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Sheriff Texts Three Commissioners: Expect Patrol Cuts In Your District
September 28, 2017
Less than two hours after the Escambia County Commission passed a budget short of the demands made by Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan, the sheriff texted at least three commissioners letting them know that patrols would be reduced in their district.
“I’d like to say I was surprised by the timing of the message, but I was not,” Commissioner Steven Barry said.
The text sent to Commissioners Barry, Jeff Bergosh and Grover Robinson said, “Your district is one of those that will see a reduction of patrol coverage”. Commissioners Lumon May and Doug Underhill have said they did not receive the text Tuesday night.
“I get an unsolicited text saying, ‘Your district is subject to reduced patrols,’ yeah it was unsettling,” Commissioner Jeff Bergosh said. “The timing wasn’t good. The optics don’t look good.”
The commission passed a $455.8 million budget Tuesday night that included a 3 percent across the board raise for all permanent county employees…including those at the Sheriff’s Office. Morgan fought for pay raises and changes in the pay structure in his department in order to retain deputies. He said he will appeal the budget to the governor because it did not nothing to help him retain deputies that are leaving the department due to pay that is lower than surrounding departments.
“The timing of this text, right after the meeting where we attempted to compromise with Sheriff Morgan (where we bumped his budget up to give all his men a 3% raise) could be construed by some as retaliatory or worse yet…..threatening,” Bergosh wrote Wednesday on his blog. “All because, apparently, we did not fund him an 8% year over year budget increase…What a disappointment.”
Morgan sent an email to commissioners, and a text to at least one commissioner, inviting them back in July to attend individual meetings over his “realignment of our limited resources”. He also posted a public video on YouTube and social media in which he said deputies would be reassigned from unnamed low crime areas to areas with higher crime.
“For some reason, that doesn’t seem to get through to anybody and so now we’re at this juncture of where it’s time to make these moves and people are acting like there’s a revelation,” Morgan said. “‘Oh my God, the sheriff is actually going to reduce these things,’ Of course I am, I’ve been telling you for months.”
Morgan said the text messages were in no way retaliation.
“Hurl the allegations if you’d like, this is the new norm in Escambia County until we can correct it,” Morgan said.
Barry said Tuesday’s text from the Morgan was not the first he had received from the sheriff during the summer budget battles, and he did not respond to any of them.
“I received several text messages from Sheriff Morgan this summer, and upon the advice of our board counsel, I archived each one. As only one of five board members who need to work together collectively, responding to the messages did not seem particularly prudent. However, I did have a very informative hour long meeting with Chief Financial Officer Henrique Dias and Chief Deputy Haines last week.”
Both Barry and Bergosh said they are disappointed that Morgan will cut patrols in their districts.
“To say I am disappointed that the sheriff is telling District 1 that we will receive a reduction of patrol coverage is an understatement. We have had big issues with crime in West Escambia, Myrtle Grove, Avondale, Bellview, and other areas of District 1. We have had murders in Beulah…residents in Logan Place have endured a rash of car burglaries–and to say these areas are going to receive ‘a reduction of patrol coverage’ is astonishingly disappointing,” Bergosh wrote.
“In each of my five years as a county commissioner, we have included 3 percent raises in each budget for every employee at the Sheriff’s Office, so I will be very disappointed if there is any further reduction in patrols in District 5,” Barry said.
Morgan has said the patrol reductions will occur October 1.
Pictured top: Screenshot from a Tuesday night text from Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan to Escambia County Commissioner Stephen Barry. Pictured below: Screenshots of texts Barry received during the summer from Morgan. Barry said he did not reply to any of the texts. Click any image to enlarge.
Comments
61 Responses to “Sheriff Texts Three Commissioners: Expect Patrol Cuts In Your District”
Most missed the point as usual. The deputy pay is too low to retain adequate staffing. The Commissioners have been advised of that for YEARS. True, they have now been advised that the lack of staffing has real world consequences. It was the Commissioners who shared that information with the press. Not the Sheriff. Either pay adequately for law enforcement or expect services to suffer. Is that simple enough? Disrespect for the Sheriff, his staff or the man in the moon is just a rabbit trail to nowhere.
