On May 13, 2008, there was $361 in cash deposited in the Cops for Kids account. The source: “Loose change from the evidence room.”
And in February 2006, someone who received a Cops for Kids check in the amount of $4,354 tried to cash that check. But it bounced because there was only $726 in the account, according to the Cops for Kids bank records.
Cops for Kids – an organization operated out of the office of Police Chief John Crone that has presented itself to the community as a charity that assists needy children, seniors and families – has functioned under the chief since 1998 without any oversight from the Town of Mooresville or independent financial controls.
Cops for Kids has taken in tens of thousands of dollars over the years from its annual golf tournament and contributions from individuals and area businesses.
But only a small fraction of Cops for Kids money is devoted to expenses seemingly consistent with the organization’s stated purpose, according to a review of the organization’s financial records by the Tribune and the Gatton Report, an independent blog that covers political issues in Mooresville and southern Iredell County.
Crone has been asked to appear before the town board on Monday to answer questions about Cops for Kids and its financial records which, as of this week, were being kept under lock and key in Crone’s office.
The review of Cops for Kids records found that, as of Thursday morning, the organization was never formally organized under state law or federal tax regulations. It also never underwent annual financial audits, never filed taxes, and was controlled exclusively by Crone without oversight by a board of directors or the town’s finance office.
The financial records raise a number of questions. Cops for Kids appears to be operating off of an often-conflicting set of two separate financial statements: One, the monthly statements from the credit union where the organization’s two accounts are held, and the other a balance sheet generated by Crone detailing expenditures and deposits.
The Tribune and the Gatton Report initiated their review of the organization after commissioners voted as part of the 2008-09 budget to absorb Cops for Kids into the town’s general fund. Consequently, as of July 1, the organization is subject to oversight and controls by the finance office.
No oversight or organization
An examination of Cops for Kids has to begin with a simple question: What is it?
That question has proven more difficult to answer than might be expected.
Until Monday, the organization’s Web page – a division of the Mooresville Police Department and the Town of Mooresville’s Web site – said that “with low overhead and virtually no red tape, Cops for Kids can respond immediately to children, seniors, and families in need.”
That Web page, however, was removed Monday afternoon after Crone was questioned about why the text on the site was a verbatim copy of the text on the site of a Lake Elsinore, Calif.-based organization also called Cops for Kids.
“I don’t know how the web page for Cops 4 Kids Inc. got on our website,” he said in an e-mail. “My guess is that someone within the Town Government (possibly even the police department) accidentally thought that our ‘Cops for Kids’ was part of the Cops 4 Kids Inc. The Web page is being removed, and I apologize for the confusion. Neither I or either of my two majors have knowledge of approving this web page.”
According to the North Carolina Secretary of State’s Web site as of Thursday morning, Crone has never incorporated Cops for Kids. Neither has he secured the organization tax exempt status as a 501(c)3, or charity, from the Internal Revenue Service, despite holding an annual fundraiser and regularly accepting thousands of dollars in charitable donations from individuals and businesses.
Crone said in the Monday e-mail that Cops for Kids has never purported to be a charity. “We are not incorporated, nor have we ever been, nor have we advertised that we are a 501C charity,” he said. “At one time we looked into applying for a 501C3 designation but we changed our mind and just left it under the police department.”
Despite appearing to spend at least a portion of its money on charitable causes, as of Thursday morning, Cops for Kids also apparently had no literature about its mission, purpose, successes, or its distribution of money to provide to potential donors or needy families. It also provides no forms that needy families can fill out to request assistance; no board of directors to consult regarding the expenditure of the organization’s acquired funds; and no oversight, save that of Crone, whose name is the only one to appear on the organization’s bank statements.
On Thursday afternoon, Interim Town Manager Erskine Smith and Crone visited the Tribune office and said they had just received Cops for Kids “corporate documents.”
According to Tom Kelley, a professor at the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Law who specializes in non-profit law, "All of this does seem peculiar. Sounds as if they’re not actually a charity."
In contrast, the California-based Cops for Kids includes a host of information and resources, among them: the names of its officers and board of directors; a list of corporate sponsors; annual events; information about how to refer someone in need to the organization; and an application for those who are themselves seeking assistance. It is also listed with the IRS as a charity, registered as a business entity with the state and has filed annual financial reports with the IRS.
Not only has Crone not registered Cops for Kids with the IRS, apparently he has also not filed or paid its taxes. There were no tax filings in the records provided by the chief this week.
Town Hall does not take responsibility for the apparent failure to file and pay taxes. Mooresville’s Director of Finance and Administration, Maia Setzer, said Wednesday that none of Cops for Kids’ expenditures, decisions, or actions have fallen under the town’s purview. Prior to this fiscal year, said Setzer, Cops for Kids was responsible for its own finances and for filing and paying its own taxes.
Spending – on what?
Despite the fact that Cops for Kids has never been formally organized as a charity, it has accepted charitable donations and spent tens of thousands of dollars in such contributions in recent years. Virtually none of the expenses have met the Cops for Kids stated purpose, as described on the Cops for Kids Web page, to assist “children, seniors and families that find themselves in unfortunate situations” and to enable “children and seniors to enjoy some of the basic necessities that were not available to them through other agencies.”
However, two days after the Cops for Kids page was removed from the police department’s Web site, Interim Town Manager Erskine Smith disavowed the organization’s stated purpose. Instead, he said, “Cops for Kids is a program … to benefit the youth of the community that officers are involved in for fundraising and community events.
“The purpose of the Cops for Kids,” Smith added, “was to benefit the youth of the community and build a relationship between the youth and the police department.”
Under that standard, some of the Cops for Kids expenditures over the last eight years seem appropriate. Others are questionable. And still others seem to fall well outside the scope of the broader mission statement.
Among the expenditures that appear to fall within Smith’s mission statement:
- Two receipts from Wal-Mart in December 2004, totaling $429, for Christmas gifts for children on an angel tree. Maj. Carl Robbins, in handwritten notes accompanying the receipts, provided detailed explanations for the purchases, including what was bought and the age of the child for whom the purchases were made.
- Cops for Kids sponsors area softball and baseball teams, provides $100 a year for the non-profit “Basic Fundamentals” basketball camp, and pays $120 a year to sponsor two trophies for the Mooresville High School Blue Devils Marching Band Classic.
- Cops for Kids sinks thousands into its annual golf tournament fundraiser, including paying for the use of the Mooresville Municipal golf course; trophies and prizes; promotional tees and balls; and hamburgers and hotdogs.
