Recent Questions From Our Readers
* Readers — Please Place Your Answers In The Comment Sections *
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FACT
It is rumored that the LCSO is under FBI investigation.
REFERENCE: Rumors, by definition, have weak reference points. This rumor is related to the arrest of former LCSO Sgt. David Graham. The rumor is that Sgt. Graham had become an FBI informant and the arrest is related to Sgt. Graham’s cooperation with the FBI.
QUESTION
Is the LCSO under FBI investigation?
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FACT
For the 2011-12 fiscal year LCSO has budgeted the purchase of 2 crime scene trucks at a cost of $30,000 each for a total of $60,000 to replace aged units.
REFERENCE: LCSO 2011-2012 Budget Request: Capital Outlay: Auto Equipment
QUESTIONS
How many crime scenes were the trucks dispatched to last year? Who is the vendor and what contribution was made to Sheriff Campbell’s re-election campaign?
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FACT
The Leon County Sheriff’s Office Air Support Unit has one Bell Jet Ranger and 2 Bell OH58 series helicopters. The Unit is staffed by five employees. It is staffed by four law enforcement officer/pilots, all of which hold FAA Commercial Helicopter ratings, and a Director of Maintenance with an FAA Airframe and Powerplant certificate. Insurance for the Unit costs about $32,000 annually. The LCSO website lists one of the aircraft missions as: “VIP Escort”.
REFERENCE: LCSO 2011-2012 Budget Request L/E Program Staffing Detail: Aviation and
LCSO web site: http://lcso.leonfl.org/air.htm
QUESTIONS
§ Why are three aircraft needed? Are there that many VIPs in Tallahassee needing taxpayer funded air taxi service? Who are the VIPs being escorted by Sheriff Campbell in the county’s helicopters? Will a $250 contribution to Sheriff Campbell’s reelection campaign get a VIP a ride in a LCSO helicopter?
§ What are the FAA required maintenance routines to keep these helicopters FAA “airworthy” and what is the annual maintenance cost?
§ What is the cost of the aviation fuel used annually?
§ What is the cost of pilot training and flight hours necessary to maintain pilot proficiency?
§ How many hours of flight time does each helicopter perform annually and what is the cost per hour of flight time for the county?
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FACT
Each year around $10,000 is budgeted for “Tuition”. Part of this money comes from the law enforcement side of the Sheriff’s budget and part of this money comes from the corrections side of the Sheriff’s budget.
REFERENCE: LCSO 2011-2012 Budget Request Acct. No. 54930 for both Law Enforcement and Corrections
QUESTIONS
Whose tuition is the public paying for? Why? Tuition at what institution?
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FACT
The Leon County Jail is a 293 employee operation. Nevertheless about two-thirds of the corrections budget in the section for operations – over 5 million dollars – is for contractual services that does not include repairs and maintenance.
REFERENCE: LCSO 2011-2012 Budget Request Corrections Program Staffing Detail and Corrections Budget Request for Account No. 53400 – Other Contractual Services.
QUESTIONS
Who are the contractors who receive this $5 million, what are they each paid and what do they do? Is the work related to this $5million competitively bid in conformance with Leon County RFP bid requirements? Are any of the LCSO employees also LCSO contractors?
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FACT
LCSO had a FDLE-LETP Grant. There is a $314,872 expenditure shown for “Contractual Services”.
REFERENCE: LCSO Budget Status as of 30-Sep-2010, Fund 150 – Special Revenue, Pred Org 90 – Grants, Org 980016 Issue 28 2006-LETP-LEON-2-NI-014, Acct. No. 53400 – Contractual Services. Page 42 of report.
QUESTIONS
What is this? Who is (are) the vendor(s)? Do the vendors cross reference to The Sheriff’s campaign contribution reports on file with Leon County Supervisor of Elections? Was this competitively bid? Are LCSO employees allowed to also be LCSO vendors? Does the LCSO master vendor listing contain a heading for “employee contracts”? If so, what employees are included here?
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FACT
LCSO had a DCA grant that spent $995,282 for “Equipment – Fleet”. This was $33,087 more than the adjusted budget amount.
REFERENCE: LCSO Budget Status as of 30-Sep-2010, Fund 150 – Special Revenue, Pred Org 90 – Grants, Org 960049 Issue 81 PSIC 09-DS-31-02-47-01-417, Acct. No. 56410 – Equipment – Fleet. Page 34 of report.
QUESTIONS
Were appropriate competitive bidding procedures followed here? Who sold the equipment to LCSO and is the vendor a listed contributor in the Leon Co. Supervisor of Elections campaign reports
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FACT
LCSO had a DCA grant that spent $37,500 for training.
