The error in computing taxes caused Federal & State taxes to be withheld at an improper, lower rate, than required. Employees are being required to kick in the difference for their 2011 taxes.
The question I have regards the (quoting from the times) ‘taxes owed from 2008 thru 2010’.
Haven’t the individual employees filed their tax returns for those years and paid any taxes owed, or in some cases, received less of a refund than they otherwise would have received?
How can the sheriff owe $689,000 to the IRS or to the State for ‘taxes’ for a three year period when those taxes have already been paid by the employees?
What is the $689,000 for?
We will get into this more next week.
And So it Goes in Shreveport
The Times
Because they are corrupted. It's not just a computer error! With a 40mil budget, let's get real! It's about time someone investigates that department and boot Deen out & all the admin! That's all.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's because the Under Sheriff, Dempsey, who is in charge of the Sheriff's Office Tax Department and personnel department, with only 6 years experience, has no clue what he is doing.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Deen and Dempsey need to be placed under investigation like the police retirement system attorney. Maybe they need to go to prison as well! Send them all down!
Bossier officials are out of control. Examples of this story and the school board looking into building new schools and pay raises are sickening!
ReplyDeleteIt is sad that innocent people are getting hurt, because it was more important to hire an in-law, some Boss Hogg wannabe's relative, or a dear old Shriner buddy regardless of qualifications.
ReplyDeleteThis is just one layer of the rotten onion tha makes up the government in Bossier. I hope this will be the beginning of a long over due investagstion that will be the cause of the collapse of that house of cards in Bossier. But what the hell, "At least we're not on the west side of the river."
School board simply LOOKING into rebuilding schools that are older than most of us and our parents is sickening??
ReplyDeleteSome idiots think that new schools never have to be build to keep up with the growth that is taking place in Bossier. Also nearby parishes are paying teachers a lot more than Bossier. Do you think teachers are going to continue working for less. Do you not think that over the years Bossier has been known for good schools. Teachers played a big part in that so maybe we should try to keep good teachers and let the bad ones go.
ReplyDeleteWhat does a new school have to do with learning? New is a luxury! The present schools have heat, air conditioning, etc. If there is overcrowding, redraw the district lines! Pay is only one factor in teachers choosing to work for a school district. How about great work environment, less discipline problems in the classroom, etc. ? We are not in a race for the highest pay! When the city, parish, and the federal government show that they can be prudent with spending, only then will they have my support for new schools and pay increases.
ReplyDeleteStick with that line of thinking and see what kind of schools Bossier has in a few years.
ReplyDeleteHey Kartman, let's use your line of thinking with Police, Fire, Mayor, Governor, or President. The more money you pay and build new buildings, the better government we get. Have you looked at what private schools like Calvary, Loyola, Southfield, Saint Marks, Saint Josephs... pays their teachers? How old are their schools? Don't get it twisted, I am for investing in technology or upgrading schools for technology purposes, but new schools, that would be NO!
ReplyDeleteFirst, when school people discuss salaries, they regularly have in mind raising everybody's salary. This includes the salary of all current teachers, regardless of quality, specialization, or anything else. There exists no overall shortage of people willing to teach or even of people certified to teach. Shortage arguments rest on ideas of specific skills, such as math or science training, but few people arguing for increased salaries would contemplate paying math and science teachers more than elementary English teachers. Second, poor teachers almost certainly value improved salaries at least as much as good teachers. An increase in salaries induces all current teachers to stay in teaching, regardless of how good they are. Third, quality is not a determinant of salaries. Teachers salaries are determined by experience, degree level, and coaching abilities but not by their impact on student learning. Fourth, nobody doubts that increasing teacher salaries will expand the pool of potential teachers from which a district can choose. But the influence on students depends directly on the ability of districts to choose the best teachers from the expanded pool. Research shows that the typical school district does poorly in these choices. (Good ole boy system of selection!)
ReplyDeleteThe combination of these factors implies that there is virtually no relationship between teacher salaries and student achievement!
What the hell does the screw ups of the bubbas in the Sheriff's Office have to do with the school board?
ReplyDeleteIf they didn't have enough money withheld from their salaries from 2008-2010, when they filed their tax returns what they owed would be adjusted to reflect the proper amount the government would have gotten either way. The only way this would not have happened is if somone falsified the employees W-2s. Am I on the wrong track here?