Other expenditures could fall within the scope of Smith’s revised mission statement, but there is insufficient documentation to verify that the expenditures were proper:
- $305.39 spent during two trips to Old Navy in December 2001. The receipts do not note whom the clothing purchases benefited.
- In 2002, Cops for Kids paid $213 for four magnetic signs described on an invoice as “Police w/ Race City Logo.”
- Several receipts that lack explanation of the purpose of the purchase, including one to Wal-Mart in December 2003 for $791 for video games and unidentifiable items for unspecified recipients; $200 for candy in October 2003, which was detailed in Crone’s balance sheet as “candy for trip;” and an $353 Wal-Mart receipt in December 2006.
Still others seem to fall well outside even Smith’s broad definition of the Cops for Kids mission. Among them:
- Cops for Kids paid for 70 members of the “Mooresville Youth Advisory” to bowl at George Pappas’ Victory Lanes in September of last year. The total cost: $840.
- A petty cash receipt in September 2001 totaling $179. The explanation: “Petty cash maintained by chief.” The next entry in Crone’s balance sheet is a Sept. 17 withdrawal of $560, with no explanation.
- In 2005, Cops for Kids paid the way for 32 youth – 16 members of the mayor’s youth council and 16 police explorers – and 7 police officers and their spouses to travel to Atlanta. The cost to tour the CNN studio: $288. Cost of lodging: $2,302. Cost to tour the “World of Coca-cola”: $232. A day at Six Flags over Georgia amusement park: $1,419. And the cost to watch the Atlanta Braves play a game of baseball: $1,525. Then in 2007, Cops for Kids took 22 students from the mayor’s youth council and the explorers to Washington, D.C. The chartered bus alone cost $3,150. And in 2008, a weekend-long trip with the mayor’s youth council to New York cost $1,841 for airfare. Lodging for the 16 attendees was $1,233.
A pattern of irregularities
A pattern of irregularities emerges from a review of the Cops for Kids financial records. Perhaps the most glaring is that Crone’s balance sheet indicates that Cops for Kids has only one account, while the bank statements show it has two.
A second irregularity is the frequency with which cash is withdrawn from the Cops for Kids accounts and the handling of that cash without controls in place to track its use.
Cash advances purportedly used on trips funded by Cops for Kids were made on several occasions. These included $3,000 in May 2002, $5,000 in May 2004, $3,000 in June 2005 and $3,000 as recently as April of this year.
Crone’s balance sheet also reflects that, on some occasions, a portion of the money that went unspent on the trips was apparently re-deposited into the account. Due to a lack of full documentation, the exact amount of each of those re-deposits is unclear.
Other substantial cash withdrawals have also been made on several occasions unrelated to Cops for Kids trips. For example, on May 11, 2006, a cash withdrawal of $5,000 was made. On May 17, 2006, a deposit in the amount of $6,983 was made. That deposit was virtually the same as the amount of money collected at the annual golf tournament - $6,960 - and given to Crone on May 17 to deposit, according to Crone’s balance sheet. The $5,000 withdrawn on May 11 therefore remained unaccounted for, as Crone’s balance sheet reflects no cash expenditures from the time of the May 11 withdrawal until the present.
The next deposit was not made until six weeks later when, on June 29, 2006, $2,977 was deposited. Even if this represented a portion of the $5,000 withdrawn in early May – which is impossible to determine from the records because there is no explanation of the June 29 deposit provided - $2,000 of the amount withdrawn on May 11 remains unaccounted for.
Additionally, while the $5,000 withdrawal is recorded in the bank statement, it is not recorded on Crone’s balance sheet.
Other examples of cash being used came later in 2006 and again in 2007. In December of each year, Cops for Kids paid for the Mooresville Police Department’s holiday banquet for department employees.
According to an invoice, in 2006, Cops for Kids paid $1,203 to Tasteful Impressions for a 75-person buffet. Payment was made by a check for $600, supplemented by $663 in cash. The $600 check is recorded in the bank statement for that month and in Crone’s balance sheet, but the $663 in cash is not recorded in Crone’s balance sheet. The cash payment is simply noted on the Tasteful Impressions invoice. There is no indication in any of the records as to where the cash came from.
A similar situation arose in 2007. Cops for Kids once again paid for the annual holiday banquet for the police department. Payment of $683 was made: $500 in a check and $225 in cash. The records don’t explain the discrepancy between the amount due and the amount paid. As in 2006, there is no indication in the records stating where the cash came from.
It appears to be normal operating procedure for Cops for Kids to keep cash on hand. In September 2001, a withdrawal of $179 was made for the purpose of “petty cash maintained by Chief,” according to Crone’s balance sheet. Just days later, a $560 withdrawal was made and recorded on Crone’s balance sheet, with no explanation of what that money was used for.
And, while the Tribune and the Gatton Report were reviewing Cops for Kids financial records at the police department Monday, a plastic baggie containing $492 in cash fell out of a folder marked “misc.” Included in the folder were handwritten notes, none of which explained the cash.
Crone was not on hand during the examination of the records and had said earlier that Smith had instructed him not to answer questions from the media.
There is also the deposit of the loose change from the evidence room. On May 13, 2008, a deposit slip indicates that $361 was deposited into a Cops for Kids account. Noted on the deposit slip was the phrase: “loose change from evidence room.” In the upper left-hand corner of the deposit slip was written the word “Chief.” Although this deposit appears in the bank statement, it does not appear in Crone’s balance sheet.
Another apparent irregularity is that Cops for Kids frequently operates with a negative bank balance, according to Crone’s balance sheet. The balance sheet indicates that from May 2005 to May 2006, Cops for Kids never operated in the black.
During that time, Cops for Kids attempted to pass a check in the amount of $4,354 for which there were insufficient funds. The balance in the Cops for Kids account when the check was presented for payment was $726, according to bank records. There is no indication in the records as to who received the check and why it was not presented again for payment.
Cops for Kids’ bank balance rose into the black for a brief period in May and June of 2006 before reentering negative territory in late June 2006, where it remained until May of 2007, according to Crone’s balance sheet.
Also according to Crone’s balance sheet, the account then briefly rose again into positive territory for the last two weeks of May 2007 before reentering negative territory in early June 2007, where it has remained, as of June 16, 2008.
However, the Cops for Kids bank statements often reflect balances different than those recorded by Crone. For example, he recorded a negative balance as of June 28, 2006 of $426. The bank statements reflect a total of $16,226 in its accounts.
