and Rick do it. I guess it's because they (me too) desperately NEVER want to see this happen to another family. Denise fought so hard. To fight the way she did and then to die in vain? It's still seems so surreal to me. We know there will always be mistakes. We know that to err is human. And, we truly can forgive human error. But, we have a very difficult time forgiving people that don't recognize the problems (or worse do recognize the problems) and don't fix them at the expense of loss of life. It just seems unconscionable.
I don't think Mr Anderson was trying to throw anyone under the bus as was said in many comments to his articles. Publishing people's names for mistakes they made in the past, made me a bit uncomfortable but maybe he needed to do that for credibility.
I'm just grateful he wrote the articles. For a while I felt as if I was going crazy because it seemed as if no-one was listening. I feel saddened that Denise's case isn't isolated. It would be so much easier to accept and understand if it was.
When it happened, I had an inkling of "this must happen more than we suspect. We never would have known about it if Ms Kowalski hadn't been so persistant in being heard." I imagined it happening in big cities and small towns. I thought that right away. Imagine the cover ups. I think they're scattered through the country.
The CCSO has absolutely no transparency at all.
So, I'm truly am glad he wrote the articles. He did his research.
I do hope that, if anything, it brings about awareness. And that when future legislation is presented, that maybe this will help sway people's votes into making positive changes in the 9-1-1 industry.
And, FWIW, then I'll stop running on, out of the 4 9-1-1 calls Sarasota County received the night we lost Denise, ALL were handled perfectly. Kudos from us to them.
God bless all call takers and dispatchers, everywhere, with guidance and strength.
Anyone have any ideas of how we can Governor Crist's attention? He's the only person who can insist on an external investigation into what happened in the CCSO 9-1-1 center that night.
You'd think he'd be interested in this! So far, he's ignored our attempts at communication with him.
I'm thinking of starting a petition and going door to door. The only problem with that is, I'd have to tell Denise's story over and over again. How painful would that be? And even if the angels in blue were to do it, it would still be painful for them as well. They never met Denise but they've grown to love her.
I hate the idea of email. Because, it's cold and I don't know if email petitions are taken as seriously as hand signed petitions. Maybe at future events we should have a petition clip board and carry it wherever we go.
I'm just starting to think (not aloud) but as I type. Same thing.
Oh! several people have asked about the picture at the top right of the blog. Ben, Tammy's (http://www.amomandherblog.com/) husband took it. Mark was very upset over the gray hair. So, I'll be doing something about that tomorrow. Still, I think it's a great pic because it expresses exactly how I was feeling.
Much love and peace to all. And thank you, Zac Anderson, for bringing light to this issue.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Looking forward and at cover up
Link to story:
http://www.sunnewspapers.net/articles/pnnews.aspx?NewsID=429491&a=newsarchive2/010709/ch4.htm&pnpg=1
my comments to follow
Published on: Wednesday, January 07, 2009
New sheriff in town
Cameron sworn in as county's top cop
PUNTA GORDA -- Bill Cameron took a deep breath, and peered at his fellow officers in the crowd.
His first words as Charlotte County sheriff began with a joke.
Cameron explained how he is one of the select few who have been appointed and elected sheriff.
But he wouldn't recommend the latter for anyone thinking about seeking office.
"Appointed is the way to go," he said, as the auditorium erupted in laughter.
All kidding aside, Cameron was serious when he told his colleagues to serve the community like it's family.
Cameron, 47, was sworn in Tuesday morning before a group of co-workers, family and friends at the Center for Performing Arts and Education in Punta Gorda.
The ceremony marked Cameron's second stint as sheriff, having served briefly several years ago.
Cameron replaces John Davenport, who retired earlier this week.
"I just hope I can live up to your expectations," Cameron said to the group.
Cameron's career began in 1982 with the Fort Myers Police Department. Five years later, he joined the Lee County Sheriff's Office, where he remained until 2003.
He was appointed interim Charlotte County sheriff by then-Gov. Jeb Bush, following the removal of Bill Clement.
Cameron became chief deputy when Davenport was elected a year later.
Since then, he believes the agency has made positive strides throughout the community.
Colleagues echoed his sentiment.
"It's been the best six years of my law enforcement career," said Maj. Dan Libby.
Following his badge-pinning, Cameron had every employee in the crowd reaffirm their oath of office.
He spoke briefly about the looming financial challenges, and the importance of making sound decisions.
"Do the right thing for the right reasons, and you'll never stumble," Cameron said.
E-mail: jwitz@sun-herald.com
By JASON WITZ
We don't talk to Rick about the CCSO simply because we don't want to cause him any more anxiety or pain then he already has. If he had any problem with our crusade to expose Davenport and Cameron for who they are I'm sure he'd tell us.
