WRTV6 reported
that IMPD and MCSD are already facing a 15 million dollar budget shortfall for
2012. IT’S MARCH!!! Director
Straub stated, “"If the shortfall isn't found in our budget, we'll be
turning off the lights and electricity at our districts, probably by the end of
the month. We'll be cutting services pretty drastically when we shut down our
districts..” May we take a brief aside
and discuss an issue that Dr. Stab, I mean Straub, loves to opine about…Leadership.
Leadership is about how a person guides or directs a group
of people. A wise man once said, “Men
are governed only by serving them; the rule is without exception.” Martin Luther King said, “The ultimate measure
of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at
time of challenge and controversy.” And
Proverbs 29:18, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”
With these leadership quotes fresh on your mind, please
answer the following question: Why would
the anointed leader of a large metropolitan police department first sacrifice
the ability of the men and women doing the heavy lifting instead of sacrificing
the non-critical bureaucracy? Turn the
lights out at the districts!? I have a revolutionary
idea….Why not reduce the Public Safety Director’s Office budget about 4
million dollars; in addition, the City County Council could stop allowing the
MCSD to buy police cars for road patrol functions when they don’t have that
responsibility anymore. The waste of tax
payers’ dollars is staggering and there are only 3 possible people/entities to
blame: The Mayor, The Public Safety
Director, and/or The City County Council.
No one else is in a position of leadership with budgetary control.
A word of caution to the police officers patrolling our
streets; if Director Straub and Mayor Ballard are willing to shut off your
district’s electricity to save a few thousand dollars out of a 15 million
dollar shortfall, they aren’t beyond re-opening your contract and reducing your
pay.
Take a look at the 2006 and 2011 Organizational Charts for
IMPD and the Public Safety Department….any wonder there is a budget crunch?
First, if any executive spends a year's budget in the first quarter, they should be fired. In the private sector that is a given.
ReplyDeleteSecond, that chart showing the new increase in bureaucracy is outrageous! Indianapolis is NOT New York!!! Apparently Frank Straub thinks he can create a fiefdom.
Third, there is something fishy smelling coming from Frank Straub's office, and there might be a clue in there as to why he needs a newly built shower in there. Someone needs investigate the job "qualifications" of his assistant from Venezuela....then the "qualifications" of his PR Director.
Fourth, why is Ballard allowing Frank Straub to create a giant fiefdom/NY-style bureaucracy and WASTE the taxPAYER's money???
Ballard must begin to shoulder the blame for a great deal of the morale issues within IMPD and the budget problems. He has allowed Straub to do what he wants and neglected to supervise him. Maybe Ballard feels inferior to Straub because of all the letters after his name; he shouldn't, and he has a responsibility to lead and supervise him.
ReplyDeleteThe City Council should order an immediate AUDIT of the DPS budget and all accounts under control of Frank Straub! -Inquiring minds, and accountable minds, want to know what he has done with OUR TAX money!
ReplyDeleteWell, let's see here. Over the past few days I've seen stories run on the local news outlets showing the Dr. contemplating the need to shut off electricity to the district IMPD offices because there is a shortfall of money. Hmmmmm? Where was this shortfall when Frank needed to remodel his office, incuding the installation of his own personal shower? Where was this shortfall when he has hired and appointed no less than 5 deputy directors, some with questionable qualification? Where was this shortfall when the latest promotion process for Sergeants was conducted at the Grand Wyndham hotel instead of at the traditional site at the academy at 10th and Post? Where was this shortfall when the DPS hired a firm from Washington, DC to come in and administer the testing for these promotions? Where was the shortfall of money when the DPS flew IMPD brass out to Washington DC to oversee the selecion process and grading of the tests by the outside firm hired to "make sure the process was impartial"? Why does Straub believe that a marketing blitz on IMPD's image is the way to promote the department to the public it serves? Those are some questions I'd like to see answered by Frank.
ReplyDeleteNext, for Mayor Marine; Why do you allow this ego-maniac to continue to errode the moral of IMPD? Why do you allow the frivilous spending on all the "fluff" that Frank has spent not only on his office, but during the most recent hiring process mentioned above, and so many other things that I've intentionally left out because time and space won't let me list them all? Are you not aware of this? Why have you allowed the DPS to inflate is staff with no measurable forward progress or budgetary oversight? When, Mayor Ballard, ARE YOU GOING TO REALIZE appointing this nut job wanna be cop into a absolute position of power was the worst mistake of your tenure as Mayor?? There was rumor circulated from the top floor of the CCB that "you heard" the pleas and cries of the IMPD rank and file, and that changes were going to occur post Superbowl. Well.....?
Lastly, a few questions for the Sheriff. The sheriff's dept. was allowed to keep all the money in their budget that they WERE paying deputies before the merger. Where has all that $$$ gone? I understand the need to issue a few cars to deputies in your warrant division etc., and even applaud your initiative to lease new cars instead of buying them outright (if that's actually the case) but anyone who drives the roads around Marion county knows that you have a whole lot of "special deputies" that have been issued cars and are out doing traffic enforcement...many without going thru a full fledged academy and not being properly trained to do so. Why are you trying to re-ceated a road/traffic division when that is clearly not in the agreement of the merger? How much money could you save by sticking to running the jail, court lines, and warrant service?
Ok, I've said my piece. Anyone out there qualified to do so, care to answer these questions? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?
Sign me, On the Side of Blue!
Anon 12:06, I appreciate your thoughtfulness and the time you spent to offer some very valid points. We will keep working on vetting Frank Straub, since no one on the council, or the Mayor did their job.
ReplyDeleteWhy is our FOP not stepping up to bat for the Police? Why are they not questioning in public, not just at roll calls, the validity of the Sheriff Delartment's cars, traffic stops, and overinflated budget? Why are they not on the news letting the public know that this $15 million dollar shortfall is because of the malfeasance of our ridiculous Public Safety Director who feels it necessary to build his kingdom out of the tax payer's pockets?
ReplyDeleteAll this talk from John Q Public about how the take home program is a waste of money was planted into their heads by non other than Dr Straub. His position, if I understand correctly, is one that was seen but not heard before he arrived in our city. It appears to me that he is mining the city of Indianapolis for every last dime he can squeeze out of it before he abandons ship to move on to his next disaster, leaving the city short on manpower, short on vehicles, and with morale in the dumpster.
Anonymous March 15th, you hit the nail on the head! However, officers know too well that any mention of the "Dr" or the sheriff for that matter will land them in very hot water. I can name you several IMPD officers who have stood up to the "Dr" with valid points who were removed from their public information officer positions or command positions for disagreeing with the "Dr" Mayor Ballard put this little ego-maniac into a position of absolute power, and apparently no oversight or accountability. The good "Dr" has even gone against city law by appointing 4 additional members to the merit board that oversees recommended firings. City law says only 5 will serve on that board at any one time...no more, no less...but, since that 5 member board heard the facts in the Officer Pilan case and exhonorated the officer and put him back on the street, the "Dr" felt the need to appoint 4 of his own lackys to the tune of several ministers who have been vocal about their perceived impression of IMPD wrongdoing. I can't wait until a debate on those appointents breaks out. Straub will most likelydo what you mentioned above and squeeze all he can out this city and then move on. I just wish Mayor Marine would grow a pair and make it sooner rather than later!!
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