Likewise, Crone recorded a negative balance of $2,711 on June 28, 2007, while the bank statements show a balance of $13,008.
And as of May 22, 2008, Crone had recorded a balance of $2,830 and the bank statements had a balance of $20,151.
What’s next?
Commissioner Mac Herring has asked Crone to appear at Monday night’s town board meeting to discuss Cops for Kids.
“I have no problem funding this effort if it indeed serves the needs of our town as an outreach of the police department; however, I am not sure of what this program is … after reading Chief Crone’s e-mail … where he apologized for the website misinformation,” Herring said in a Monday e-mail to fellow commissioners and town staff. “I had looked at the site some time in the past and assumed it ran pretty much as the charity I had imagined it was.”
Commissioner Chris Carney declined to comment this week but left a voicemail stating that he’s on vacation at the beach. Commissioner Thurman Houston could not be reached for comment.
Mayor Bill Thunberg has not publicly commented. Neither Smith nor Crone has responded to a series of questions seeking clarification on the Cops for Kids organization.
Commissioners Mitch Abraham and Frank Rader withheld judgment on Cops for Kids until they receive more information. “(I) will need to see and hear items before reacting in a rash manner!!” Abraham said in an email to the Tribune.
Added Rader in an e-mail on Tuesday to fellow board members and town administrators: “Please, can we get some facts before we write resolutions and motions?”
Rader was responding in part to an e-mail sent on Monday by Commissioner Miles Atkins to the town board and Interim Town Manager Erskine Smith, stating that he would be recommending that any town funds earmarked for Cops for Kids be removed from the budget.
Included in the 2008-09 fiscal year budget is a $20,000 line item expenditure for Cops for Kids. Town Finance Director Maia Setzer said this week that the $20,000 would only be distributed from funds deposited with the town from Cops for Kids.
Smith, in an e-mail to commissioners on Tuesday, stated that in prior years, “Cops for Kids was run by the police department. Revenues and expenditures were made solely by the Cops for Kids account held by the police chief.”
Atkins responded: “So in essence, Cops for Kids has been a personal slush fund for Chief Crone for all this time with virtually no oversight ... Am I missing something?”
(Be sure to read: Seven years later, Cops for Kids turns up as a registered corporation (Part 2 of 2) )
***
The Mooresville Tribune -- and specifically Reporter Megan Pillow -- helped tremendously with this article. She met me on Monday at the police department and has been pouring over the Cops for Kids financial information alongside me all week. The Tribune will have a copy of this article in today's (July 4) edition.***
Posts
79 comments:
Well, well, well, Crone. You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time. Years ago you boasted to a bunch of us that the first thing you do when a new town manager gets to Town Hall is "get something on him" so that you have something to hang over his head. Now we know why you do that. The reason is so that you can keep doing things like this Cops for Kids funny money business. It may have worked with McLean, it may have worked with Justice, and it looks like it has definitely worked with Erskin Smith. But now your number is up and chickens have come home to roost.
Please call with your complaints:
North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation-Special Agent in Charge-Mr. Lawrence Young-Financial Crimes-919-716-0022
North Carolina Secretary of State-Investigations-Ms. Carolina Jarquin
919-807-2211
North Carolina Department of Revenue Tax Fraud Hotline-800-232-4939
IRS Website and fill out form # 3949-A
Take back your town Mooresville.
Mr. Smith and Mr. Crone, Please resign.
If join the previous poster to call on Erskine Smith and Police Chief Crone's immediate resignations. In the event they fail to resign, I call on the town board to terminate Mr. Smith and immediately suspend Chief Crone pending the results of an outside investigation of not only Cops for Kids but the any and all financial matters under the care of Chief Crone.
Ms. Gatton, I shall be e-mailing you directly to discuss this matter further.
The chief of police and the town manager have made several inconsistent statements in this matter. We can only speculate as to their motivations. Regardless of their statements, or misstatements, it is clear that this program (Cops for Kids) has been viewed as a charity by those who donate to it. As such, the large withdrawals of cash from those funds is at best highly improper, at worst a crime. The positions of a chief of police and that of a town manager are highly instrumental in the proper day-to-day functioning of a community. Therefore, those positions must be held by people whose integrity is beyond question. The information revealed in The Gatton Report has cast great doubt as to whether we can have trust and confidence in the people currently holding these important positions. Therefore, for the welfare of this community, they must either remove themselves from their posts or they must be removed by whomever they report to as quickly as is possible.
Night Owl
It seems that Crone and Smith have begun the coverup phase of this mess. They will come out of this just fine. Crone will, of course, begin to fire people at the PD to make it appear that he is "cleaning up" the problem. I am sure he has begun his investigation into who is writing on this blog. He has done it before, remember the letter to the editor questioning his investigation of Misty Witherspoon? How many officers were investigated for that?
I read with interest about the "loose change" taken from the evidence room and put into the Cops for Kids account. Do you remember several years ago when the evidence tech was fired for taking money from the evidence room. Of course, that was not loose change but money is money. And isnt that supposed to be evidence?
Is the Town Board meeting going to be closed on Monday night? I sure would like to be there to hear Crone and Smith's explanation for all of this. I am sure it will be a evening of lies and cover ups. Sounds like fun.
To the officers at MPD: Watch your backs, keep your recorders turned on and I hope that you are not the ones put on the line for all of this. You know Crone will not go down alone, if at all.
The cash withdrawals are shocking, whatever the "purpose" or the rationalization. Even more shocking is the transfer of money from the evidence room. Money that presumably was forced from the pockets of people arrested and who are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Wasn't the former evidence room custodian convicted of a felony for the same thing under Crone's watch a few years ago?
Sounds like it'll be an interesting evening on Main Street
Monday night....and they will vote on more money for MI-Connection. I only wish I could sell tickets. Great work Jaime!
For those of you who have not read Smith's answers to Jamie Gatton's questions in the Tribune, here they are:
The following questions were posed by the Tribune to Mooresville Police Chief Crone and Interim Town Manager Erskine Smith on Wednesday, regarding the Cops for Kids program.
Smith's answers, in italics, came Thursday afternoon, too late to be published in Friday’s Tribune:
1) Who is in charge of organizing events, advertising for events, and accepting and distributing money for this organization?
A number of officers and administration staff take part in the events. A number of officers receive funds for COPS for Kids who then turn the funds into Chief Crone and or Debbie Harding who make deposits.
2) Why were the public documents associated with this organization locked in your office instead of located in the finance department along with the financial documents for every other town department and associated organization?