How to work with a man like Bill Cameron? I don't know.
I guess I'm sounding pretty darn angry. Well, I am. The man makes me want to puke every time I think of him. Why? Because he's a liar and a manipulator of the facts. He put politics and getting elected before the community. I don't care how much community service and good works you do. A liar is a liar. And he lied to get elected.
I've always been a registered Republican. I've always had faith in my party. But after this debacle, I no longer have faith in the Republican Party in Florida. They protected their own and closed ranks. I even heard that Worch endorsed Cameron and meets with him for lunch.
And Governor Charlie Crist has distanced himself as far a way from this story as he possibly could. He won't even look at it.
Now that all that anger is out let me explain why I think there was a cover-up or at least an attempt at cover-up. Again. (Sorry to those who have read this before. The reason I'm doing this is not because I'm obsessed. It's more because I figure the more I put it out there on the internet, the more it'll be seen and these people need to be exposed for what they did.)
Top ten reasons there was a cover-up:
1 They didn't notify the North Port Police Department immediately after the phone call. Why not?
2 They never followed up with Jane Kowalski on her phone call. Why not?
3 They had Capt Donna Roguska lead the Internal Affairs investigation. She was Director of Communications that night and in charge.
4 They didn't interview Bill Cameron the Chief of Communications. Why not?
5 They refused to answer any questions after the Internal Affairs Investigation Report came out. Why not?
6 Their treatment of Ms Kowalski in blaming her for giving them "erroneous" information about the color of the car and the age of the victim.
7 They laid blame on Nextel being the problem and went to great lengths about discontinuing the use of Nextel when the only person who had a Nextel phone in the 9-1-1 center that night was Laurie Piatt, the supervisor patching radios. At least according to those who were interviewed. Who knows what Roguska and Cameron were using. They conveniently weren't interviewed.
8 The list of questions that went unasked in the investigation. For example "who was the 'he' in authority that Millie Stepp was asking direction from while on the phone with Ms Kowalski?" and "who was hollering at Millie when she was on the phone with Ms Kowalski?" These were clearly people in authority. Those people were never interviewed and it was never asked who they are. Also "why didn't Millie (the call taker) confirm with the dispatchers that they received her information and that it was sent out?" And "why weren't the 3 BOLOs sent across on the Teletype from North Port responded to?" And "why were the CCSO deputies in the field not looking for a green Camaro until after 6:45PM when the CCSO first received information over the Teletype about a green Camaro as early as 4:59PM?" And "during the shift change what information did the on duty supervisor give to the on-coming supervisor?" And "why wasn't the on coming squad of call takers and dispatchers made aware of the green Camaro and the 3 BOLOs?" The pass on log which they all initialed when they came in at 6:45PM doesn't mention anything about the green Camaro or the white pudgy guy. Why not? "Why were the CCSO deputies in the field so frustrated about not having any leads when there were clearly leads coming over the Teletype?" How could the supervisor, Laurie Piatt get away with a response of "I didn't know what was going on, I was patching radios, I mean, I knew Millie had a call but I really didn't know anything about it". She was the supervisor for goodness sakes. Where's the follow up of "why not? And why didn't you make it your business to find out why one of your call takers was standing up screaming across the room and find out why people were hollering at her?" I could go on but I'll stop for a while. Most likely I'll blog about it in a few days. If I do I'll warn you ahead of time that it's a rant on cover-up.
9 They won't open themselves up to an external investigation which you'd think they would. I mean, if there are no issues as they say and their dispatchers are excellent, you'd think an external investigation would exonerate them.
10 Biggest reason! the North Port Police Department had to "request" information on Ms Kowalski's call on Saturday, the same day we found Denise's body. 3 days. When the CCSO clearly knew according to their own I/A report the call referred to Denise as early as Thursday evening. Why? Why did the NPPD have to "request" information. Ms Kowalski was the last person to see Denise alive. She was a critical witness and we would NEVER have known about her or her call if she hadn't persistantly called the NPPD. The CCSO's treatment of her is an indictment itself.
God bless you, Jane. If you ever read this, please, know you are a true hero in my eyes and I'm so sorry if you've suffered in anyway for doing the right thing.
So, how do we move forward and work with this guy to clean up the mess? I can't trust a word he says because he's actually lied about my family during probably the worst times of our lives. His treatment of Nathan...... It's appalling and sickening.