ReplyDeleteJim, I do taxes for a living and have done for over 20 years. I handle a lot of the BPSO employees as well. There is no way that they "owe" for not having enough state and federal income tax withheld. As you mentioned, that is "balanced out" at tax filing time each year. Now if the "computer" error was to do with FICA withholding, that is another subject and the employees are not the ones subject to the major penalties and interest. The employer is. Feel free to contact me for more info at kathmorgan@bellsouth.net.
ReplyDeleteKathy
Guess My kid will have to do without because someone was a SCREW-UP!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks DEEN
lost my respect!!!!
I remember one time I had changed jobs and didn't have enough taxes being withheld. I went to have my taxes prepared by a tax preparations business, and the first this they noticed was I wasn't paying enough. This deal stinks, really stinks.
ReplyDeleteThe people of Bossier Parish have no idea how corrupt Larry Deen is and has been. If any employee thinks they have to pay taxes, like the lady said, it would have been identified when they filed every year. Some day all the crooks in this Parish will be exposed. Probably not in my lifetime, I wish, but someday.
ReplyDeleteLarry Deen screwing around with the IRS is a good way to draw some unwanted attention. I believe the IRS is a little more powerful than Larry Deen. They would love to put his ass in jail. The fact he will no longer be sheriff soon will really have him scared because he even loses that power to intimidate his employees from talking. Jimmy Hall your next.
ReplyDeleteIt kind of makes you wonder if the sheriff is in a jam somehow and is asking his deputies to write checks to the department to cover it and then the deputies are being told it is for a "computer error on their withholdings". If it really is a tax error then they should be able to just get a lower return or pay the IRS if required when they file their taxes for 2011. Why are the employees being told to write a check to the department for some random number that was on a piece of paper with their name on it, but no real explanation and lay out of each persons taxable income withholding and alleged shortfall?
ReplyDeleteSomething here appears to not quite be on the up and up.
So the dept screwed over the deputies on their taxes and the residents of Bossier Parish were screwed on their property taxes so the deputies could receive a small raise over the next year or two?
ReplyDeleteLooks like deputies who also pay property taxes are getting it from 3 sides. Payroll taxes that have to be caught up, property taxes rasied, a smaller check by at least 2% from now on, and no pay raise. Wow!
If all this is true, what I don't understand is why the IRS did not catch it or say anything to the 300+ employees for all these years. So your telling me that the IRS would allow the deputies to not pay enough taxes year after year? Can someone help me understand this please?
ReplyDeleteIf the deputies owe taxes to the IRS, why are they being made to write a check to the Bossier Sheriff's Department and not the IRS?
ReplyDeleteI thought the Sheriff's Office got audited every year. How did the auditors, payroll, accounting department and the IRS miss the huge mistake year after year?
ReplyDeleteObviously the accountants at the sheriff's office are not staying on top of things seeing as how they have missed this for almost a decade. I don't know if I would trust them enough to write a check out to the sheriff's office and expect it to be correct first of all, and then make it to the IRS completely intact.
ReplyDeleteWhy not just let the employees file their taxes and see if they owe the IRS or not? If they do that at least they will have some peace of mind in knowing that it was corrected with the IRS in person rather than just taking the word of a guy who has had it screwed up since 2002?
The screw up in the bubbas at the sheriffs office shows how officials left with unlimited resources and no checks and balances behave. The school board is an even better example of pure waste. Scammed by a bunch of convicts they get re-electedand promoted and now want us to give them 450 MILLION DOLLARS! I wonder who is getting a new house built?
ReplyDeleteI don't understand why some people can't comprehend how something like this happened. It's simple. Billy Bob is a good old boy and he married John Ed's daughter. Billy Bob never had any formal training as an auditor, but just being married to John Ed's daughter made him highly qualified for the job, because John Ed's lodge buddy Joe said so. And that's how it works in Bossier Parish and Bossier City.
ReplyDeleteAre there any grounds for a law suit
ReplyDeleteA lawsuit is doubtful. There doesn't seem to have been any criminal intent on anyone's part. I don't think anyone (the deputies included) is arguing that the deputies should be exempt from paying any taxes that were not withheld by their employer. I think their heartburn is about how it was handled at the last minute just as the holiday season begins.
ReplyDeleteThe day before Thanksgiving people are called in from vacation, or scheduled time off, for a "mandatory meeting" only to be blindsided with a tax bill that they are now being told that they need to pay immediately if at all possible. It is my understanding that at the opening of the meeting the sheriff even joked with the deputies by telling them that inside their envelope was a "early Christmas gift" and then said "that was a joke". Next he continued to explain to them that their envelope actually contained a bill for hundreds and in some cases thousands of dollars of taxes that the office failed to withhold. Top that off with the employees being told that they would see their checks shrink by 2% next year and that there would be no cost of living raise as they had been lead to believe that they would receive and you can see why so many people are more than a little upset about how it all took place.