Chief Crone was in charge of these records.
3) Why do no documents for this organization exist prior to 2001?
Documents do exist and you were provided access to the documents.
4) If the information that has been on the police department Web site about Cops for Kids is not correct, then what is the stated mission of the organization?
The purpose of the COPS for Kids is to facilitate a positive relationship between the Police and the youth of the community.
5) Is there a list of bylaws and procedures, list of board members, or other literature or documentation for this organization? If so, why were they not included in the public documents provided on Monday?
Yes, The Chief did not know that Cops for Kids was incorporated until a search of the Secretary of States Office showed that it was incorporated on 6/29/01
6) Does this organization pay taxes? If so, why were those tax documents not included in the public documents provided on Monday?
The Organization has not paid any taxes
7) Since this organization is not a 501(c)3, has this organization made it clear to its patrons that any donation that they make to Cops for Kids is not tax deductible?
The Chief has never represented that the organization was a 501 (c) 3
8) Why does the financial balance sheet that you handed out Monday that shows transactions in and out of the Cops for Kids account from 1997 to June 2008 have so many transactions that do not list the transaction detail?
The balance sheet was not created to detail transactions
9) Why does the financial balance sheet show that the Cops for Kids account has been overdrawn since June 5, 2007 and was $6,363.33 overdrawn as of June 16, 2008 when the bank account statement shows that, as of May 28, 2008, the account had $15,724.16? Why are there other overdrafts listed on the account?
The Financial balance sheet mimics the accounts.
10) Why does the financial balance sheet show $2109.52 being taken from the Cops for Kids account on June 30, 2001 and why does it show that money not being returned to the account until seemingly August 2, 2001?
Don’t know
11) Why does the financial balance sheet show $2,965.33 in the account on May 30, 2002 that then seemingly disappears from the account?
The Balance sheet was an attempt to mimic the accounts since the bank statements were being sent to the incorrect address.
12) Why are there several consecutive balance sheets in 2002 that have overlapping dates and different balances on each page (see pages 5 thru 7)?
The Balance sheet was an attempt to mimic the accounts since the bank statements were being sent to the incorrect address.
11) Why is the overall documentation, especially documentation associated with financial transactions, for this organization in such disarray?
Agreed it needs to be better organized.
12) Why was there $492.37 in cash in a plastic envelope in a Cops for Kids file marked "misc."? Why was a Post-It note attached that seemed to indicate that there should be $3289.50 in that plastic envelope instead?
The Deposit has not been made. Post-it note had nothing to do with the envelope.
13) How much money from the annual golf tournament is contributed to D.A.R.E? Can you provide the documentation to support this?
Checks written should document the DARE expenditures.
14) Are you still planning on proceeding with the Explorers' planned trip to Las Vegas next week?
Unclear at this time
-----------------------------------
Well, I am glad that he is so informed on the matter. And why in the world would you take Police Explorers' to Las Vegas? It sounds like another fun trip for Crone and other high ranking officers and their families.
I took a look at the Town of Mooresville's budget for 2009. On a small line item under the Police Department's budget is $20,000 for Cops for Kids. It is not listed on the page for contributions to organizations, such as YMCA, Mitchell Community College, etc. If Cops for Kids is incorporated should it not have its own budget with line items for expenditures and such? Why is it hidden in the Police Departments budget? Does Erskine Smith have an answer for that? Probably not, he will state that the budget got lost in the mail.
The sadest part of this story is some people in Mooresville will defend these guys and think they did nothing wrong.
Good People of Mooresville, here is a thought that has not yet been expressed. As of May 13, 2008 all of the investigations that have evidence attached to them that the MPD has investigated are basically now worthless and even a first year law student could question the case if there was evidence recovered. Crone, have you ever heard of the "Chain of Custody" and the "Rules of Evidence". Any spare items in evidnce rooms have to have acourt order to be destroyed. Why would any department have "loose change" that was unaccounted for in there evidence room???? By trying to save your A** you have put your officers and detectives on the line but then again you have never had any problems with that have you!!
In 9:31's defense....the Town could decide this is a "personnel matter" and go hide in the back room. Hopefully there will be enough people there that they'd be persuaded to stay in the public eye.
are crone and smith going to be given the long holiday weekend to clean up the mess they have made? shouldn't their keys be taken from them TODAY?
Don't just fire Crone, prosecute him as well.
To 11:55am: you have not lived in Mooresville very long if you really believe that all town board meetings are open to the public. As Jim stated, if they decide that this is a personnel matter then it will be a closed meeting. And, by the way, very adult of you to make such a comment as "dumb butt".
There must be more than just a job to lose considering how hard they are working behind the scenes. Keep looking Pillow and Gatton.
The town board will lose all credibility if they hide this as a personnel matter. They will condone these acts if they don't ask for an investigation from outside law enforcement agencies.
I agree that if they go into closed session the public will not ne able to listen or observe. How ever that is not what the dumb butt asked he asked will the town meeting be closed on Monday the answer to that one is no.
Hey people! Why are you calling EACH OTHER stuff like "dumb butts"? Put your anger and frustration where it belongs - on your police chief and anyone who is shielding him. They're counting on your losing focus. You've got big problems when you've got a shady police chief, especially when his boss is protecting him, for whatever scary reasons.
The people reading and posting to this blog have to come to Monday night's town board meeting. If we the people don't make a strong showing, the commissioners will be able to sweep this whole thing under the rug. It's one thing to complain on-line, but another to actually show up and let them know we are not going to accept this kind of behavior.
Bring your family members and friends and co-workers and neighbors. Let them know this must stop!
Looks like The Tribune came through everybody!! WOW! Hooray for this town. We've got a blogger like Gatton, we've got people blowing the whistle on all the crooks, and we've once again got a newspaper with the cojones to cover all of it. I am so, so proud to be living here right now.
Smith and Crone need to pack their bags and hit the pavement looking for new work. Maybe they can bunk together until they find their news jobs running scams in another town.
Before you get too happy celebrating, go back and read the comments from your elected officials. It looks to me like the only stand-up guys are Miles Atkins and Mac Herring. Herring seems to be at least trying to hold Crone's feet to the fire, and Atkins is outright calling B.S. on Crone and Smith.
On the other hand, you got:
THE MAYOR who's slipped under the table. This is a guy who wanted to be mayor worse than anybody I've ever seen. Okay, now be mayorly!
