VOLUSIA EXPOSED

VOLUSIA EXPOSED.COM

Does the Florida Department of Law Enforcement have too high of a tolerance for police and correctional officers that will lie, cheat and steal?

Shouldn't officers that lie, cheat and steal be issued a booking number rather than having a badge number?

Is the FDLE, an accomplice before and after the fact, to the criminal behaviors of these officers?

Updated
March 17, 2012

"Still, corruption and oppression are far too common threats to the democratic society."- Anna Lindh

Over the years, there has been a war declared on several concepts. If you are a little long in the tooth, as am I, you might remember the War on Poverty, or how about the War on Drugs and even the current War on Terrorism. Well, given the current level of police corruption, maybe it's time for the citizens of the State of Florida to declare a War on Police Corruption.

Radical idea, you say?

Really? Why is it radical? Should we not, as citizens, expect that the men and women that we trust to uphold our laws, will also obey those same laws? The expectation that our police obey our laws, as well as enforce them, sounds more rationale than radical, more democratic than revolutionary, and more of a necessity than a desire. Especially given the recently released Department of Justice report, which denoted Florida was the worst corrupt State in the union.

Unfortunately, Volusia County in the 1920's and 1930's was known as the second worst corrupt county in the entire country.

So, where does this first battle on the War on Police Corruption need to take place? VolusiaExposed.Com believes that the first proverbial shots fired by the citizens of this State should be at the door step of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

VolusiaExposed.Com has held the opinion for sometime now, that the FDLE has too high a tolerance for police corruption. We use the following few examples to support our opinion.

SEMINOLE COUNTY POLICE OFFICERS
SUBMIT FALSE POLICE REPORTS
NO CHARGES FILED

One officer was arrested - but several other officers that participated in the filing of false reports were not.

WEST MELBOURNE POLICE DEPARTMENT
COMMANDER STEALS DRUGS OUT OF EVIDENCE ROOM
NO CHARGES FILED

CORRECTIONS OFFICERS
FALSIFY REPORTS ATTACHED TO IN-CUSTODY DEATH
NO CHARGES FILED

The above three examples of police misconduct have been reported to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Other than the arrest of one officer in the Seminole case, little to nothing has been done to insure that our law enforcement officers are being required to obey the very laws they are entrusted to enforce.

So obviously the $64,000 dollar question is, why does the FDLE allow police corruption to go un-checked?

Empirical evidence appears to suggest that the FDLE has been corrupted.

Allow us to explain - there is a sub-branch of the FDLE called the Criminal Justice Standard and Training Commission (CJSTC). The CJSTC is empowered to govern the ethics of law enforcement and correctional officers throughout the State of Florida. We invite you to review the CJSTC's own web page for a better understanding of their role in ensuring police ethics within the State of Florida.

We suggest that our readers review who the current members of the CJSTC Commission are. We further suggest that our readers make note of seven particular CJSTC Commissioners. They are:

Chief Brian Lock - West Melbourne Police Department
Sheriff Ric Bradshaw - Palm Beach County
Deputy Belinda Murvin - Palm Beach County
Chief Dennis Jones - Tallahassee Police Department
Ofc. Kathleen Connell - Tallahassee Police Department
Sheriff John Rutherford - Jacksonville Sheriff Department
Ofc. Nelson Cuba - Jacksonville Sheriff Department

How many of our readers caught that one of the misconduct scandals outlined above, came from West Melbourne Police Department, the very same department that CJSTC Commissioner Brian Lock is the police chief of? BrevardsBestNews ran an article that shed further light on how this scandal was managed and swept under the CJSTC carpet.

Now let's focus on CJSTC Commissioners Bradshaw, Murvin, Jones, Connell, Rutherford and Cuba. Please take notice that Bradshaw and Murvin are both from the Palm Beach County Sheriff's office (Bradshaw is the Sheriff of Palm Beach County, Murvin is a deputy).Commissioners Jones and Connell are both from the Tallahassee Police Department, while both Commissioners Rutherford and Cuba are employed by the Jacksonville Sheriff Department.

Here is the problem - CJSTC procedures (State law) prohibits any agency (police, sheriff, corrections agency) of having more than one member as an appointed CJSTC commissioner. Obviously Palm Beach County, the Jacksonville Sheriff Department and the Tallahassee PD each have two. A clear and outright violation.

Who appoints the CJSTC commissioners? The answer is the Governor of Florida.

Recently, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune ran an excellent series outlining the failures in the CJSTC system to weed out rogue police officers. The above violations (an agency having more than one CJSTC commissioner), were brought to the attention of Governor Rick Scott. Governor Scott promised that the situation would be investigated and addressed. We refer you to the below Sarasota Herald interview with Governor Scott.

VolusiaExposed.Com has recently questioned the CJSTC as to if they intend to open an administrative complaint on two Volusia County law enforcement officers that have been accused of cheating in regarding to obtaining their college degrees.

Although we have received word that the CJSTC is reviewing the allegations - we highly expect that no administrative complaint will be open in either case. Why? Well, a few years ago, CJSTC Commissioner Belvin Murvin was also caught cheating - where did that get her? Answer - a seat on the CJSTC Commission.

ARE YOU READY TO DECLARE WAR YET?

Well, if you are not ready to declare war, you will be, after you review the below Sarasota Herald-Tribune special reports on the status of police corruption within Florida.