None of us can avoid taxes, but when a mistake is made by an employer the employees are the ones it hurrys the most. It sure seems like this could have been handled better than it was considering the short amount of time that the employees have to find the money to cover these errors while still try to put together a Christmas for their family.
Just because there may or may not have been any criminal intent doesn't mean there can't be a lawsuit. Lawsuits are usually involves "civil law". The real reason there probably won't be a lawsuit is because deputies won't sue the department unless they plan on finding another job. Because if any of their names appear on a lawsuit they are sure to be fired. I hope the IRS does an investigation and finds Deen and his Minions guilty of some type of crime. Julian included. I wonder what they owe? If it was a computer glitch then they should owe money too. The fact they were called to a meeting and jokes were made pisses me off even more.
ReplyDeleteDeen should have passed out lubrication along with the envelopes
ReplyDeleteInform the uninformed please. Is it not state law the BCPD gets annual COLA 2 odd% raises every year? This does not apply to Sheriffs office?
ReplyDeleteCivil service law requires Bossier City to give BCPD officers a 2% raise every year from their 3rd thru their 23rd year. BPSO salaries are determined by the sheriff. He give raises as he pleases. That's why people are so upset with Deen. He has no pay structure within his department. He pays unqualified individuals large salaries just for political reasons. This whole thing stinks. I hope this is what finally brings his empire down.
ReplyDeleteJim, I really hope you look into this and make sure his cronies pay their share as well.
Jim, I had wondered the same thing. Your tax liability should zero out every year with your return (or payment).
ReplyDeleteI mean, this should have been caught in the first year by an individual taxpaying employee, or their tax preparer, or the IRS.
But, I think Kathy is right. A FICA withholding error probably wouldn't be so easy to catch. And, the SO employees should certainly not be liable for the penalties individually.
Let's be clear, this is not a FICA error. It was an error that was a result of the employer not withholding enough (roughly 2%) back in the taxable portion of the employee contribution to their retirement. Every year the employee files his/her taxes, and this error would result in them either getting a smaller refund, or maybe evening having to pay the IRS. I understand why they employees will see a 2% smaller net paycheck from now on because the correct percentage of withholdings will now be applied, but it should not have any bearing on their previous years of income taxes. Again, all it means is they were slightly over paided because enough was not held back by the employer and they would either have to accept a smaller refund from the IRS or make up their shortfall of withholdings to the IRS when they file their tax return. There should be no need for anyone to have to pay their employer so the employer can pay the IRS the withholdings when it can be given to the IRS at the time you file your return. The previous years of 2008-2010 again should not be an issue because each employee's tax debt/overage is zeroed out each year with either a payment for not enough withholdings or a refund for too much being withheld.
ReplyDeleteAm I missing something here? Is the employer trying to cover his responsibility of employer contributions, or some such item, by trying a quick charge artist tactic on the employees?
"if you just make the check out to me, I'll see that the IRS gets it on your behalf."
Again, the IRS will see that less than the required percentage was take from your gross pay and they will ask you for the balance when you file your taxes! I smell a rat!!!!
As a former deputy let me clear up a few things.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, the starting pay for a deputy without a 4 year degree is $35K per year and department paid employee benefits. If you have a 4 year degree the pay is increased to $40k per year plus the same benefits. After the completion of a full year of duty and an approved POST academy (police academy) the employee receives an additional $500 per month from the state as supplemental pay (hazardous duty/hardship pay). So the average deputy with a few years of service is making $40-45k per year before taxes, insurance for family, or any other deduction is removed from his pay.
Second, there is no civil service or union for employees of the sheriff's office. Therefore you have no recourse or means to dispute anything that you may believe to be unjust or unfair. These people live in constant fear of losing their job at anytime if they question the powers that be. If you rock the boat your are identified as a "trouble maker" an example will be made out of you as warning to others. Fear rules the day at the Bossier Sheriff's Office. During my time there I was repeatedly reminded that "there is a stack of applications a foot tall of people that want your job and that it would be best for you to learn that you need to go with the flow." If you want to be able to feed your family, you learn to grin and bear it.