IMO, Cameron's more of a politician than a sheriff. And it was obvious in 2008 that he puts politics before public safety.
http://www.sunnewspapers.net/articles/pnnews.aspx?NewsID=429491&a=newsarchive2/010709/ch4.htm&pnpg=1
my comments to follow
Published on: Wednesday, January 07, 2009
New sheriff in town
Cameron sworn in as county's top cop
PUNTA GORDA -- Bill Cameron took a deep breath, and peered at his fellow officers in the crowd.
His first words as Charlotte County sheriff began with a joke.
Cameron explained how he is one of the select few who have been appointed and elected sheriff.
But he wouldn't recommend the latter for anyone thinking about seeking office.
"Appointed is the way to go," he said, as the auditorium erupted in laughter.
All kidding aside, Cameron was serious when he told his colleagues to serve the community like it's family.
Cameron, 47, was sworn in Tuesday morning before a group of co-workers, family and friends at the Center for Performing Arts and Education in Punta Gorda.
The ceremony marked Cameron's second stint as sheriff, having served briefly several years ago.
Cameron replaces John Davenport, who retired earlier this week.
"I just hope I can live up to your expectations," Cameron said to the group.
Cameron's career began in 1982 with the Fort Myers Police Department. Five years later, he joined the Lee County Sheriff's Office, where he remained until 2003.
He was appointed interim Charlotte County sheriff by then-Gov. Jeb Bush, following the removal of Bill Clement.
Cameron became chief deputy when Davenport was elected a year later.
Since then, he believes the agency has made positive strides throughout the community.
Colleagues echoed his sentiment.
"It's been the best six years of my law enforcement career," said Maj. Dan Libby.
Following his badge-pinning, Cameron had every employee in the crowd reaffirm their oath of office.
He spoke briefly about the looming financial challenges, and the importance of making sound decisions.
"Do the right thing for the right reasons, and you'll never stumble," Cameron said.
E-mail: jwitz@sun-herald.com
By JASON WITZ
I gotta tell you I've got mixed feelings about this article too. I almost despise Bill Cameron. Yet, I realize that we have to work with this man for the next four years. If we want to change our 9-1-1 center and make improvements, we're going to have to go through this guy.
Of course, that'll be difficult considering in his campaign he averred "our 9-1-1 center has no issues" and "we have excellent dispatchers". So how do you work with a man that only looks at the forest and not at the trees?
As you know I've already blogged about several of the issues our 9-1-1 center has. I won't go into them again here. Why continue rehashing them?
But, then I think "Peggy, you have to rehash them and continue to rehash them". Why? Because if we don't speak out about them, I'm afraid they'll continue to be swept under the rug. Why? Suppose in regards to Nathan's lawsuit against the CCSO, they decide to settle? One of the things the CCSO will most likely require is for us "to never talk about this story again" "no books" "no interviews" nothing, nada.
Also, I feel the need to expose Bill Cameron for the politician he is. So, that in the next election (four years from now) people will know what kind of person he really is. This past election he was protected by his buddy John Davenport and other high up Republicans. Also, he was protected by the newspapers IMO. Mark and I went to the Charlotte Sun weeks before the election and spelled out why we believed there was a cover-up. We spelled out many of the problems but they were never published. Most of the people who voted had no idea the Bill Cameron was Chief of Communications that night. Meaning, he was in charge! And he was responsible. He was the one directly responsible for not notifying the North Port Police Department about Ms Kowalski's call. He's the one that made all the important decisions that night. He was also at the time the Public Information Officer. What does that mean? That means he was responsible for what information was given out to the press and to our family. He was the one responsible for manipulating the facts.
He also lied about our family on the campaign trail. He insinuated to the newspapers that the Goffs and Lees don't get along. He insinuated that Rick Goff doesn't approve or appreciate our efforts in trying to correct the problems in the 9-1-1 center. I had a reporter ask me directly "Mrs. Lee, how well do you get along with the Goffs?" I was like "what?" the reporter replied "It's been implied by Bill Cameron that your families don't get along and never have". WHAT! Then Cameron is quoted in the newspaper saying "Rick was in my office the other day and he said he doesn't like his daughter's name being used in politics and that he's fine with the investigation and if Rick's fine with the investigation and has no questions, that's good enough for me!" Or something to that effect. If you need a direct quote, I'll get it for you. What a lie! An ALL OUT LIE! Rick obviously supports our efforts. He spoke in Tallahassee and on national television averring how "his department" screwed up. He has been at every Denise Amber Lee Foundation fundraiser.
Our families (the Lees and the Goffs) have bonded in a very special way. Rick has been like a father to Nate. We've joined together in doing all we can to help Nathan with the babies.We don't talk to Rick about the CCSO simply because we don't want to cause him any more anxiety or pain then he already has. If he had any problem with our crusade to expose Davenport and Cameron for who they are I'm sure he'd tell us.