CHRIS CARNEY whose vacation keeps him from even commenting. Of course there's all the ride-alongs he loves to brag about that he does with people like Crone. Hmmmm...
FRANK RADER, better known to us as the "Blindfold Rader". He only sees what he wants to see, and he's too busy scolding and warning his fellow elected officials to see that he's got a police chief who's been living high on the hog off of a charity meant for underprivileged kids.
MITCH ABRAHAM whose only comment is to exclaim "I will need to see and hear items before reacting in a rash manner!!” As if this would be the ONLY time he may be at risk for "reacting in a rash manner".
THURMOND HOUSTON, better known as "the invisible man". Houston supposedly represents Ward 2, where there actually live kids who could have benefited from Cops for Kids but didn't because Crone was too busy "helping" the kids in the Mayor's Youth Council (whatever the heck that is), and the "Explorers".
Nope, I wouldn't pop the champagne just yet. But...I would keep it chilled. You never know.
I can't count how many laws were broken when money from the police evidence room was transferred to Crone's "Cops for Kids" account. If indeed there is actual proof of that, it could serve to bring an indictment.
I just hope that before the Board runs to the back room, labelling this a "personnel issue", they take in to consideration that this may well be a serious mis-use of PUBLIC funds and that the public has a right to know where this money went.
I agree with "Jim" wholeheartedly. They would have some serious explaining to do if they try to hide this from view, because it will look like they are protecting one of their own. After all, Cops for Kids was nothing but public funds. So Crone's "explanations" should be delivered to the public (including media). Of course that was all going to change because Erskine Smith apparently recommended that $20,000 be given to it this coming year. Let's see how he worms his way out of that one. But it's going to be very interesting to see what each one of these people do on Monday night. By the end of that night we should pretty much know who the good guys and the bad guys are.
I agree with 1:05 pm....they should be prosecuted. If it were "joe-citizen" they would prosecute him and have.
Who is on the so called Mayor's Youth Council and how do you apply? Who are the Explorers and how do children apply? If these are at-risk youth or underprivileged children it is one thing BUT if the Youth Council and Explorers are children of town officials and privileged citizens that is another troubling issue. If the answer is at-risk and underprivileged children, the program should be praised. If the answer is the other, officials should be hanged!
The D.A.R.E. officer got fired for supposedly using public property for personal gain, which was giving away a few stuffed animals. I guess having a non-profit corporation which never showed as registered until this past Thursday,using the donations meant for the under privledged,having evidence from the evidence room in your office in a plastic bag(cash), and all the records locked up in your office is just a "minor" accounting/judgement error. I have say there are two standards in Mooresville and it will be interesting to see if the commissioners are part of the problem or will do what is best for Mooresville.
I cannot speak for the Explorers but I think that they are picked by the police department but cannot say how they are chosen.
In the past the Mayor's Youth Council was made up by the Mayor appointments and each School Mooresville Senior High,Lake Norman High School, and South Iredell High School made the reccomendations but again don't know how the school picked them. You would have to ask the schools. If they are no longer doing this I can't tell you how they are picked.
So, has the interim town manager suspended Crone? Surely this must have taken place Friday, if Erskine Smith learned his lesson from when he failed to suspend the library director in 2001 and she continued to steal the town blind. On its face, it would appear that the money ("loose change") apparently taken from the evidence room is enough of a reason alone to justify a suspension. As it stands, for all we know, Crone is over at the police department right now cleaning up his mess. Written town policy (and common sense) would require an immediate suspension under these circumstances to protect the public interest and to prevent the destruction or alteration of evidence. If the town manager has failed to suspend Crone under these circumstances, it is incumbent upon the town board to suspend the interim town manager and take direct action immediately.
does anybody know if the police chief has been suspended?
This is some seriously sleazy stuff folks. Deadly serious mess. Chief of police taking cash out from a charity UNDER the name of the Police Department? His bosses can't say they didn't know as of yesterday's paper coming out. If he's still on the job, it's gonna be all their asses.
So...where does our illustrious Mayor stand on all of this? I notice his comments are conspicuously absent. He finds time to comment on a new supermarket on HWY 150 but can't seem to come up with any sort of "I'm concerned" comment? Is he at the beach with Carney?
Ms. Gatton, I would like to propose a "Count Up" of the number of days which pass from the day that your blog entry and the Mooresville Tribune's story were published to the day that Police Chief Crone and Interim Town Manager Erskine Smith are suspended or terminated for their roles in the Cops For Kids scandal.
The information I specifically refer to is:
1) the transfer of cash from the police evidence room into the nonprofit corporation known as Cops For Kids.
2) the withdrawals of cash (large and small) from the nonprofit corporation known as Cops For Kids, and
3) the lack of proper documentation for the finances of the nonprofit corporation known as Cops For Kids
4) several documented misrepresentations made by these two individuals with regard to the nonprofit corporation known as Cops For Kids
This is Day No. 1.
Hey, 12:24 p.m. You don't know how right you are. Just got a Feedblitz that Crone is in his office right now cleaning up. Gatton is THE WOMAN! Crone can't take a bathroom break from here on out without us knowing about it. Smith ought to be fired for not taking Crone's keys, gun and badge away.
I think the SBI should be called in on this, Crone's door lock changed,and put him on unpaid suspension.Erskine isn't calling the shots but evil HR director "Dogbert" here.
The DA should step in to seize all records both at his office and a search warrant executed on his home.Has he rented a storage facility lately?
I put nothing past him.
Way to go jaimie!You should run for our first female mayor.
After being informed of this web site and reading it.(I have a Mooresville address but not in the city limits or pay taxes in town) I would hate to be on trial for anything with the people responding to this blog sitting on the jury. You convict with out even hearing the case. If he or others are quilty the punish them according to the law of the land. You have to remember that somewhere some how the Mooresville Tribune is involved in this. All they want to do is sell news papers I have recently seen where media general laid off or closed some papers. They would do well to close this very liberal and slanderous newspaper.Again makes no difference to me what they do to the people involved.Remember that the town council that YOU elected will decide the outcome. They cannot fire the Chief only the city manager can. They can fire the manager and appoint another one to do it and if that is the case then you talking about a law suit get ready.
Also rember all the law suits the town has been in volved in the past several years since the library incident. they have never lost a law suit even if it was firing someone or what ever. The town has been investigated by the DA, the FBI and the SBI and never has there been any charges. Just stumped up allegations that the Tribune and other reporters brought about to build up their resume.