Third, not everyone has an extra duty job they can rely on to make ends meet. "Extra duty" is reserved for the golden children beause all extra duty must be coordinated and then passed down through administration to the deputies. If you are not one of the "chosen few" then good luck landing one do those side jobs. Also for most extra duty jobs a car is required and that immediately excludes anyone that works in corrections because they do no have a patrol car.
Fourth, because of a lack of civil service protection, or a union of some sort, you are often times calls in on your days off or made to work an extended day with no compensation for your time. These jobs are salaried positions, but according to labor law if you exceed 40 hours per week, or 80 hours per 2 week pay period there needs to be a means of compensation for the extra time on the job. Corrections deputies work 84 hours every 2 weeks and patrol deputies work roughly 90 hours every 2 weeks, and that is not counting any of the extra mandatory meetings that are called frequently and may last anywhere from 1 hour to a whole day.
I loved my job as a deputy, but left to pursue law enforcement oppritunities elsewhere where I knew I would at least be able to rely on the civil service to afford me a level of protection against abuse/misuse by my employer. At a sheriff's office he can do pretty much whatever he pleases with little or no checks and balances, just as long as he keeps the voters feeling good. Because of his unchecked power to do whatever he wants with his people, you end up seeing the sheriff's buddies, friends, and political helpers being rewarded with quick promotions, huge salaries, cushy jobs, and various other perks while the other 80% of the employees are killing themselves trying to fight for table scraps.
So from now on when you here some of the public, which is heavily misinformed, please correct them and try to stop the spread of so much of this misinformation about so many of the hard working deputies that are just trying to take care of their families.
Anon at 8:33, thanks for clearing that up. Yeah, I really don't understand what the pay-back is for.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't seem possible that it wasn't zeroed annually.
How convenient for this to come out AFTER the election. This is just something else Julian turned a blind eye to what Deen was doing. Better to come out AFTER the election and just before Christmas. Better to screw over the deputies than hurt your chances of becoming sheriff.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I don't trust the sheriff and I believe that just about every decision he makes is based on politics and self preservation of his own image; however, I'd have to say that this current situation doesn't have any ties to the election and success/failure of the newly elected sheriff. This has been an error that has been occurring since 2002 and it has continued through multiple audits by the IRS. How do you expect to convince me that Julian, or anybody else for that matter, knew about it and failed to try to correct it? Do you honestly believe that anybody on the sheriff's payroll realized that this was happening and just let it go? Nobody in the their right mind (not even the sheriff) wants to let an error like this, where you owe the IRS more and more with each paycheck, grow out of control like it has.
ReplyDeleteI am not here to defend Julian either. I will leave it up to him to take care of for himself. If you read back a few comments there was a former deputy that talks about how the sheriff has the final say on everything in his department and how nothing happens there unless the sheriff wants it to. In fairness to Julian how can everyone sit around and blame him for how things are at the Sheriff's Office knowing that it is the sheriff who calls the shots? Do you know that Julian has failed to take corrective actions during his time at the sheriff's office, or are you just speculating? Has it occurred to anyone that maybe Julian spent years trying to do the right thing in situations only to have the sheriff stonewall him time and time again? I'm not saying that it has or hasn't happened, only that it is a possibility and it could explain why he was demoted to a lower job assignments towards the end of his career. For anyone saying there is a chance he'll be just like the current sheriff, there is also the chance that he will make the changes that need to be made, but he has been prevented from making for years as well.
For those of you that point out that Julian is the sheriff's cousin, you are correct, but it is distant cousins at best. I don't even know some of my 4th and 5th cousins, and that is about how closely related the Sheriff and Julian are related. Would you like to be held accountable for some of the decisions your distant family makes? I know I wouldn't.
We elected him, so let's let Julian get into office and judge him on his behavior and decisions. If he doesn't act in the manner in which, we the voters, approve of then we send him packing and elect someone else the next time, right?
The IRS needs to come to Bossier Parish and Bossier City and do rectal exams if they have to to clean up the corruption. I'm hearng more and more people questioning what is going on. Even if what's going on in the parish and city are just bad decisions being made, which I believe aren't, the ones making the decisions should be charged as negligent.
ReplyDelete6:18,
ReplyDeleteYou make good points. I'm just the timing is suspicious to me. But if your asking my opinion on Julian, I believe he knew everything that was going on and he kept his mouth shut. Now, read your criminal law. Given his position, if you knowingly participate in criminal activity your just as guilty and can be charged. In law enforcement, you must do what your supervisor tells you to do unless you know what he is telling you to do is illegal. Julian knowingly went along with Larry Deen activities knowing they were illegal. I not going ramble on because we are stuck with him now but I think you get the point I'm trying to make. He just seems weak and incompetent to me. I don't believe he will be as bad as Larry Deen but I do believe he should be held accountable for the 22 years he spent as Deen's right hand man and went along with these decisions when he could have done something about it.
