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For Second Time, State Disagrees With Century Mayor’s Claims About Security Cameras, Inmate Labor
December 21, 2018
For the second time, the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) is disagreeing with claims made by Century Mayor Henry Hawkins about the need for security cameras in order to use inmate labor from Century Correctional Institution.
In November Hawkins said, “We are about to lose our inmates if we don’t get security cameras. People have been dropping off stuff over at Showalter Park and even at the maintenance shop for the inmates to pick up. This has happened now for three straight months. And if we don’t put in security cameras, they are going to pull our inmates.”
“Everywhere that we put inmates, we got to have them. But our biggest traffic area for drugs right now is at Showalter and the maintenance shop. We actually need some at the roadside park (Nadine McCaw Park),” the mayor said in November. Hawkins said the prison is requiring that the cameras be professionally monitored.
NorthEscambia.com followed up with the FDC, and we were told they had not mandated the use of professional monitored cameras by FDC Press Secretary Patrick Manderfield.
This week, Hawkins told the Century Town Council that “whoever” made those statements was wrong.
“Whoever that was … they printed this stuff wouldn’t at this meeting between me, the major and the warden, and the assistant warden. Whoever that was, and I don’t know, they wouldn’t at this table,” he said.
“My question is do we have to have the security cameras to keep the inmates?” Council President Ann Brooks asked.
“Yes we do,” Hawkins replied. “Yes.”
“So whoever spoke for the Department of Corrections was incorrect?” Brooks asked.
“Right,” Hawkins answered.
And, again, the FDC backed up their original statement in an email on Thursday.
“If contraband is discovered in a work squad area, inmate work crews are unable to go out until the issue is investigated, causing a disruption in work. For this reason, the Department recommends the use of cameras with local officials in the best interest of the safety of staff and the community. The Department had discussions with the Town of Century about the potential use of cameras in work squad areas but has never mandated it as a requirement. Since November, the Department has continued to provide work squads for the Town of Century in accordance with our contract agreement,” Manderfield said. He underlined “but has never mandated it as a requirement” in his email.
Hawkins also told the council that the FDC wanted a key and access to search the town shop where inmates often work.
“They wanted to come in early before anybody come to work. They wanted a key to our facilities, and I said nope, that’s not going to happen. Somebody will be there when they do their inspections,” the mayor said.
“There were no specific discussions about searching, but the Department requires institutional staff to search work squad areas for any contraband,” Manderfield said Thursday.
He said the Florida Department of Corrections will continue to provide inmate labor to the Town of Century … even without the cameras.
“If we have to have cameras, I want that in a contract with them,” council member Ben Boutwell said.
In November, Hawkins presented the town council with two quotes for cameras — one from McCullough and Sons in Bratt and one from a company he did not name. The McCullough and Sons quote was for just over $21,000, and included five years of professional monitoring, he said. He recommended that the cameras first be installed at Showalter Park and the town maintenance shop on Alger Road for a cost of about $4,800.
There were no funds budgeted by the town for the purchase of security cameras this fiscal year. “I’m not going on an oral agreement or anything. It has to be written down in a contract that we have to have cameras.
He asked for the approval to purchase security cameras in June after he said vandals had struck several parks. “We need to move quickly on cameras, because we are going to go broke with nickel and dime repairs,” Hawkins said in June.
In May, he presented the town council with a security camera proposal from Security Center USA in Jacksonville for about $700 per month under a 36 month lease purchase with a $1 buyout. The proposal included eight HD cameras at town hall and the Nadine McCaw Park, seven HD cameras at maintenance shop and Showalter Park, and three HD cameras at the water treatment plant. Installation, video recorders, streaming, accessories and monitoring were included.
The council has not approved any of Hawkins’ requests for security cameras.
Pictured: Century Mayor Henry Hawkins discusses security cameras and prison inmates during a council meeting. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
17 Responses to “For Second Time, State Disagrees With Century Mayor’s Claims About Security Cameras, Inmate Labor”
Did he report the contraband he knows about to the Escambia county sheriff department. What do they say about that?
Did the council report it?
What the town of century has is exactly what it voted for….
Where does Mr. Gomez and Ms McMurray stand on all this garbage
There has to be someone profiting from all these diversionary tactics.
This is so comical. I tune into this every morning to see what’s happening with the Mayor and Century
I know there are good folks in Century. There has to be! But this Mayor just seems to do or try to do what he wants! He is dragging Century down!
He needs to learn there are rules to be followed! He should step down! He is making his town out to be the laughing stock of Florida.
Here is a solution to you problem, stop using inmates! Most are in prison for a good reason! The broke the law!
Add more help by hiring high school kids to do the work that inmates do! Maybe that will keep the kids out of trouble too? Create some extra revenue for the kids earning money and it saves mom and dad money too!
Just a thought?
Century should start with the mayor and install a body cam. They would know the reason for all of the future flights and the future unnamed businesses that give quotes to the town.
With this mayor , you don’t need “convicts”. . .
Mayor Hawkins, from the article above:
“In November, Hawkins presented the town council with two quotes for cameras — one from McCullough and Sons in Bratt and one from a company he did not name.”
Now what sort of “Council” or Rightful Representative of The (Taxpaying) People would ever consider a bid where the provider was not named?
This alone constitutes severe irregularities internal to the Council itself and especially to any sort of leadership that would bring this forward.
Why not name each and all who provided quotes?
How much does it take before the State Attorney can become involved to investigate the whole bunch on this Council?
I don’t think the mayor will be around much longer, the village called and they want their idiot back.
Does anybody have the book rights to all these stories?
It would be a best seller. You could call it “The Stories of Century”
First pic: “Waddn’t me!”
It seems to me that the Mayor is looking for “whoever” to put it into writing that cameras are a requirement so that it will force the councils (and/or) “whoever” hand in paying for the cameras originally asked to watch for vandals. It’s looking like the inmates are being use as a scapegoat into the Mayor’s agenda, like he does with so many other things. I’m not saying that the inmates are completely innocent here but it seems to coincidental.
Side note, I do like the statement of “Going broke with nickle and dime repairs”, humm isn’t Century already broke, like way broke? What happened to the lost hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of lost and/or not billed natural gas? (Unless I’m wrong or there was an update I didn’t see.)
Liar, Liar… Oops, that title has already been taken and copyrighted!
If the mayor of Century said that the sun rose in the east, I would have to get up early and see it for myself before i would take his word for it.
You don’t need cameras. Make it mandatory your staff go out and do a quick search before they get there inmates. “These drop offs sholud not be your problem” that should be countrys do to it can be illegal drugs… What YOU should be worried about is the ones picking it up under your suppervision.. Cameras will not show major hard drugs hidden in your city owned trucks being transported back to your shop and the prison. Do your self a favor “Inspect what you expect “…
The citizens of Century deserve better than this.
Really like the first photo of this article.
Thinking, and feel am not alone, that the Security Cameras really need to be trained 24/7/365 on a few individuals who seem to operate with complete freedom of conscience and concern for the tax paying citizens of Century.
God Bless and Merry CHRISTMAS to All.
Judging by previous revelations regarding city leadership i have to go with the states version. We just can’t take the mayors word.
This guy is beyond unfit to serve in a mayoral or any other managerial capacity. Does the council have any authority to recall the mayor?