This is to 7:40:
This kind of rhetoric and smokescreen used to work in Mooresville. Now you just sound like a broken record that we've heard too many times. People like you play it each time you or one of your buddies gets caught with their hand in the cookie jar. We've learned to tune you out. We've learned to suspect anybody who turns their anger against the messenger. When the police chief starts transferring cash from the Evidence Room into Cops For Kids and takes thousands of dollars in cash out of Cops For Kids for “trips” and YOU come out blasting the people who reported it, that is all WE need to know about YOU. Never met a dog who let go of a nice juicy bone happily, so don’t expect you to either. Go get a pacifier. This is gonna get a whole lot worse before it gets better...
This is a continuation of the "Count Up Vigil" of the number of days which pass from the day Cops For Kids scandal broke (7/4/08) to the day that Police Chief Crone and Interim Town Manager Erskine Smith are suspended or terminated for their roles in it.
The information I specifically refer to is:
1) the transfer of cash from the police evidence room into the nonprofit corporation known as Cops For Kids.
2) the withdrawals of cash (large and small) from the nonprofit corporation known as Cops For Kids, and
3) the lack of proper documentation for the finances of the nonprofit corporation known as Cops For Kids
4) continued documented misrepresentations made by these two individuals with regard to the nonprofit corporation known as Cops For Kids
This is Day No. 2.
Hey, this is to the turkey who wrote in at 7:40 am before they got dressed to go to church! You wrote "I would hate to be on trial for anything with the people responding to this blog sitting on the jury." Listen up: You are right to be afraid. Be very afraid.
To anonymous that posted July 6 at 7:40 I don’t know why you think this is a “liberal thing”. Ms. Gatton and the tribune are doing a great community service. Being a far right wing conservative myself I want to be informed of any corruption in our government. I am all about stricter controls on government and less wasteful spending and that is what this is all about. We must hold these elected officials and government employees accountable. How can we do that if we are not informed? As a Republican I would hope you would agree.
Great Job Ms. Gatton,
Rabid Republican
I believe 7:40 is what we call a "selective conservative". They wear the Conservative Badge for all to see, but when it comes to wasting our hardearned tax dollars on themselves, their families and their friends, they like to spend "liberally" and then call us "liberals" when we dare complain about it. Kind of ass backwards if you ask me.
Liberal or Conservative, stealing money from the kids and seniors who could use it is wrong! I know, he (Crone)hasn't been charged or convicted (only by the rabid lunatics of the Gatton Report,Ha Ha), but can anyone say that what was going on with Cops for Kids was just lazy or uneducated book keeping? The publicity brought on Mooresville isn't the press's fault, it is what was done by others. The worst part looks to be the fact that we have "mysterious" corporate registrations showing up in Raleigh, from 2001, that just made it to the light of day. I guess the Sec of State has lazy book keepers too. Please! I smell cover up/damage control by the current town government, and if this gets "swept," they are all accountable. We have a government willing to risk tampering with the Sec of States office to keep any investigation from being launched. Scary! Now we are looking at some felonies being committed for sure if that was done--we need CSI,SBI, and FBI. Keep looking Gatton Report, you're just getting warm!
Folks, I was here when this exact same thing happened with our downtown library. When the press broke the story, everybody in Town Hall started circling their wagons. They hired a bogus "outside" lawyer from Charlotte to do a bogus report. They thought they were real smart, until one by one they were booted out, reputations ruined. Not a single one remains from that rotten bunch. History repeating itself? Except this time it looks like there may actually be a couple of good apples in the bunch. Keeping fingers crossed!
I'd like to know how we had 20k appropriated for this budget and Steve Gambill, the town attorney, overlooked the process of actually applying for Cops For Kids to be a 501c3?
Was any of this money withdrawn used for the new skate park going up beside the police dept.?
Has anyone thought to obtain bank statements from Crone's bank around the time all these withdrawals were made?
At which church was the playground equipment insalled? Does anyone not remeber the spending scandal of the former library employee?
july 4-12:07:
if you'll remeber, Justice had secret meetings with Joe Knox prior to his hiring. He, too, was hand-picked by the shadow government.My question is- which of those people approved Crone.A decision that important wouldn't have escaped their influence.Thanks heaven the previous police cheif was voted off as a commissioner, but he still hangs around the dept. trying to exert his opinion, Frank!
Are you kidding, then it might be legal.
Any MPD officer reading this go to "Chief Spending Weekend at PD" and answer question on comments by July 6, 10:58, thank you for your service.
THE LAST POST REFERS THE QUESTION FROM ANOTHER POST, HERE IS THE QUESTION THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT:
I want an officer of the MPD to answer a question for me. I want to know if Crone(or subordinates) has issued an order for any/all available officers to attend the Town Board meeting on Monday night because of possible unrest? The order, was it direct or implied?
the only way there will be officers is if they are ORDERED. They dont like to make appearences
when they are off duty. That time cuts into the time for their other jobs. Yes most work two jobs cause the pay for that job sucks. But at least the people of Mooresville
are safe at little cost.....
SO IF THERE ARE A LOT OF OFFICERS THERE IS BECAUSE THEY WERE FORCED TO BE THERE. BELIEVE ME THEY HAVE A LOT MORE THINGS TO BE CONDUCTING INSTEAD OF LISTENING TO THE MOORESVILLE LYNCH MOB RAISING MORTAL HELL.
They don,t like this situation as much as the tax payers because they are worried if they seen at the meeting (by order of the Chief) the people (taxpayers raising hell) will think they are just like CRONE. But they are only there because they were ordered.
We all know who will be leading the SAVE A DARE OFFICER CRUSADE. GOOD 'OL MATT.
WAY TO GO MATT. WAY TO SCREW THE WHOLE DEPARTMENT. WHEN THE LEADER LOOKS BAD IT MAKE PEOPLE THINK THE WHOLE DEPARTMENT IS BAD WHEN THEY ARE A GREAT BUNCH OF OFFICERS....
SORRY, MY FORMER FELLOW OFFICERS FOR THE HELL YOU ARE GOING TO BE GOING THROUGH.
LOOK AFTER EACH OTHER AND WATCH OUT FOR THE
BOHICA!!!!!
For 9:52 PM.Just to let know as a officer for the MPD. There has never been a police chief that was a commissoner that was a city council member. There was a Captain who was one.I can tell you that he was a damn good officer and a person to work for. I have not seen him at the PD in several months so how do you know that he hangs around there? If you know so much about how the town operates then you would know that the City Manager hires all of the department heads. John Crone was hired by former City Manager Rick McLean. NOT the town board. Get the facts before you make your self look more stupid than you are already.