I understand exactly what you are saying and I agree that if there were laws broken and Julian knew about it and/or allowed it, then he is responsible as well. My understanding is that Julian was moved to 2-3 different positions over the last couple of years because he had indeed challenged the sheriff over various issues of what he believed to be "right and wrong".
ReplyDeleteMy understanding is that the majority of the troubles at the sheriff's office are more moral issue than criminal law issues. How money is used and misused, abuse of power, favors granted, preferential treatment, and so forth. The sheriff is a slick politician and smart enough to avoid, or at least distance himself from, obvious illegal activity. Much of what I have heard makes me so upset that I "think it should be illegal" but unfortunately it is not, it is just morally wrong. This type of behavior is what happens when a person in a position of power goes unchecked for too long. His actions that we saw on the videotaped traffic stop of him and the state trooper over in Tx were very telling. The voters all too often turned a blind eye to the goings on at the sheriff's office and believed the spin put out by the office rather than checking the facts for themselves and holding him accountable for his decisions and actions.
I think with this last election the issues had grown so large that they could no longer be ignored. Knowing that, he stepped out of the way and selected not to run at the last minute rather than taking a beating at the polls. Hopefully Julian will show better judgement and management of resources, but if he fails to do a better job we can vote him out of office as well.
You are right. I still hope a criminal investigation is conducted. Either by the state or the Feds. I know there are plenty current or former employees out there who could testify of some of the illegal activities. I just think they don't know who to turn to get one started. You can't go to the state attorney general because he and schylur Marvin are best of friends. Most politicians are reluctant to turn on one another because they all have skeletons. I guess you could go to the FBI but I believe you won't get much out of them unless your someone like a politician instructing them to conduct an investigation.
ReplyDeleteI still say we all owe a thanks to mike McConnell for running for sheriff because without him Larry Deen runs unopposed again. Say what you want but Julian would not have run against Deen and he certainly would not have quit his job to run against Deen. He quit his job to run because he knew Deen was not going to run.
Julian has a tough job to get BPSO going in the bright direction. All eyes are on him. The job is his now and he makes the decisions. No more excuses.
If there is a need for the state attorney general or the FEDS to come in and investigate, they don't need to stop at the parish. The city and those running it need investigating too.
ReplyDeleteWhere are all of the At-Least-We're-Not-Shreveport crowd? You're quick to point out the faults of Shreveport and Caddo government, but you're silent now. Thank God we don't have Deen for sheriff on this side of the river.
ReplyDeleteI'm just speculating, but could the $689,000 be the amount of additional taxes not withheld from the $2.3Million in pay increases between August and February?
ReplyDeleteSo who setup the computer system and who inputed the data back in 2002? Were they reprimanded if so, how? Who checks the supervisors? Isnt there a comptroller and a CFO?
ReplyDeleteWith all of the corruption , if you know of something, call the FBI. I f you don't, you are a unhappy fool.
ReplyDeleteI think Jimmy Hall and Copperhead hacked into the computer.system to funnel money for the campaigns of the Mayor, City Council, Austin, Whittington, numerous Police Jurors, and the next DA race. In addition, a portion of the money was going to the school board to fund Sonya Bailes.
ReplyDeleteThe plot thickens. Jimmy Hall cut out Copperhead to send his cut to the Shriners. This forced Copperhead into robbery.
ReplyDeleteJulian Whittington was the supervisor of that dept according to his campaign, and he further stated that the sheriff's dept is more than just upholding the law. It's also the collector of taxes for the parish. He said that he was the man for the job because of his experience and competence in that area. Wow, he did a great job in there didn't he?? The man that replaced him over that division is none other than Doyle Dempsey himself, a man who nonchalantly talks about this "error" as if he has nothing to do with it, but in his list of accomplishments, he is clouted as being the division head of that dept for at least a portion of his 7 year tenure there. What a joke... Great job ar the polls bossier parish!