How to work with a man like Bill Cameron? I don't know.
I guess I'm sounding pretty darn angry. Well, I am. The man makes me want to puke every time I think of him. Why? Because he's a liar and a manipulator of the facts. He put politics and getting elected before the community. I don't care how much community service and good works you do. A liar is a liar. And he lied to get elected.
I've always been a registered Republican. I've always had faith in my party. But after this debacle, I no longer have faith in the Republican Party in Florida. They protected their own and closed ranks. I even heard that Worch endorsed Cameron and meets with him for lunch.
And Governor Charlie Crist has distanced himself as far a way from this story as he possibly could. He won't even look at it.
Now that all that anger is out let me explain why I think there was a cover-up or at least an attempt at cover-up. Again. (Sorry to those who have read this before. The reason I'm doing this is not because I'm obsessed. It's more because I figure the more I put it out there on the internet, the more it'll be seen and these people need to be exposed for what they did.)
Top ten reasons there was a cover-up:
1 They didn't notify the North Port Police Department immediately after the phone call. Why not?
2 They never followed up with Jane Kowalski on her phone call. Why not?
3 They had Capt Donna Roguska lead the Internal Affairs investigation. She was Director of Communications that night and in charge.
4 They didn't interview Bill Cameron the Chief of Communications. Why not?
5 They refused to answer any questions after the Internal Affairs Investigation Report came out. Why not?
6 Their treatment of Ms Kowalski in blaming her for giving them "erroneous" information about the color of the car and the age of the victim.
7 They laid blame on Nextel being the problem and went to great lengths about discontinuing the use of Nextel when the only person who had a Nextel phone in the 9-1-1 center that night was Laurie Piatt, the supervisor patching radios. At least according to those who were interviewed. Who knows what Roguska and Cameron were using. They conveniently weren't interviewed.
8 The list of questions that went unasked in the investigation. For example "who was the 'he' in authority that Millie Stepp was asking direction from while on the phone with Ms Kowalski?" and "who was hollering at Millie when she was on the phone with Ms Kowalski?" These were clearly people in authority. Those people were never interviewed and it was never asked who they are. Also "why didn't Millie (the call taker) confirm with the dispatchers that they received her information and that it was sent out?" And "why weren't the 3 BOLOs sent across on the Teletype from North Port responded to?" And "why were the CCSO deputies in the field not looking for a green Camaro until after 6:45PM when the CCSO first received information over the Teletype about a green Camaro as early as 4:59PM?" And "during the shift change what information did the on duty supervisor give to the on-coming supervisor?" And "why wasn't the on coming squad of call takers and dispatchers made aware of the green Camaro and the 3 BOLOs?" The pass on log which they all initialed when they came in at 6:45PM doesn't mention anything about the green Camaro or the white pudgy guy. Why not? "Why were the CCSO deputies in the field so frustrated about not having any leads when there were clearly leads coming over the Teletype?" How could the supervisor, Laurie Piatt get away with a response of "I didn't know what was going on, I was patching radios, I mean, I knew Millie had a call but I really didn't know anything about it". She was the supervisor for goodness sakes. Where's the follow up of "why not? And why didn't you make it your business to find out why one of your call takers was standing up screaming across the room and find out why people were hollering at her?" I could go on but I'll stop for a while. Most likely I'll blog about it in a few days. If I do I'll warn you ahead of time that it's a rant on cover-up.
9 They won't open themselves up to an external investigation which you'd think they would. I mean, if there are no issues as they say and their dispatchers are excellent, you'd think an external investigation would exonerate them.
10 Biggest reason! the North Port Police Department had to "request" information on Ms Kowalski's call on Saturday, the same day we found Denise's body. 3 days. When the CCSO clearly knew according to their own I/A report the call referred to Denise as early as Thursday evening. Why? Why did the NPPD have to "request" information. Ms Kowalski was the last person to see Denise alive. She was a critical witness and we would NEVER have known about her or her call if she hadn't persistantly called the NPPD. The CCSO's treatment of her is an indictment itself.
God bless you, Jane. If you ever read this, please, know you are a true hero in my eyes and I'm so sorry if you've suffered in anyway for doing the right thing.
So, how do we move forward and work with this guy to clean up the mess? I can't trust a word he says because he's actually lied about my family during probably the worst times of our lives. His treatment of Nathan...... It's appalling and sickening.
IMO, Cameron's more of a politician than a sheriff. And it was obvious in 2008 that he puts politics before public safety.
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