So he gets mad with the Commissioners and takes it out on the citizens? EVERYONE in North Escambia needs to call, fax, email, snail-mail, AND visit his office to remind him that the Commissioners aren’t the only ones who live in those Districts!
@ Bill, ole “Chip-er-roo” will probably be running after Morgan’s time is up. So, everyone needs to decide now, HOW, you would like the law enforcement ran in this county. Do you want the good ole boy system back (as with McNesby and now Morgan) OR do you want an out of the box thinking kind of Sheriff?
I personally think that Sheriff Morgan is doing all he can, and the real problem lies with the court system in and of it self, but if you dig deeper it really points to broken families. Why does virtually all criminals have very long rap-sheets. You have 25 year old boys with 2-3 armed robberies under their belt. Just think how many man hours are expended re-arresting folks and hunting folks down, over and over again and again. If people can’t raise their children to become productive citizens, then we as a society may have to resort to extreme measures to deal with them once and for all.
@ Unanswered Questions on September 28th, 2017 11:58 am
Why doesn’t he, Simmons and Haines go on patrol?
Answer: Morgan could go on patrol. Deputies used to take “ride along” citizens to let them see the LEO side of the community.
BUT, because he IS NOT A SWORN Law Enforcement Officer he alone could not make a legal, effective arrest. He’d need a Duly Sworn Florida LEO do the work of arrest.
Three of the County Commissioners, District 1 / District 4 / District 5 got the text notifying them and their Constituents of the “Slow Patrols and Response”. Bergosh is the only one that the media immediately went to.
Going to have breakfast with the family, and then as discussed around the supper table, we’re going shopping at that nice new Sports & Outdoors store on Davis for smaller concealed carry but heavy caliber pistols for my “Girls” an easy process with the permits they’ve had for a couple of years.
Morgan, if you want to play politics and be a whining crying snowflake please leave that position of authority and responsibility because whatever small amount of respect you had among my extended family, friends, work friends and church group you have lost all respect among us.
Morgan, question for you, God Forbid that one of Your Deputies should die in the course of their duties or by natural causes will you Refuse them Respect of an Escorted Funeral Procession?
God Bless and Protect ALL First Responders who serve us and God Bless the USA.
In 1961 I was ten years old and lived in a small town with a population of 2,500 people. We had one part time officer who operated out of the volunteer fire station. Citizens monitored each others kids, and the officer would take us to our parents rather than charge us with a crime. Crime was low. In 2011 that same town 50 years later had 10,000 people and 18 full time officers and 6 part time deputies. They built a five million dollar police station and each full time officer takes their vehicle home. All across America during this same fifty years we have exploding police forces in every town, county, and state while we have criminalized things which NEVER required the criminal justice system when I was a kid. We fill our jails with young dopes and mopes who need guidance and help, and hire more criminal justice folks who demand more pay. It is counter intuitive, but maybe it is time to focus on violent crime, and quit having police turn marginal citizens into criminals. Courage is when our elected officials can say NO….enough. Quit making spitting on the sidewalk a crime, and get government our of our lives…..or at least minimize the monster we have created..
In the majority of this great country, Law enforcement becomes “mobile note takers”. by the time they arrive on scene the criminals are gone, the crime/murder has been committed and it is only an effort to take facts and notes of what happened. Still like the old west. take care of your own cause the “note takers’ will not solve the crime. How many have you observed in a secluded spot , and not near where the crime scene is? It is easier to ticket someone for a car seat or seatbelt violation than a real criminal!
Regarding:
“Then have them leave the patrol vehicle at the station when they’re not at work and share the vehicle with other deputies that are working. I’ve had to drive my own vehicle back and forth to work all my adult life.”