ReplyDeleteI may be way off here but wanted to bring this up. I know the sheriff was very adamant that nothing illegal had been done here, but he said that before anyone even asked about illegal acts. You know when people are guilty of something, they typically want to talk about it to clear their own minds, even before investigators ask about certain acts. Kinda like when you show up on scene and a person you're talkin to starts offering explanations before you ever ask a single question. I'm going to quote a statute here and I would like to know if it fits, so here goes: §135. Public salary deduction
ReplyDeleteA. Public salary deduction is committed when any public officer or public employee retains or diverts for his own use or the use of any other person or political organization, any part of the salary or fees allowed by law to any other public officer or public employee, unless authorized in writing by the said public officer or public employee.
B. Whoever commits the crime of public salary deduction shall be imprisoned for not more than five years with or without hard labor or shall be fined not more than five thousand dollars or both.
Amended by Acts 1980, No. 454, §1; Acts 1999, No. 318, §1.
Now, I have never signed anything saying that they can deduct any money from my check, and I have been told that I will be afforded a "loan" that will accrue interest so that they can catch up my "back taxes". The sheriffs office will obviously be the entity collecting said interest since they're taking the money from me. Wouldn't that constitute making a profit?? If so, that's a felony according to the above statute. Right??
i think it is all a bunch of bs! the deputies dont owe a dang thing! deen messed up and deen should pay up! and i do believe there are grounds for a law suit bc what they have done is against the law. especially on the part of the deputies paying the dept to pay the irs? really. i think some of the deputies should call the irs and really find out what is going on! this is the most rediculous thing i have seen in a long time. i really hop that deen is punished by someone for doing this to those deputies. its not like they make alot of money and to hit them with this right before christmas and expect it to be paid in two weeks of notification of it?
ReplyDeleteTo Anon 5:21 and 5:43, Laugh all you want you butt leech. We may not have the proof but the signs are there. And as far as making jokes about it, a lot of times the jokes have a large portion of truth in them.
ReplyDeleteLike I said put up or shut up.
ReplyDeleteLike I said put up or shut up.
ReplyDeleteAnon 12:11 - all the signs are there that you like little boys, but I have no proof so I don't accuse. I just suspect it.
ReplyDeleteTo anon 12:56, I hate to be the one to tell you, but I am sure you did sign to have taxes taken out! Have you heard of a W4 Form, duh!
ReplyDeleteAnon @ 12:56, I know what you mean about wanting clear your mind when you've done something wrong. I think 4:48 wants to clear his. He wants us to shut up and stop reminding him of the corruption that's going on and knows about.
ReplyDeleteAnon @ 8:27,
ReplyDeleteOh yeah! Thanks for clearing that up for me! I have heard of and very vividly remember signing a W4 form, especially since I do one every year for the sheriff to ensure "accuracy" as it has been told to me. That would be fine to explain why my check will be lower next year to accomodate the new withholding amount, BUT that does not explain why the sheriff is going to start taking money out of my check to cover "back taxes" that he says he will go ahead and pay on my behalf so that he can get us back "square" with the IRS and the LDR. That will be a loan repayment (that my W4 has nothing to do with) to the sheriff's office and he has further stated that interest will be added on to the amount that is deducted from our checks if we don't pay the full amount by Monday 12/5. I happen to not be one of the guys up there who already had retirement from somewhere else before becoming employed there or one of the guys that makes 80K + a year, and I would love to give my kids Christmas this year (call me crazy), so I will be forced to take the payroll deduction, but herein lies the problem that I mentioned in my previous post. I have never signed a document that will allow them to take a single cent from my check to repay this so-called loan. When I file my W2 in January, I will square myself up with the IRS and the LDR and my employer has nothing to do with that, so why am I paying the SO anything?? Basically he is saying write a check to BSO by 12/5 and we'll get it to the IRS and the LDR for you or we're going start deducting your amount "owed" plus interest on 1/1/12 whether you like it or not. I don't need him to be a middle man here for me to deal with the tax agencies, and I'm sure they're more than capabale of collecting money from me without the sheriff's office intervening. He didn't withhold enough money, so I will be responsible for it at the end of the year. . . end of story. There's more to this than they're letting out. It's just like that non existent statute he cited when he rolled the millage forward. He says things and expects everyone to just take his word for it without question since he's the almighty sheriff, so he spouts off some wacky statements that have no merit and expects a room full of cops to just take it at face value with no inquisition whatsoever?? No way, especially when he's directly taking money from my family's pockets. When I asked if I could see something in detail showing how they came up with the amount I owe, the reply was simply, "No." This is a little off subject, but I realy thought it was appropriate when Larry Deen joked at the beginning of the meeting about how inside the evelopes they handed us coming in the door was our Christmas bonus and then said, "Just kidding, that's actually how much money you will be required to pay". What a class act! One more thing, why is this money due by 12/5?? Taxes aren't due until April...duh!
