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Morgan Discusses Hot Topics At Molino Town Hall Meeting
May 1, 2009
From budget differences with county commissioners, to the the number of deputies on the roads in North Escambia to the improper use of turn signals, Escambia Sheriff David Morgan fielded questions at a town hall meeting in Molino Thursday evening.
Morgan told about 50 people gathered at Fran’s Diner that five new deputies will be added in North Escambia soon. Three will be assigned to Molino and two will be assigned to Century as soon as they graduate from the academy. Overall, the sheriff said his department has gone from 238 to about 260 sworn deputies on the county’s roads.
Also in North Escambia, Morgan said people have noticed an increase in traffic patrols by the Sheriff’s Department. In December 2008, the month prior to Morgan taking office, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department wrote just 29 traffic citations. Morgan’s deputies have written nearly 4,000 since he took office in January.
While that might sound like the ECSO is running speed traps to fund the department, Escambia’s top cop said that is not the case. He said just $2 from every ticket goes into a state law enforcement trust fund. Otherwise, Morgan said his department does not receive any funds from traffic tickets that they write.
Crime in the Molino area, the sheriff said, has remained at a steady level over the past year with no increases like have been seen in some areas. The low crime rate in the Molino area Morgan attributed to Sgt. Kevin Vickrey, Lt. Tony Jordan and the other deputies that patrol Molino.
“You have some of the best,” Morgan said of the deputies that work in and around Molino.
A handful of residents at the meeting at Fran’s Diner Thursday evening expressed displeasure with the way Transfield Services, a contractor hired by the Florida Department of Transportation, handled events the morning of Molino’s floods in late March. Chief Deputy Bill Chavers said he would investigate the allegations of mistreatment of the public by Transfield employees.
The Escambia County Commission wanted Morgan to cut another $4 million from his budget before it is submitted to the BOCC for approval, but the sheriff says he has cut all that he intends to cut. And if the commission does not approve his budget, Morgan says he is taking it to the governor.
On the subject of his impasse with County Administrator Bob McLaughlin, Morgan told the Molino town hall meeting Thursday night that he’s still not speaking to McLaughlin.
“I will deal with all of the other constitutional officers,” Morgan said. “Bob McLaughlin does not work for me, and I most certainly don’t work for Bob McLaughlin. I work for the people and the governor.”
Pictured above: Sheriff David Morgan (left) talks with Molino residents Jacqueline and Richard Freisinger following a town hall meeting Thursday evening at Fran’s Diner in Molino. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Comments
7 Responses to “Morgan Discusses Hot Topics At Molino Town Hall Meeting”
Ms. Jackie. I was impressed with the conduct of those citizens who attended the meeting. Congratulations to Molino folks. The Sheriff and his deputies were very
quick to answer each question posed; with an informed answer.
Explanation: Notice my eyes were focused on William, for whom I said
“No, William!” and he clicked it. He is everywhere but he sure does a great
coverage of all the news of which we would otherwise never be aware.
Hey concerned citizen of Molino the deputy does not haft to write everyone he pulls over a ticket he can check for warrants then WARN them and send them on their way, but his boss says he will write the ticket weather he wants or not. Not all bad guys drive some times they ride as passengers. You should try eating at smokeys near car city then you will know you are wrong six and seven highway patrol at one time are eating and yes even bad guys eat too . street patrol I see you don’t know what this is, it is not sitting at the diner it is riding the neighborhoods and stopping automobiles and people that look out of place lots of criminals are caught this way and the crime rates come down this way. HEY ESCAMBIA MOMMY I don’t know who you are talking to but the deputies will get in trouble for talking bad about the five star general. so yes they will tell you the sheriff is great. believe what you want you have your belief i have mine. I think i am a law abiding citizen but i received a ticket because my safety chain came unhooked but in you eyes now i am a criminal causing chaos. And yes the sheriff is doing a fair job that is why I would like for him to get reelected but he will not writing this many tickets it is all about money. And maybe the sheriff does not care about being reelected. maybe you should learn the difference between breaking the law and an infraction of the law .Talk to Mr. Webster I see you called me. no one is perfect so I guess we are now all criminals. and we must all pay.
Morgan has beefed up the Narcotics unit. I have heard from several people working at the Sheriff’s Office that the procedures and staffing is getting better. They feel that there has been an improvement.
By the way, by definition, law abiding citizens don’t break traffic laws. (We all make mistakes but then we pay for them.)
If no one enforces running red lights and traffic infractions, we would have chaos.
I am glad that Morgan cares more about doing his job than trying to get reelected. We’ve seen enough of that. He still has my support so far.
Joe, the Highway Patrol usually has only one ot two troopers covering both counties, and folks should know that bad guys get from point A to point B by DRIVING……..Deputies catch alot of bad guys by catching them speeding. Keep it up Sheriff Morgan doing a great job…..
4,000 tickets in 4 months and he will write every voter in this county a ticket before we vote him out. He needs to look at the real crime not traffic infractions. Crime Morgan crime. let the highway patrol do there job and you officers do theirs. Street patrol not traffic. Leave the law abiding citizen alone Morgan you will never get reelected like this.
Adding deputies to the north end is DESPERATELY needed! About 230am one morning, we were on the way back home from taking a patient to pensacola from atmore (i work on the ambulance). Just south of Barrieau Park Rd, we witnessed a white truck heading north in the southbound lanes at a high rate of speed. At first we thought the driver just mistakenly got going the wrong way. But it soon became evident that he was driving very erratically and appeared very impaired. He came across the median and then turned head on towards us, heading south in the northbound lanes. The man pulled into the Tom Thumb on hwy 29 and went in the store, stumbling. We stayed on the phone and radio, deperately trying to get an officer there before the man took off again. But no one came. He pealed out of the store, going the wrong way again heading north in the southbound. He ran several cars off the road. He would drive real slow then take off really fast, weaving all over. We followed almost to Century where he then turned around and went south in the south at high rate and very erratic. We stayed on the phones and radio with Escambia county florida, florida state troopers and Esc. county alabama the entire time. This man was not stopped until far SOUTH of Barrieau Park road again on Hwy 29. We followed for MILES and at least 30 minutes before this dangerous man was stopped. It was only by the grace of God no one was killed in a head on collision. Deputies are needed very much in the north end.
A sheriff that is following through on campaign promises. Wow! We are proud of you Mr. Morgan.