Nah.
Your vehicle doesn’t stop crimes just by being there, a patrol car does. In fact, you could cut crime just by painting some civilian cars to look like patrol cars. (People stopped speeders by painting junked cars to look like patrol cars and putting them out where speeders could barely see them. After awhile it stopped working because they knew. The solution is to use real cars on patrol at random times so they never know for sure.)
David for dummies for dummies
I WILL BE GLAD WHEN THIS CRY BABY GENERAL WANT TO BE IS GONE . TELL US MORE ON HOW YOU ARENT GONNA PROTECT THE PEOPLE OF ESCAMBIA CO . FUNNY SANTA ROSA DONT HAVE THESE ISSUES . PUT YOUR BIG BOY PANTIES ON AND DO YOUR DAMM JOB OR GET THE HELL OUT !!!!!!
Why don’t they put 2 Deputies in each patrol vehicle? And sell the other half. That way you can cut the cost of vehicles, vehicle maintenance, and gas in half. I always see at least 2 deputies on every call anyway.( Which I think is a good idea for there safety)Then have them leave the patrol vehicle at the station when there not at work and share the vehicle with other deputies that are working. I’ve had to drive my own vehicle back and forth to work all my adult life.
That’s hilarious that Sheriff Morgan is sending a letter or going to Tallahassee to tell Gov Scott…..who by the way hasn’t given State employees any increase in 10 years!!!! I’m sure he will jump right on the wagon with you! Everyone that lives and works in NW Florida are underpaid.
Last night, around the supper table, the three “Girls” in my family asked if they could get me to go with them to a large Sports and Outdoors store on Davis Hwy to look at some of the smaller — personal concealed carry — pistols.
They already have had their permits and do carry from time to time yet with the Fewer Patrols from the sheriff they want to carry all the time for personal safety and comfort. The weapons they have now are full-sized and they are very accurate with them.
Not a problem from me so Saturday we’re going gun shopping.
Morgan has given us no option, we live in one of the Fewer Patrol Districts, except to arm ourselves and maintain our own vigil.
Love our Deputies on patrol. See no need for billboards, donations to encourage votes, and no need for Two Chief Deputies and that woman who runs sheriff’ video productions and Personal Promotion junk.
Bad guys, my girls will not hesitate to exercise their rights.
Frankly, I listened to the Sheriff a month, or so,ago on BLAB TV….I thought that he the took a good amount of time and explained it quite in-depth, with a lot of background history on how Escambia ended up in this financial quagmire. A good amount of the financial deficit was totally out of his control, like the fallout from the massive jail explosion several years ago. But, he implored the listeners to contact their commissions to correct this dilemma. The Sheriff can only do so much (to retain deputies) when there is no “blood from the turnip”- of which, the commissioners are in control of. I happen to like him- and, would still vote for him…and, I really like our deputies, especially in the north-end. Home protection: recommended.
The sheriff recognizes that the deputies are hurting…. he has tried to cooperate for years. He has laid out a logical argument. Now he is using every tool he can. He does this not just for the deputies, but so that YOU, the PUBLIC will have experienced, qualified and trained deputies to protect you.
No funeral escorts
No police officers @ the Fair
other services being cut
what next.
I want my nieces murder solved!
Get with the program Morgan
Well he did say years ago “If I run for a third term I’ve gone stupid”
Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
The Sheriff needs more funds. He is doing what he has to do.
Military Pay raise history since 2010.
2010 3.4%
2011 1.4%
2012 1.6%
2013 1.7%
2014 1.0%
2015 1.0%
2016 1.3%
2017 2.1%
2018 2.1%
2019 1.6% (proposed)
Starting annual pay for a military member with less than 2 years of service,
$19,198.08 – $25,064.40 depending on specialty.