correction on my post at 7:29:
ReplyDeleteI happen to be one of the guys that does NOT have retirement from somewhere else before being employed...oops.lol
7:29,
ReplyDeleteFrom one officer to another, I understand the position of going along with the program. But remember, Larry Deem is not a powerful I we all once thought. A guy no one ever heard of came along and challenged him for sheriff and Larry Deen cowered and quit rather than step up to the challenge. There is also a statute called the "whistleblowers act" that protects employees from employers who bring to light illegal activities. Also by standing up for what you feel is right and then because if it suffer consequences then that called retaliation. You can sue for large amounts and he knows that. Somebody up there has to take a stand or things will not change. Don't sit back and expect Julian to do things different. You guys need to join union like the F.O.P or some type of prepaid legal that will provide you with legal protection against crap like this. It's been time for this crap to stop and it's time you guys grow a set and stand up to these bullies up there.
Anon @ 12:28, It wouldn't matter if someone from a sheriff's department joined a union or not. To quailfy myself, I am a former deputy from another agency other than Bossier.
ReplyDeleteWhen you hire onto a sheriff's office, you hire at the pleasure of the sheriff. You are not civil service and can be terminated without cause, and you have no recourse.
1:10,
ReplyDeleteI understand that. But at least then you would have legal help if you choose to fight it and it's already paid for. That's my point. It does matter and it would help.
Anon @ 1:30,
ReplyDeleteIn a sheriff's department if they think you're even thinking the word legal action against the agency you can kiss your job good-bye.
Most deputies in south Louisiana are members of a union. I know because I've met them. If you don't stand up people like Larry Deen then things will not change. Quit using your job as an excuse. Once your POST certified you can be a police officer anywhere. Trust me, being fired by Larry Deen isn't that bad. He is hated by all law enforcement officers in Northwest Louisiana. BPSO is a joke because of him.
ReplyDeleteAnd BCPD isn't a joke because of its leadership? Just about every law enforcement agency in NW Louisiana laughs when you mention BCPD.
ReplyDeleteI'm not arguing that
ReplyDeleteI think when you just say BOSSIER it starts getting laughs
ReplyDeleteI don't mean to change the subject from the sheriff office, but what has happened to BCPD in the past couple of years? It was at one time a top notch dept. Now it seems to be the bottom of the barrel.
ReplyDeleteTo save the Bossier defenders time: "Put up or shut up!" "If you don't like it move!" "At least we're not like they are on the other side of the river!"
ReplyDeleteA couple of months ago I was in a popular restaurant in Shreveport and Bossier City came up in the conversation at the next table. Some little old gray haired lady mentioned how Bossier City is getting crooked. It doesn't matter if they want people to "put up or shut up," a bunch of people already know and more people are finding out.
Nothing will change. The people on this blog could not pick the winner of a one man race. Read 'em and weep.
ReplyDeleteAnon @ 7:14, it will take forever to explain. The Reader's Digest version is because of the boobs that have taken over the city administration and placing bigger boobs as department heads for control purposes. Plus, by placing idiots around you make you look smarter.
ReplyDeleteDid not take long to turn on the Chief. I thought he was the guy the cops wanted.
ReplyDelete7:50,
ReplyDeleteShane McWilliams is going to be a good chief someday. That someday will be when Jimmy Hall is gone. Jimmy Hall and Larry Deen are cut from the same mold. Lo Walker needs to go as well. People call Shane a puppet and to be fair I guess he is right now. But when Jimmy Hall leaves you watch. We will be a great department once again. Until we are able to hire officers again and hire quality officers, It's going to seem like he is not doing a good job. I can promise you this though he is slowly but surely cleaning up Halphen's mess.
8:24, the Jimmy Hall and Lo Walker comments are true. As for Shane McWilliams, you've got to be kidding.
ReplyDeleteStill blaming the mess on Halphen? That gets as old as Obama still blaming Bush.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous at 7:29
ReplyDeleteI can understand your grips and concerns, but, do not forget the department pays your part of your pension for you. I would hate for us to have to begin paying our portion on top of all this. That may not be much to you, but it is for me, I need my money!
You were also given the opportunity to ask questions during the meeting, did you as any, I bet you did not even ask the first one!
Oh Yes, to the BCPD Officer who has much to say about his department. I have read a lot of your post and now believe you should give up police work. I do not think you will ever be happy how a department is run. You seem to be a chronic complainer, one that must complain just about anything!
