Sunday, March 31, 2013

Total Enforcement just doesn’t work, well.

Thank God for Terrie Morgan-Besecker and The Times Leader, without whom we wouldn’t know that the half a million dollar records management system the city bought back in 2009, known as Total Enforcement simply doesn’t work.

“The whole thing is a joke,” said one officer. “It’s such a pain and time-consuming.”

The lack of an appropriate vehicle code in the system is one of the most frustrating things, a second officer said. “I can see the city ordinances not being in there, but the two state statutes you need the most are the crimes code and vehicle code,” the officer said. “For the money they paid, you’d think it would list all the charges in there.”

  • Yet according to Hanover Township, and several other communities in our county the far cheaper Alert System comes preloaded and does everything Duh-Soye said Total Enforcement should do.

While acknowledging there have been some issues in fully implementing the system, Dessoye said he believes it works well in meeting the department’s needs.

  • Except for work in the field, and save officers valuable time.

“This is the system we thought would work for us with the volume of information we have,” Dessoye said.

  • What Duh-Soye should have said, is once we got those cash filled key chains we were SOLD!

Dessoye largely dismissed the officers’ complaints, saying they’re upset because they don’t want to do the work required to create reports. “It may not make officers on the street happy because it requires them to do a lot of work,” he said.“It’s a good system for management. It they’re not happy, too bad … They have to work with the equipment we give them.”

  • WOW Chief, really? Tough Darts is truly the best you could come up with????

The officers who criticized the program said they thought the idea was to streamline tasks.

  • Streamline tasks? This is Wilkes Barre, the only streamline in this town is the flow of bribes to the King’s pocket.

The system was designed to allow police officers to complete reports from the laptops in their vehicles. Problems with communicating with the server delayed full implementation of that process until this February. Laptops are now in place in 10 cruisers.

  • It only took 4 years to get the now outdated laptops installed, that seems like progress to me!

Officers still can’t do all reports from the laptops, however, because the system is not connected with the county’s 911 system, which means 911 cannot transmit certain information officers need to the laptops, as it can with other records management software programs, said one officer.

  • Like the widely used, and much CHEAPER Alert system I’m betting?

The officers said, to be fair, the program does have some good points. For instance, an officer can type in a suspect’s name or an address and learn whether the person had prior charges, or if there had been previous calls to the address.

But they noted other records management systems have those capabilities without the drawbacks presented by Total Enforcement. They questioned why that program was chosen over the far more popular, and less expensive, system known as Alert, produced by Metro Technology Services Inc., of Wayne, Pa.

  • I’m betting the Alert System didn’t come with a nifty key chain.

City spokes joke Drew Mc-Laugh-lin noted that, at the time the city was reviewing Total Enforcement, plans were for it to incorporate with a countywide records management system that was being touted by former Luzerne County Commissioner Greg Skrepenak.

  • If only poor Greg didn’t get caught with his hand in the Taxpayers Cookie Jar!

While Dessoye firmly defended the city’s choice, he said he’s open to discussing police officers’ concerns with the system. A fair evaluation can’t be made until the system is entirely implemented, he said, which will likely be several years from now.

  • What, several years from now? Does anyone know the shelf life of technology?

Wake Up Wilkes Barre

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Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Perhaps Plymouth Rock fell on the car?

The Plymouth police officer who recovered Natalie Aleo’s stolen car said it had no body damage when it was found, raising questions about how it sustained significant front-end damage that was evident when it was returned to her Saturday by Wilkes-Barre city towing contractor Leo Glodzik III.

  • Well let’s see, it's like one of those math problems: If a stolen car leaves Plymouth police custody with NO damage,  and is transferred directly into Wilkes Barre City Impound custody where it remains until it is returned to the rightful owner, some months later with major damage, one can only assume someone snuck onto the impound lot and did it. After all the place is surrounded by Hawkeye’s watchful cameras, why not check those?

“What can I tell you? That’s how we picked up the car,” Glodzik said, referring to the damaged front end.

Officer Anthony Gorey of Plymouth said “When it left Plymouth, it did not have any damage on it,”

  • Oh goodie another math problem: A known liar (we'll call him Leo), who would lie in court under oath, then to the press about scraping a car, claims a car was sent to him with damage, yet is being disputed by an upstanding police officer with NO reason to lie, whatsoever, who should we believe? Yup you guessed it Leo….