REFERENCE: LCSO Budget Status as of 30-Sep-2010, Fund 150 – Special Revenue, Pred Org 90 – Grants, Org 960028 08-DS-60-02-47-01-336, Acct. No. 55401 – Training. Page 33 of report.
QUESTIONS
What are the details of this training expenditure? Who got the money? Is there a training vendor involved here? If so, was this job (or various jobs) competitively bid? Did the vendor contribute to the Sheriff’s reelection campaign?
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FACT
The LCSO Law Enforcement training fund spent $112,227 for training.
REFERENCE: LCSO Budget Status as of 30-Sep-2010, Fund 150 – Special Revenue, Pred Org 90 – Grants, Org 710 – LE Training Fund, Acct. No. 55401 – Training. Page 6 of report.
QUESTIONS
What are the details of this training expenditure? Who got the money? Is there a training vendor involved here? If so, was this job (or various jobs) competitively bid? Did the vendor contribute to the Sheriff’s reelection campaign? Are LCSO employees allowed to also be LCSO vendors? Does the LCSO master vendor listing contain a heading for “employee contracts”?
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FACT
An LCSO special revenue grant related to the Federal Forfeiture program recorded a $62,089 expenditure for “ammunition” during the fiscal year. This amount was reversed at year end (credited) and the balancing debit is not shown or referenced.
REFERENCE: LCSO Budget Status as of 30-Sep-2010, Fund 150 – Special Revenue, Pred Org 90 – Grants, Org 705 – Federal Forfeiture, Acct. No. 55265 – Ammunition
QUESTIONS
Is this much ammunition necessary to fulfill the responsibilities outlined in the grant document?
Was this an accounting error? If so, how was the error corrected and what was the money actually spent on?
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FACT
For this campaign cycle, as of March 31, 2012, eighty one LCSO deputies had contributed $15,685 to Sheriff Campbell’s reelection campaign.
REFERENCE: Leon County Supervisor of Elections Reports: Compiled for all periods this election cycle: Q1/11 through Q1/12
QUESTIONS
Has anyone compared the LCSO promotion rate for deputies who contribute to the promotion rate for deputies who do not contribute? Has anyone compared the turnover rate for deputies who contribute to the turnover rate for deputies who do not contribute?
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FACT
At a business luncheon sheriff’s candidate debate on April 10, when asked about community involvement, Sheriff Campbell said that he was a member of over 40 community groups. The LCSO Inmate Welfare Fund has an account for “Publications, Subscriptions and Memberships” and spends about $12,000 per year from this expense account.
REFERENCE: LCSO Budget Status as of 30-Sep-2010, Fund 120 – Inmate Welfare, Acct. No. 55400: Pubs, Subs, Memberships
QUESTIONS
What memberships does the public pay for? Does this include memberships at the University Club and Capital City Country Club?
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FACT
On April 7, 2011, the following four concerned citizens donated $250 each, for a total of $1,000, to Sheriff Campbell’s campaign fund: Margaret Capelouto, Wendy W. Capelouto, Grant A. Capelouto, and Raymond Capelouto. Two of these people are listed as the owner of a pest control company.
REFERENCE: Leon County Supervisor of Elections Reports: Q2/11 Items 3,4,5,6
QUESTION
Who is the pest control company the Sheriff uses for the jail and LCSO offices? Is the job fairly and competitively bid under the watchful eye of LCSO Director of Administration?
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FACT
The LCSO Director of Administration is also Sheriff Campbell’s campaign treasurer.
REFERENCE: Leon County Supervisor of Elections Reports: http://www.leonfl.org/elect/includes/Candidates%20and%20Reports/PDF/2012/2012Filed.pdf
And LCSO web site: http://lcso.leonfl.org/admin.htm
QUESTION
Does the LCSO Director of Administration perform his campaign treasury duties during normal, taxpayer funded working hours? Is he more concerned about his duties as LCSO Director of Administration or Sheriff Campbell’s campaign treasurer? Is there ever a conflict of interest between what is best for the taxpayers and what is best for Sheriff Campbell’s reelection?
October 7, 2012 at 5:39 PM
There is an electronic system by which individuals can deposit money into an inmate’s account in the Leon County Jail. There is a high percentage fee attached to this deposit. What percentage of this ‘service fee’ goes to Leon County Jails and what percentage goes to the vendor? Was this machine and service contracted through competitive bid process? Is the vendor a contributor to the Sheriff Campbell re-election campaign?