The Sheriff is being unrealistic!
professional opinion RE: SUNSHINE LAW ___
“Florida’s sunshine law requires that all conversations about public business between 2 or more members of the county commission be held at meetings open and noticed to the public. Because the sheriff is not a member of the commission, he is not prohibited from communicating with members of the county commission. From the articles you sent, it would appear that the sheriff communicated individually with each the three commissioners. That would not be a violation of the sunshine law unless the sheriff was acting as a conduit b/w the three. This does not seem to be the case. If the three commissioners were to text or email between themselves about the sheriff’s text, that would be a violation of law.
Hope this makes sense!
B.
Barbara A. Petersen, President
Florida First Amendment Foundation
morgan has spent the Law Enforcement Trust Funds like it was water.
He’s given away hundreds of thousands of dollars that could have been used for Training, Equipment (radios, bullet proof vests weapons), the firing range which he’s all but shut down, many other things other than salary.
That would free up dollars for other uses within the department.
morgan has finally proven that he is not a law enforcement officer and that he is more than willing to put the lives of his sworn officers, EMT’s, Firefighters and others at risk along with the Citizens of Escambia County just because he wants to feel Big and Important when he surely is small and irellevant.
morgan wants letters written to the Governor, well do that and ask for an investigation into why officers leave and an Audit by the State of the way that morgan uses the millions of dollars he squanders.;;
This is a national shortage of law enforcement officers and some of it is directly related to Black Life Matter, Killing Police Officers. Mass Riots going unchecked and a President of the USA after Furgusen that said “it’s just a little turbulence.”
Officers are our heroes, thugs are not.
Law and order is what make our country great.
Respecting authority and the Flag are the base of our country and freedom and if the SOB keep up this racists campaign it is time to call them out. It is divisive and bad for the country, including themselves.
These men and women of Law enforcement deserve respect and honor and appreciation or they will find some thing else to do.
Board of County Commissioners, they are more important than your discretionary funds for parties, or funding developers dreams, or traffic circles or Bay Centers ,..and you know it.
Sheriff your tactic of getting the public involved backfired and made you look bad trying to pit people in the “us against them” mentality shows and lack of professionalism and leadership. Take responsibility for what you have to do and how to do it.
The nonsense of keeping borders open for Mexican War criminals to come over and some other liberals ideals that deny the fact that therer are people that want to steal from you, take your home and your country and want to kill you are naive.
This is a national epidemic reaching our home towns.
Wake up people..
I need a hero.
Nice thank you ESCO Mr. Morgan I’m on the prowl for some new fire power as I speak suburbs here I come nighttime is even better ECSO is not very good at solving crimes anyway LOL.
I completely support how much Sherriff Morgan has been fighting for his deputies to get raises and fix compression issues to keep deputies and recruitment up. The county in the past 15 years has increased its population by an estimated 20k, let alone with all the new businesses, there are so many extra people in our county each day. He is reaching a critical point in which the vast majority of his “senior” deputies most of which are the leaders on each shift or detectives or specialized officers are leaving to go to Federal Agencies or other local agencies in which pay is much higher. Yes, is his agency top heavy and could he fix some things, of course. What agency or county or city doesn’t have certain issues.
My only complaint is it seems he is doing too much too fast, the precinct closings, the reduction of their traffic unit, now the “fewer” patrols of certain neighborhoods. The problem with security at the fair. I have no problems with each one of these options individually, but when it all comes out within the past year and especially within the past month or two it just seems like your being a cry baby for not getting what you want.
In the end something has to give because either way if the county does not address the issue, deputies will continue to leave and the SO will struggle to keep up and eventually its gonna lead to a situation in which Deputies are gonna get killed due to lack of backup or unfortunately innocent people will get hurt due to the shortages at the SO.
3 0/0 (per cent) – Those deputies LIVES must be CHEAP in Escambia Co . . .