In an email response to Time Leader reporters Tuesday, Leighton said his administration has not made a final determination on whether to proceed with terminating Glodzik’s contract.

“It remains an open inquiry, but we will announce a course of action in the foreseeable future. We will take this new information under advisement,” Leighton said.

  • Oh come on your lordship, you’re not going to fire your boy toy.

Glodzik has repeatedly denied he charges crime victims.

  • Yeah, all evidence to the contrary there buddy.

Aleo was equally surprised to learn Tuesday that the Plymouth police officer said there was no damage to the car when it was found.

“If the police officer said there was no damage to it, it has to be the tow company that did it,” Aleo said.

Aleo said she’s not happy, but doesn’t feel she has any recourse at this point.

  • Well it would seem that Aleo is no longer “Perfectly Happy” now is she?

“Maybe they did it when they stored it. I don’t know,” she said. “I can’t sue him. I don’t have the money for a lawyer.”

  • Is there not one honest Liar in this town that will take a case for an elderly woman Pro-bono?

Wake Up Wilkes Barre

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Sunday, March 24, 2013

Did Leo find that car again????


It was smashed when I found it, I tell ya!
Two months after telling a reporter he already had sent the car of an elderly woman at the heart of price-gouging complaints to a junkyard, city tower Leo Glodzik III on Saturday returned the vehicle to her.

Glodzik’s actions came two days after The Times Leader obtained information from the state Department of Transportation that no “salvage” title had been issued for Aleo’s vehicle. In an interview Wednesday, PennDOT officials said any junkyard that takes possession of a vehicle is required to obtain a salvage title. Those titles are typically issued within two days after they are requested.

  • TWO MONTHS, and no salvage title????
  • How the heck did he get that car back, and where was it?


The development came as a surprise to Natalie Aleo, 82, given that Glodzik, in a Jan. 24 interview The Times Leader, said he already had taken the car to a junkyard to be salvaged.
Photo courtesy of the Times Leader

  • Imagine her surprise when all of a sudden the car that Leo said was in the scrap yard suddenly showed up, and according to the Times Leader photo with a smashed front end.
  • Yet Plymouth Police didn’t have anything in their report to indicate front end damage when the car was found, so where did that damage come from we wonder???? Perhaps it was damaged during those 2 months that the salvage fairy had it, possibly?


Glodzik repeatedly has rejected the claim that he told Aleo the fees were for storage. He contends he told her the engine was blown and that the figure he quoted was an estimate of the cost to fix the car.

  • Hum, so now Leo is a certified mechanic??


Aleo disputed those comments, saying the LAG employee she spoke with made it clear the fees were for storage and towing.

Don’t worry Natalie we all know he’s lying, after all if you’d be willing to lie in court under oath, it’s a good bet you’d be willing to lie just about any time.


Wake Up Wilkes Barre

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Thursday, March 21, 2013

Hawkeye Fails Again

The Wilkes Barre Crime City Watch Coalition is reporting that Neighbors called 911 because kids were trying to start a fire on the already graffiti covered playground equipment on Parkin street park in Parsons. NOW... keep in mind there is a 10 thousand dollar Hawkeye camera there, right above the playground equipment. The kids were apprehended. The Police Officer said there is a camera here, please check it. The response came back from Hawkeye "That camera is out" and the Officer asked in a stern voice "Why isn't it working” There was no reply.

  • Hum No reply from Hawkeye?

To that poor frustrated police officer who works tirelessly to keep us safe, we can only say Thank You for all you do, and as for why that camera doesn’t work, you need only ask how much the supplier gave to the Kings campaigns.

Wake Up Wilkes Barre

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Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Hawkeye’s Cash Cow No Moo're

According to Mark Guydish of The Times Leader, The Wilkes Barre Area School Board tabled a $90,000 line item, ONLY after Board Member Christine Katsock questioned why approval of a contract with Hawkeye Security Solutions was on the agenda under “contracted services.”

“I do not see a reason for this other than that we are a cash cow for Hawkeye,” Katsock said.

  • Now Ms. Katsock you know full well that one hand washes the other, or in this town one governing body launders for the other. Your current political stance will only anger his lordship, and you should also be aware that he will retaliate.

Latinski proposed bringing someone from the company in to answer questions, and the board tabled the motion.