To July 7, 2008 12:07 AM
You might as well have "Cronie" written on your forehead. Maybe he was watching you as you typed your rant and promising you a little something? You've got a police chief going on fancy trips using money meant for underprivileged kids while you and yours have to "work two jobs" (according to yourself), but all you can find to blame is some poor dude who was just fired by Crone for nothing (blame the victim) and call the people who're questioning Crone a "lynch mob". My 5-year old could see through you.
to 12:07 am- How can you think this is Matt? Many of us asked him to sue or file a complaint and I KNOW he did neither. I also know he did not speak with Jaime. Ask him, He does not lie.(thats why he was fired for the animals and not the lies that got others fired) He does not hold vengence in his heart. He says god has other plans for him than MPD. So don't make the rest of us look bad by YOUR comments. I know the public does not blame the officers, just the chief and a few others. You know who they are.
Hell, everyone said Matt got "BLOCKERED" remember!
July 7, 2008 8:45 AM
Just so you know. When I wrote this I was not the PD and the chief has never been over anyones should at the PD at 1215 am. I have only seen him in the field at 1215am when there were high risk situations.
I did not write this from the PD either. I was acutally several miles from the PD.
TO July 7, 2008 10:20 AM
Just so you know. Any person with common sense knows that Matt has talked to Jamie maybe not in person but through people. He knows someone (lets say a neighbor who knows Jamie). It is easy to see. The Dare officer Fired blog started June 13 and the whole COPS FOR KIDS thing start about 2 weeks after the Firing.
Hey it does not take a genius to figure that one out. My 3 year can see right through that one.....
If Matt is a good man then he should be able to tell people he started it. What does he have to lose?
Just hope the tax payers do not lynch the whole department. One person (Matt) will make it rough the hard working men and women of the PD. Because everyone will have doubts about if the department really has good officers or not.
WAY TO GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Someone said Blocker was dyslexic and 11:51 left out quite a few words, could this be Blocker? Let's think about the last statements about Mr. Burleyson starting this investigation,why would he alienate himself from all the officers at MPD just to get Crone? I think he would have sued instead, but here we go again, put it on Mr. Burleyson. After all, he was the one collecting stuffed animals under the fictitious 501 named "Animals for Kids" which kept two(2) sets of books/accounts locked up at his house. I guess we should have the Gatton Report check the Sec of State site today and then on Thursday to see if Mr. Burleyson can tamper and get it posted all the way back to 2001. I am sure the majority of three year olds can see through that as well. Again we appreciate good officers, it is just your and the town's leadership that stinks.
TO July 7, 2008 12:19 PM
So you don't see the strange relationship between Matt being fired and a few weeks later the COPS for KIDS thing. I don't think Matt thought about the officers , he just wanted to get the Chief. You know everyone says Matt is a Christian man and the bible, states "an eye for an eye."
CHUCK
Is the last post meant to be a treat or am I reading it wrong? I hope I’m reading wrong.
Turn the other cheek as well. I don't see Matt Burleyson holding any news conferences on Channel 9.
Matt Burleyson has not provided anything to the Gatton Report or the comments. There were a bunch of us just waiting for Crone to do something really stupid that would give us the support to start digging. Unfortunatly for Matt he was the target of Crone's stupidity. If Crone wants to place blame he needs to place it on Blocker. Old runny mouth.
Just to clarify that was not a threat. I just meant eye for an eye, meaning Matt was fired (EYE) so he cause enough attention to get the attention of the Cops for Kids stuff (EYE).
How do you know he did not provide any info to Gatton Report. Are you Matt or are you with him 24/7.... Why did he not provide information Gatton? Sounds like he could break the dam. He does not have anything to lose.
ANY YES GET RID OF FLOCKER AND THOMPSON TOO.. THOMPSON HAS BEEN UP AND DOWN THE RANKS> I DONT WHO KISSES MORE BUTT... IT'S A TIE SO GET RID OF BOTH OF THEM......
Maybe Crone's talking to Gatton, we don't know.
3:12 The Bible actually tells us "turn the other cheek". Get your Bible facts straight.
HECK MATT TURN THE OTHER CHEEK.. HE TURN HIS BACK OR (BUTTOCKS THE OTHER CHEEK) TO ALL THE OFFICERS AT THE PD.
WAY TOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT.
I THINK IT SHOWS THAT LITTLE PEOPLE CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.
BREAKING NEWS!!!!!!!!!
THERE IS IN FACT A LINK BETWEEN MATT AND JAMIE..... MOST OF YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS BUT THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T, HERE WE GO.
MATT'S WIFE SELLS HOME DECOR OR TUPPERWARE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT WITH ATKINS' WIFE (ATKINS IS ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS). ATKINS LIVES BESIDE JAMIE. THIS IS HOW IT WENT. MATT GOT FIRED, CRIED WITH HIS WIFE,HIS WIFE WENT TO HER FRIEND (ATKINS'S WIFE) TELLING HER WHAT MATT HAD TOLD HER. MRS. ADKINS TELLS MR.ADKINS ALL THE GOOD STUFF.MR ADKINS IS FEEDING JAMIE INFO FROM MATT OR MATT'S WIFE.
SEE HOW EASY THAT WAS. MR. ADKINS
WE ALL KNOW YOU DON'T LIKE THE CHIEF.SO YOU WERE FEED INFO FROM MATT OR HIS WIFE, DID NOT KNOW WHAT DO WITH IT, SO YOU WENT TO YOUR NEIGHBOR, JAMIE WITH THE INFO.
THIS IS HOW ALL THIS STARTED.
MY MY GOOD OL BACK DOOR POLITICS.
WAY TO GO TEAM SCREW THE CHIEF AND POLICE DEPARTMENT. THIS BUD IS FOR YOU!!!!!!!!
Wow with those skills of deduction, maybe you should be in charge of the account!
Yeah, breaking news. Somebody put their rear end way out on the line on the off chance that Crone's records would show numerous cash withdrawals from his "charity" as well as a cash deposit directly from the evidence room. Yeah, sounds like a real vendetta there.