The sheriff actually sounds like he’s burnt out from the job. He probably regretting run again last year and it sounds like he’s just done with what the job requires. He should probably just resign so everyone can move forward. 3% has been good the last 5 years but now it’s not and he’s going to tell on us at the governor’s office. Pretty ridiculous… And making his threats to these commissioners is really stupid and petty, what good could he have thought they would bring by sending? It’s reminds me of a scorn ex girlfriend experience from my high school days. Very embarrassed for him.
We are paying to house drug dealers and criminals in ‘public housing’ requiring full time deputies in these places. I say stop funding all public housing, drug dealers, and the new jail. Save some time and money.
Valiant, funny, I thought the same exact thing. If the ECSO is in such dire need of money, then how on earth can they afford all of the billboards??? Our sheriff sure does like seeing his face in the newspaper, on TV, on billboards, etc. I’m very content with the fact that I did not vote for him in the last election. Hoping this is his last term in office.
Why doesn’t he, Simmons and Haines go on patrol? Why did the ECSO need Simmons? In the past the ECSO has escorted the Mayoki Indians during Mardi Gras or Fiesta activities and participated in parades—will that continue? How much money does the SO make when a deputy works a side job?
County commissioners make $75,000 a year……deputies make like $35,000 a year.
I think I am with the sheriff on this one. The pay for our deputies needs to be increased.
I have nothing but respect for the deputies of this county..I have nothing but contempt for this loser sheriff. But like all bad nightmares….it will come to an end with a non narcissistic man to take his job and even if the new one fails..he or she will be 100 times better than this Xmas tree decorated pansy sheriff. It appears he loves to dress up ..where are the earrings morgan ?
@Jeff
Unfortunately it isn’t just those that voted for him. We all suffer for those uneducated people who voted Morgan in again just because of a familiar face.
I think Hello Sunshine made a very valid point; Any conversations between elected officials that are not conducted at an advertised public meeting are clearly violations of the sunshine law. Now, who is gonna investigate that one? Violations of the Sunshine Law are offences that can result in all involved parties being removed from office.
Maybe Sheriff Morgan will use his 3% raise to put himself on some more billboards.
everyone is in need of money now days. why should the sheriff be any different. suck it up and do your job or find another one.
It is amusing that there is an assumption that more patrols lower crime. Tell that to the people who are having home invaders come into their homes. By Golly, the first thing that home invader says is “we need to be careful because of all those sheriff patrols”. NOT. It is always up to citizens to lower crime. Increased use of video with cameras visible from the street will deter crime. If half the people on a block put up video crime will be deterred. You can go to Best Buy and get an eight camera system for less than $500 and if two of those cameras on every house point out to the street and are visible every criminal will become a movie star. We use the ring doorbell, and we can talk to anybody at our door on our cell phone from anywhere….even on vacation. It is time to lower budgets and allow taxpayers to make their homes more secure with effective video systems. There are plenty of patrols now, but crime is off the charts, but if neighborhoods organize and put up cameras………crime will go down.
A big thanks to all the idiots that voted him in again. He is a crook and is trying to extort more money from a broke county. There was at the very least one candidate that was grossly more qualified, but our lovely citizens went with a familiar name instead of doing their homework. You reap what you sow.
Bang Bang it’s over
Good for Sheriff Morgan. I think he’s done a fantastic job and those criticizing him are the bizarre ones on here.
I hope Governor Scott gets him more money for law enforcement. My neighborhood will be affected by less patrols but we’re locked and loaded anyway.
he’s so juvenile. If he managed his team better the problem wouldn’t be so bad.
Escambia County, 3 times! This is typical of how this sheriff has conducted himself since day one why anyone is surprised is beyond comprehension. Great point was made by ‘Simon’—”If he’s willing to treat elected commissioners this way HOW DO YOU THINK HE TREATS HIS EMPLOYEES?” Well, if the stats from his second or third in charge are to believed and there has been 60 plus a year–that may just answer that question. Sure money may be a part but this is a case of the fish rotting from the head down. The men and women that are out there on patrol are in REAL need of community support they are facing criminals while their some of their leaders are profiting at their expense and certainly not having their backs. This is a humdinger of a mess.
