Is The Sheriff's Office Behind These Blogs Trashing Me

I will find out. I have submitted an open records request to see who requested my mug shot. If someone actually did request it than we will have many answers to our questions, but if there is not a request then more questions will be asked.






I will post the results as soon as I receive them.

Gregory Responds

This was taken from Tommy Gregory's blog, http://tommygregory.blogspot.com/

Tommy Gregory said...
September 6, 2007
Compassion Wrote:
I think Tommy Gregory should answer the following questions on this blog, being that this blog has endorsed him on the front page.
1. What is your opinion of the way the drug funds have been spent, and what would you do differently?
2. Would you purchase private vehicles for the employees with seized drug money?
3. Would you buy votes with the seized drug money?
4. Would you assume the office and keep in place all the people that Sheriff Smith has in place now?
5. Would you keep a top heavy force of not needed Captains, or would you be fiscally responsible with the taxpayer’s money?
Let us know if we would be getting more of the same by voting for you. Because what I am seeing is that the tentacles run deep. And you working for Darryl Griffis is no different than you working for Sheriff Smith. Based on the audit reports Smith is running the Kingsland Police Dept as well as the County. So what would make us voting for you any different than what we have had since the beginning of time.Based on what I know about the connections in this community. In order for Griffis to hire you after you were fired from the County. You have to have a family connection or tie. I might be wrong in my assumption; that's why I am asking you for clarity. Please answer the questions for the people that maybe considering voting for you, but have doubts because of the tie ins.________________________________________________________________

TOMMY GREGORY’S RESPONSE TO COMPASSION’S QUESTIONS LISTED ABOVE:
1. I believe the Shared & Seized Assets Fund (drug money) has been misused. Although this money has been given away to worthwhile causes, these causes are not permitted under the guidelines. This money is intended for law enforcement training and equipment and drug awareness programs. Now Sheriff Smith will tell you he was able to buy high school football and cheerleading uniforms with drug money because his office spoke with the kids about drug awareness. However, my oldest son played for the Wildcats all through high school and not once did the Sheriff’s Office present a drug awareness program during that time. He graduated in 2006. If Bill Smith wants to give money away for the purpose of promoting himself and buying votes, he should do so out of his own pocket - not the taxpayers' pockets.As Sheriff, I will spend drug money only on those items allowed under the guidelines such as jail improvements and the equipment necessary to make it one of the finest agencies in the State of Georgia. This money will be spent for the benefit of Camden County only.
2. I will not purchase private vehicles for employees. Seized asset money or taxpayer’s money will not be used for this abuse. Furthermore, I will set new policies regarding the use of Sheriff’s Office vehicles. Only essential personnel, such as patrol officers and on-call investigators, will have vehicles.
3. No. Buying votes with Seized Assets is unethical and illegal. I vow to restore integrity and honesty to our Sheriff’s Office.
4. No, I will not keep in place all the people that Sheriff Smith has in place now. As you stated in your question number 5, the Sheriff’s Office is currently top heavy with brass. I will eliminate these excess positions. Then, I will reorganize and restructure the entire Sheriff’s Office, Jail and 911 staff to provide the maximum amount of service for every tax dollar. I want to increase the Sheriff’s office visibility in our communities. We need to partner with each community and identify each community’s specific problems. A “one size fits all” is not the answer. You can’t find the answers sitting in an office full of top heavy brass.
5. I believe my number 4 answer also provides the answer to this question.I was not hired by Darryl Griffis. I was hired in February 2005 by acting Police Chief Wayne Peeples. Darryl Griffis applied for the Kingsland Chief position almost year after my employment began and was subsequently hired. I was hired based on my qualifications, experience and integrity. I do not have, nor have I ever had, family ties to Darryl Griffis. I decided to run for Sheriff because I want to improve the law enforcement services Camden County citizens receive. I have the qualifications and the experience to make these improvements. Please give me a call. I will be happy to meet with you and your family and friends and discuss my qualifications and my plans for the Sheriff’s Office. In the meantime, please visit my website: www.GregoryForSheriff.com.
September 6, 2007 8:35 PM

A Few Points Of Interest

1. Today 4 the badge has reopened. I ask you all to please go and check it out and post to show your support for all public employees. http://4thebadge.blogspot.com/
2. If you have no idea what the Sheriff can and can't do with the drug money then go to this link and it will explain it all to you. www.ustreas.gov/offices/enforcement/teoaf/guidelines/greenbook.pdf Guide to Equitable Sharing for Foreign Countries and Federal, State, and Local Law Enforcement Agencies
3. Tommy Gregory will be on Camden TV on Monday Sept. 10, 2007 at 8:00PM. He will be on a new show called Friendly Fire with Doug Vaught. It will also run a couple times during the week, those times TBA.