  • Now there’s an idea Phil..... Let’s ask Hawkeye's double talking Liar,,, I mean Lawyer (who by the way doesn’t even attend their meetings) to come up from Philly to sell you a Bill of Goods. After all he did try selling the Parking Authority a Bill of Goods, or was it that he just tried selling the Parking Authority??

Speaking of the Parking Authority why don’t you call them and ask how long it took Hawkeye to repair a broken camera. I bet you’ll be surprised to hear that they measure that time frame in years….

It should also be noted that Hawkeye Citywide still isn’t at 100% and their camera system that consists of nearly 260 cameras at a cost of about $10,483.87 EACH camera are now nearing the end of their useful life according to statements made at a recent Hawkeye Board meeting.

Also the cameras the city paid for back in July 2012 still haven’t been installed at The Intermodal Garage.

Without the School Board ponying up this cash we have to wonder is Hawkeye still going to be able to pay $10,080 monthly to Legion Security for monitoring the system?

Wake Up Wilkes Barre

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Sunday, March 3, 2013

Personal Cell, Public Number

The King and company got caught by the Times Leader a few months ago abusing the cell phone program

  • By not adhering to minute plan constraints 
  • In some cases streaming music all day causing massive data plan overruns that cost the taxpayers huge in overage fees. 
  • Top of the line devise upgrades

Now in an effort to correct their mishap the city has implemented a stipend plan to compensate employees for what they call “use of personal property”.

Questions:

  • Do you really need a cell, or would a 2 way radio work?
  • Do 17 people need Smartphone’s?
  • Do you pay $40 or $80 for your share everything plan?

City spokesman Drew Mc-Laugh-lin also acknowledged that in some cases the city is now paying more per phone with the stipend than it did when it had its own plan.

  • WHY Drew?

Shouldn’t we only be reimbursing employees for the part of their bill that impacts them, and not the entire bill? It’s as if you are assuming none of these folks would have cell phones anyway, and the city is burdening them by asking them to go to Verizon and get one. 

Mayor Chris Doherty of Scranton said the city stopped providing cellphones in January 2011, and There have been no problems at all. Everyone has a phone anyway.

Is it only in Scranton where folks carry a person cell? I thought with the president handing them out as part of the Food Stamp program everyone had one these days.

Current problem:

When the city had city owned phone the citizens had the numbers of each user to call for whatever. Now the employees don’t want citizens having their personal number.

Under Pennsylvania Right-to-Know law city owned the phones, the records and bills were available to the public. Melissa Melewsky, media law counsel at the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association, said she believed that should still be the case.

"They're still paying for it, and it's related to government access. Are they spending 12 hours on the phone a week, or 12 minutes? I think that's relevant," Melewsky said. "You shouldn't get less access because they're moving to a stipend system."

Oh I couldn’t agree more Melissa, in fact a Right-to-Know seeking the numbers of the following 28 people is currently pending, and will be available soon.

11 regular phone allowances
Cost: $440 per month
  1. James Elias, health inspector
  2. Paul Ginter, health officer
  3. Frank Kratz, chief building inspector
  4. Edward McDade, animal enforcement officer
  5. Peter Monka, public works foreman
  6. Frederick Pape, code inspector
  7. Dennis Sabestinas, master electrician
  8. Leon Schuster, deputy zoning director
  9. JoAnn Semenza, rental inspector
  10. Carol Smith, rental inspector
  11. Delphine Torbik, city nurse

17 data plan allowances
Cost: $1,360 per month
  1. Greg Barrouk, director of economic development
  2. James Delaney, fire chief
  3. Gerard Dessoye, police chief
  4. Michael Dunleavy, purchasing director
  5. Butch Frati, director of operations
  6. Robert Hughes, captain of police operations
  7. Theodore Kross, health director
  8. Louis Lau, information technology director
  9. Thomas Leighton, mayor
  10. David Lewis, public works foreman
  11. Marie McCormick, city administrator
  12. Drew McLaughlin, administrative coordinator, spokesman
  13. Phillip Myers, police officer
  14. Charles Pahler, bioterrorism coordinator, traffic signal coordinator
  15. Kenneth Pahler, public works deputy director
  16. Melissa Schatzel, human resources director
  17. Michael Simonson, public works assistant director

Wake Up Wilkes Barre

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