Does this not violate the Sunshine Law somehow? I am just a citizen, but should there be a private conversation between 2 elected officials?
I think what is more impressive is that Commissioner Barry had 578 unread text messages.
I have a feeling as long as response times were already in Molino from the Sheriff’s office, you will see more people taking the law into their own hands. This seems like a lose-lose for everyone in the county.
So the commissioners go from “we can’t afford to give your Office a raise” to we”re giving every employee in the whole county a 3% raise.” And y’all want to call out the sheriff for being bizarre? At best there are issues on both sides. BTW a 3% was not what was requested and nothing was done for the pay scale.
what do you expect from a spoiled brat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
so instead of ending funneral escorts to beaf up patrol we will just lessen the protection of our citizens, the dead need more protection.
time to add more supervisors.
By most definitions, this action would be called extortion. Other actions Sheriff Hollywood has taken could be signs that he is a little off his rocker. Maybe the Commission should ask Gov. Scott to remove him from office.
No difference in district 5 (northend). We don’t have the patrol after 8pm anyway.
Abuse of power – plain and simple, and conduct that’s not professional in any way. It’s time for Governor Scott to remove Morgan from office.
The people voted him into that office, why cant we vote him out. Too bad Sir Morgan didn’t fight this hard for his employees at the jail!
Y’all hired this idiot in ,deal with him. I myself find the sherrif and the Dept a clown circus .
PLEASE everyone remember this come election time! This man child needs to be done away with! Deputies that don’t even respond in the first place don’t deserve even the 3% raise, I understand the few that do. They are probably leaving because of this idiot, not the pay. And for the people saying “just give them the money”, do you want to be paying them personally? Because that money is not in the budget for an every year increase so it has to come from somewhere. Maybe if he took the money from all the billboards with his ugly mug on them around town and all the pointless commercials he could find some extra cash.
Once again Sheriff Arrogant plays games with the lives of County residents. First he doesn’t seem to know math when he complains that across the board pay cuts worsen salary compression then sends threatening texts like a middle school aged girl who lost her boyfriend, broadcasting to criminals where it’s “safe” to conduct their “business”. What a joke.
Seems to me that the possibility of a recall of our arrogant sheriff should be explored. Threats and extortion should not be coming from anyone, especially an elected official like the sheriff.
I suppose he won’t run for any local office here. If he thinks he can employ guerilla tactics, intimidate, and bully people and win another election, either he, the people, or both, are stupid as a stump.
What a piece of garbage the voters put into power. He needs to be removed from office ASAP!
Is a recall vote for sheriff prudent, yet?
If he’s willing to treat elected commissioners that way how do you think he treats his employees?
Terrible leadership and terrible pay, it’s easy to see why deputies are leaving.
It sounds bizarre because Morgan is BIZARRE. He got above his asking amount and yet he is throwing a fit and threatening people and communities. We need to get this nut job out of the sheriff’s office before we don’t have a sheriffs office.
Nope business as usually for politician someone on the Century town council got away with doing worse a year or two ago not an eyelash was batted.
and the PNJ ran the story that Bergosh received the text so obviously all of them did.
To look deeper Google Police Shortage. It is occurring across the nation. The tolerance of BLM terrorism has contributed with the killing of Police officers.
Plus the standards are high, physical and psychological. The pay is fairly low and dangerous, but the benefits are good and a chance for early retirement are great. We need to up recruiting and should have been pushing it. Where are the videos, the ads, the officers in schools. Make adjustments and get the job done.
Not an expert here, just an opinion.. smells a little like coercion or extortion or intimidation.
This whole thing has seemed bizarre.
Will the ethics committee be looking this over? Any complaints filed yet? why doesn’t some one order another tax watch look over his budget?
I don’t think the commissioner can order it but a group ordered one in the past. Just to the thinking people this seems a bit crazy actually.
He got the raises. I thought that was the issue.