Sheriff Still Trying To Avoid Court

As I have said many times the Sheriff will not take the County to court. He does not want to explain this mess to a judge. Now he is trying to slip some sort of a non compromise through the Commissioners. As you read yesterday 4 out of 5 commissioners are now on board with the 1994 agreement stating that the Sheriff must have a commissioners signature on the checks. One Commissioner is still against it. I wonder why? If you look at the audit below you will see why. Charlene Sears has received thousands of dollars from this drug fund. Do you still not see a conflict of interest. So districts1,2,3, and 5 all had their say, district 4 has no say and the district of the Sheriff is strongly against it. But we are all wrong and the Sheriff is right.

From:
The Florida Times-Union
September 6, 2007
Sheriff offers little change on drug funds
By Gordon Jackson, The Times-Union
KINGSLAND - An attorney representing Camden County Sheriff Bill Smith has sent a proposal to the County Commission that he says will "resolve all issues" regarding who controls a bank account containing confiscated drug money. -------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------

Brunswick attorney Terry Readdick sent a three-page proposal Tuesday that would give Smith control of the seized drug money account, which totaled about $1.6 million last year. The federal government returns seized drug assets to counties to be used for law enforcement purposes.
The proposal requires Smith to submit a quarterly budget outlining expected expenditures from the account. But the quarterly report is "for informational purposes only and shall not be subject to approval or denial by the Board of Commissioners," Readdick wrote.
Smith would not have to make disclosures that would violate any state or federal open records laws or that would compromise current or future criminal investigations, the proposal says. Commissioners will have the right to ask for proof that expenditures from the fund are legally spent.
Expenditures from the account became an issue last month after the Times-Union reported that Smith used it to pay jail inmates thousands of dollars since 2004, including payments to a convicted methamphetamine maker. Auditors hired by the county questioned an additional $23,000 in expenses last year, the Times-Union reported. Those include a $5,000 donation to a nonprofit spinal cord center in Atlanta and $2,500 to reimburse a sheriff's employee for getting a nursing license.
The report was based on itemized ledger sheets attached to auditors' reports obtained by the newspaper under Georgia's Open Records Act.
In a cover letter that accompanied the proposal, Readdick said Smith and/or Capt. Wesley Walker, a sheriff's deputy, are willing to meet privately with commissioners to discuss the offer.
"I believe the proposed policy addresses legitimate concerns that have been expressed by both parties," Readdick wrote to commissioners.
Readdick declined an interview request Wednesday to explain the proposal, saying he typically does not comment on ongoing cases. Commissioners filed a lawsuit last month after Smith refused to voluntarily return control of the account to them.
The proposal, however, did not generate much support among commissioners.
Amending the deal?
Commission Chairman Preston Rhodes said Smith should comply with the existing agreement reached in 1994 when commissioners turned control of the account over to the sheriff. Instead, Rhodes said, Smith is trying to amend an agreement that was never followed.
The 1994 agreement calls for a county commissioner to co-sign with Smith every check written from the confiscated drug money account. But there is no record Smith ever asked commissioners to co-sign any check.
"How can you change something already in existence?" Rhodes asked. "That's not what the law says."
Commissioner Katherine Zell said there is "absolutely no compromise" in the proposal.
"It might as well be blank paper," Zell said. "It didn't say anything to me."
Zell also said Smith should have followed the 1994 agreement instead of submitting a proposal that basically allows him to continue managing the account will little oversight by commissioners.
Commissioner David Rainer said he received the proposal Tuesday and has not had time to read the offer for comment.
'Whatever he wants'
Commissioner Steve Berry said the sheriff took the existing policy, which Berry described as "good, sound and reasonable," and submitted an offer that allows Smith to do "whatever he wants."
"It's actually cleverly written three pages of nothing," he said. "This is not a compromise."
Berry said the proposal is an attempt by Smith to change the law before he gets punished for misspending money from the account.
"This is more of his arrogance where he says, 'I am the law,' " Berry said. "I wouldn't even entertain the suggestions in this [proposed] policy."
Times-Union writer Paul Pinkham contributed to this report.
gordon.jackson@jacksonville.com,
(912) 729-3672
This story can be found on Jacksonville.com at http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/090607/geo_197280503.shtml.


TRSP Review:

THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS. Except for of course Charlene Sears who continues to tell the folks in her district that she does not support them.

Back on July 1, I sent a email to all commissioners asking them to back up what I was saying on this blog. Berry did just that, and soon after Ms. Zell saw the light and so did Mr. Rhodes. And then finally Mr. Rainer stepped up and said the Sheriff should not have spent that 100,000 on the college scholarship. So in two short months we went from no support from the board to 4 out of 5. Not bad Camden County. Do you now see what can be accomplished if we come together as one. Good job.

Audit 2005