9:26,
ReplyDeleteWhy don't you quit voting these dumbasses into office and I'll quit griping
9:26 is either one of the elected dumbasses, one of the puppets or an egotistical morons who the dumbass politicians install and control as department leadership, or one of the shameless and petty butt leeches who suck up and sell their souls to one of these previously mentioned. How sad.
ReplyDeleteThis "butt leech" person seems obsessed with something sucking on something. Strange.
ReplyDeleteI too wonder about 12:52's obsession with butt leeches. One question, do you really consider yourself a sane individual with mental capacity to give an opinion?
ReplyDeleteAnon @ 926
ReplyDeleteIf you're so informed, why don't you enlighten me then?? Larry Deen was as red as a fire engine when questions started getting asked and he tred to cut off some of the ones that did speak so that they would quit asking. It was apparent that they weren't there to answer questions. They wanted to give their spill and have all of us nod our head up and down and just take it. Why wasn't the sheriff at the second meeting when the media was going to be there? I chose to ask my questions through my chain of command like a good worker bee. I can't afford another hit to my check either. Trust me.....I'm one of the lowest paid deputies there. I can actually probably make the same money elsewhere that I take home at the SO, and I've about had it with all the brass up there reminding me of how the sheriff pays this and and the sheriff pays that. He's SCREWING us and that other stuff doesn't take that away. He's a liar and he constantly gets away with it and also benefits from his lies. I've finally decided to start seeking employment elsewhere after years of hanging on hoping things would be better. I'm sick of the lies, smoke and mirrors, dog and pony show, and the joke that BSO has become. BSO is gonna lose a lot of good people because they keep reminding us of the "stack of applications" and how good the sheriff is while ignoring the obvious problems there. Go ahead and let a large number of good, trained deputies leave and start sifting through that stack to hire some new ones that you have to screen through the hiring process, spend money on to test and train, and then hope they end up working out after putting all that effort into them whn all ya'll have to do is stand behind your men and stand up to the sheriff when he's wrong. If we all stood together, he can't fire his entire department! Whatever....I'm disgusted with all this.
7:16 and 8:11, what's the matter, someone hitting a little to close to home for ya?
ReplyDeleteAnon 8:21....You are on target! Deen was furious when the questions started coming out. You forgot to mention how within a day or two of the meeting the sheriff sent out his little "hit teams" of brass to start collecting the names of the people that were unhappy and were not afraid to make it known. "Names on a list" who does he thibk he is, J. Edgar Hoover? It is looking more and more like pre WWII Germany at that place. You have snitches everywhere that are still intent on sucking up by way of trying to smear other deputies and hoping the Sheriff will throw them a little more rank and/or money for it. Things at the sheriff's office are way off track.
ReplyDeleteTell me this. If the deputies are going to take a 2% paycut to provide for the office to pay the correct amount to the IRS, then what happened to the 3-4% pay raises that were supposed to come from the millage rate increase? Instead wouldn't it have made more sense to just take this out of the pay raise? Instead each person loses money to cover it and the department just pockets the pay raise too? The deputies lose 2%, but the department gains the 3-4% raises it all of the sudden can't afford to pay. It doesn't even come close to adding up!
If that stack of applications are anything like several of the people that have been hired by the sheriff's office over the last year or two, then look out. There is a serious quality control issue with the sheriff's office when it comes to hiring quality, unless he is just looking to hire people that can't go anywhere else so they won't ask questions. Seriously? His accountants can't even get their stuff straight, mistakes that go almost a decade before they are miraculously "discovered" just before an audit for the new sheriff? The whole thing just doesn't seem on the up and up.
Anon 9:26 Is more than likely one of the talking heads that sat on the front row of the meeting. Obviously he didn't get a big enough dose of kool aid and he is now here to try to sell this load of snake oil to the masses.
ReplyDeleteAnon 9:26. There is no need to worry, your blind loyalty and willingness to screw over your brothers and sisters has been duly noted and your secret pay raise is secure. Your new brass is in the desk drawer and can be picked up whenever you are free.
I like this guy. First of all it is so easy to stir him up we might as well put him in a round room and tell him to pee in the corner. Second of all, the more he rants, the more stupid he looks.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 9:23 PM, you are right, it would be fun to watch! Oh well, on to the next subject...
ReplyDeletePlace in round room and tell the person to go pee in the corner. Must be the new deputy chief's test.
ReplyDelete