THERE WOULD BE STORY IF MATT HAD NOT BEEN FIRED. THAT WAS MY POINT. HE CRIED TO JAMIE AND THE "FRIEND FOR FIRED COPS" STARTED THE COPS FOR KIDS INVESTIGATION. WITHOUT MATT BEING FIRED JAMIE HAD NO SOURCE. SO IF MATT WAS STILL EMPLOYED AT THE PD AND SPENDING THE COPS FOR KIDS MONEY FOR DARE PARTIES, DARE SHIRTS, BIKES FOR ESSAY WINNERS AND TROPHIES. {THAT MONEY WAS SPEND ON ALL KIDS JUST NOT NEEDY KIDS) HE WOULD STILL BE HAPPY AND WOULD NOT HAD A REASON TO CRY TO JAMIE.
WITH THAT SAID JAMIE HAD NO STORY UNTIL MATT WAS FIRED.
How many brownie points is All Caps earning by copying and pasting their comments all over this blog? I hope you're getting an "IOU" from Crone. Too bad you won't be able to cash it in, since his days are NUMBERED.
p.s. Thanks for the All Caps. Now I can quickly skip over your dumb comments without wasting my time.
TO July 7, 2008 11:32 PM
Mr. Crone does not own me anything.
I am just trying to get a point across.
Tell the truth you read this didn't you.
Got ya!!!!!
Well there is a lot of finger pionting going on at the good old p.d now.Whos butt do you boys and girls need to kiss now who has your back now boys,but what will be interesting to see is who will crones throw under the bus for this will it be good old blocker or maybe thompson or maybe just maybe you stupid people will keep blaming Matt and his family.I think we have a department full of cowards afraid for there jobs.If we the people of Mooresville make enough noise someone will respond remember we have the final say we can vote in a new town board and city manager.
to 11:26 anyway you look at it miss use of funds is still a crime.And should be punished to the full letter of the law.Or is it usual practice to cover for a fellow cop.
Not too suprising the good ole boys network prevailed last night at the meeting and decided they did not have time to discuss the hottest town scandel involving the police chief.
The real cover up has begun, wait and see. The good ole boys I am sure had an after the meeting meeting, and probably before breakfast meeting to discuss how they could wiggle out of this one.
As Fat Head Crone was on TV last night, you could tell by the way he answered some questions posed to him and his body language he was showing signs of deception when being asked about the Cops for Cops fund.
TO July 8, 2008 12:32 AM
THAT WAS WAY OUT OF LINE TO SAY THE WHOLE DEPARTMENT IS A BUNCH OF COWARDS. THIS IS WHAT I WAS AFRAID OF , THE LEADER IS IN TROUBLE NOW THE TOWN WILL TURN IT'S BACK ON THE OFFICERS. WAY TO GO.
HEY PUT YOUR ADDRESS ON HERE SO WHEN YOU THE COPS THEY KNOW WHERE NOT GO.
THEY ARE HIRING. GO FOR IT. BUT I KNOW THE PAY SUCKS AND YOU DON'T WANT TO LEAVE YOUR HAPPY FAMILY ALONE AT NIGHT WHILE YOU WORK,OR YOU DON'T WANT TO WEAR A BULLETPROOF VEST AND WHEN YOU LEAVE FOR WORK TELL YOUR CHILDREN AND WIFE YOU LOVE THEM FOR REAL CAUSE YOU MIGHT NOT MAKE IT HOME FROM WORK. THAT IS WHAT A DAY IN THE POLICE IS LIKE.
BUT HEY IT TAKES ONE TO KNOW ONE. COWARDS CAN FIND OTHER COWARDS. MAYBE IF YOU GET HIRED THEY PUT IN YOU IN A NICE SCHOOL AND LET YOU PRETEND TO BE A POLICE OFFICER. THE TOWN WILL LET YOU DRESS LIKE AN OFFICER, GIVE YOU A CAR, AND EVEN PAY YOU. THE GOOD THING WITH YOU IN THE SCHOOLS YOU DONT HAVE TO THE DANGEROUS STUFF. YOU WILL ONLY HAVE TO TELL LITTLE JIMMY AND SALLY TO STOP RUNNING DOWN THE HALLS.
WE WILL CALL YOU MATT NUMBER 2 BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT YOU ARE FULL OF.
People can we pleeeeaaase ignore the Blog Drunk? She starts drinking right around noon and it doesn't stop for the rest of the day. Just skip over her stuff. Her beloved Crone just got suspended so it ain't gonna be pretty.
He might be suspended, but he is still getting paid from the taxpayers. He is getting a free vacation on you guys.
LOL
I typed in small letter so you would read it.
HAHA
Got ya!
Hey Brian Cathey,
Good to see you are on this Blog.
Take the caps off please.
YOu have a three year old daughter, you were punished by the chief, you were allowed to keep you job, and you say you deserved it.
There is no doubt in anyone's mind that you disliked Matt Burleyson, you voiced that over and over and over.
Now tell us all why you were punished by the chief and allowed to keep your job, I think you lost one stripe. Not too bad for you and your wife after you were caught stealing from an elderly citizen in Mooresville that Banked at your wife's work.
Give it a rest Brian.
From Brian Cathey:
I just got a phone call from a citizen of Mooresville about my name being on this blog. I use to work at the Moorsville PD. I was never accused of stealing any money from any elderly person. I don't know why I was brought into this blog. I don't know why someone would attack me or my wife. I live over a 1000 miles from Mooresville. I don't keep up with what is going on there. I did read over the blogs. I did like working for Chief Crone and loved working for the people of Mooresville. I left the PD for a civilian job making twice as much money. I was also able to move closer to my family.
I think it is sad what is going with the Chief, the department, the citizens, and mostly the officers.
The officers of the PD are some of the best I have ever worked with. So please have some respect for the officers. They do work hard for the taxpayers.
I think it is a bad when someone over a 1000 miles away has to get a blog to defend himself. I have no axes to grind with anyone.
I don't have a 3 year old daughter so I don't know that was brought up in a Blog.
I wish the best for the Mooresville, it citizens and most of all the police officers.
I have identified myself and would the person who attack my family identify themselves.
July 8, 2008 2:52 PM
what should be found out during all this investigation is that Officer Burleson got fired for making inapporiate comments to a school employee then tried to brib that same employee to call Chief Crone to try and save his job, which didn't work. So all we have is a disgruntled employee and the same old group that go by various names most recently CFOG. It is a shame that freedom of speech has taken this turn in our country. So many men have died so people can destroy people without even having to give their name. Pretty sick.
Freedom of speech does not include a right for the previous poster to post untrue information about why Burleyson was fired. And Burleyson's firing, by the way, has nothing to do with the chief's situation, other than perhaps karma.
6:02. You are getting awfully close to getting a nice fat slander suit slapped on you. Just a friendly warning.
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