Report No. __________

___________________

 

Thursday, 11 January 2007

 

Title Proper: REPORT PREPARED FOR THE

FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT

 

______________________

 

Subject Proper: In re Lakeland Police Department

 

 

POINT BY POINT ANALYSIS OF:

COMPLAINTS AND PRAISE

 

______________________________________________________________

 

                       

 

                        Report Prepared by:

                        Sec. Officer, GORDON  WAYNE  WATTS, A.S., B.S.

                        821 Alicia Road

                        Lakeland, Florida 33801-2113

                        Home Phone: 863-688-9880 / Cell Phone: 863-XXX-XXXX (redacted)

                        Work Phones: 863-686-3411 and 863-687-6141

                        Electronic Mail: Gww1210@aol.com

                        On the web: http://GordonWayneWatts.com

                        Also: http://GordonWatts.com              

 

                        Fla. Security Officer License No.: Number D XXXXXXX; Expires MM/DD/YYYY (redacted)                      

                        Fla. Driver’s License No.: Xxxx-xxx-xx-xxx-x; Expires: MM/DD/YYYY (redacted)

                        Federal Amateur Radio License No.: N2GY; Expires: 03/18/2015

                        Federal Social Security Number: XXX-XX-XXXX; No Expiration Date (redacted)

                       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* When your agency assigns a report number to this report, you may place it at the top, as indicated. -GW

 

o.


About the Report:

 

- Have you ever seen cops violate the law, but couldn’t “prove” it, and the “big fish” just keeps getting away?

- Frustrated?

- Well, here’s help for you…

 

Long-story-short - Highlights include:

 

* Law Enforcement Officers (plural) who execute false affidavits, which, according to an assistant state attorney, is “simple perjury.” I HAVE DOCUMENTATION AND PROOF OF THIS. The relevance is that false statements by LEO’s can harm the helpless and defenseless -and smear the reputation of the good officers. (Police Supervisors are also guilty, since they assent, condone, enable, allow, and support -willfully and of free volition, they are aiding and abetting. They are “enablers.”)

 

* Copious refusals to comply with Chapter 119 Public Records Law by one law enforcement agency. ALL BUT ONE ARE FULLY DOCUMENTED AND THREATEN FREE PRESS AND NEWS MEDIA ABILITY TO OBTAIN PUBLIC RECORDS. This is a pattern of abuse, not an isolated incident.

 

* A Pattern of abuse of false arrests, in violation of court orders and current laws.  ALL BUT ONE ARE FULLY DOCUMENTED.

 

* Documented proof of racial profiling - a rare admission by police!

 

If even one allegation is true (actually ALL are true and correct), then there are major problems.

 

            I am preparing this report for review by Crown Investigations aka the Professional Compliance Section after some rather negative experiences with the Lakeland Police Department, some of them very blatantly illegal! Problems generate complaints, and that is to be expected, but to be fair, I shall try to include praise as well as complaints, because by my estimation (and observation), many (probably a vast majority of “rank and file” police officers) are good and have the welfare of citizens in mind, as compared with making money or being pushy.

            (If you think my report here is lengthy to read, please consider how hard it was for me to research, prepare, write, proof-read, and collate -and document these claims -and that does not count the pain and suffering that prompted me to contact you, today. And what about the “other” victims? Eh?)

            Conclusion: What has happened to me has also happened to other people -who may have less ability or resources to document their claims. My main objective is to reign in the small number of bad police because I am very upset that the vast majority of police (and citizens) have these obstacles to good community relations and general peace. I do not like it when a few bad police intimidate the large number of good police. Period. However, at the end of the day, I don’t hate the “bad cops”; I seek their rehabilitation and possible discipline -and peace & tranquility, and law & order. Nothing more. (However, recompensation would be good.) Peace is a worthy goal.

 

 

            I apologise in advance for the length of this report, but it is amazing how such a small number of cops can violate such a large number of professional standards (and, in some cases, outright break State Law), which makes it necessary to document and report. I hope you enjoy my attention to detail -and continue to enjoy reading my report -as, together, we seek “peace through strength” as the late President Reagan used to always say: http://www.PeaceThroughStrength.net  (We won’t achieve these lofty goals by silence or apathy. Period.)

 

i.


 

About the Author:

 

            I just recently got finished going to court to defend the FDLE, and I nearly won my case [A1], and that tempered my writing style, so the style of “this report” will understandably look something like a lawsuit. The Governor also tried to defend FDLE’s legal and legitimate attempts to investigate this particular case (FDLE Officer M. Dubina was one of the chief investigators here), but The Governor met with much less success than I did -before the same panel of judges -and oveer the same matter [A2, A3].

            Although I nearly won my case (doing much better than Florida Governor, Jeb Bush), I am not, nor have I ever been, a lawyer, legal student, paralegal, or anything of the sort. I have no idea how I got the bravery (or knowledge) to do what I did, but I simply felt that state laws were being broken, and that the FDLE’s legitimate attempts to investigate were illegally hindered, and I felt they my actions were the “right thing” to do. So, also here and now, but I hope my complaints here today will be judged by their merits -not based on whether or not I can get support from “news media coverage” -or based on how much “money or power” I have -or “how connected” I am and who I know -or “what I know” on who I know. (Although news media will probably be outraged at the gross chapter 119 violations of suppression of public information I encountered -and fearful it could happen to them -I hope that I’m not listened to simply because of the fear factor -but rather because it’s the “right thing” to do.)

            My education and employment: I am, by trade, a State Licensed Security Officer in good standing (License Number D 2424702; Expires 11/23/2008), and by education, a Biologist and Chemist, having graduated -with honors and with a double major from The Florida State University [A4] and as Valedictorian from United Electronics Institute [A5]. Lastly, I have a clean criminal record, with the exception of one false arrest (no conviction, mind you), which is part of this complaint here. (I would have rather been spending my time looking for a job in forensic genetics and DNA analysis, the forte of my major, instead of preparing this report, but like your officers, citizens such as myself also have obligations to do their part to protect the rule of law, so here I am to “observe and report.”)

            Lastly, I apologise for my slowness in reporting these matters, but I have been busy with many things in my personal life, including, but not limited to, employment and helping my father with errands in his business, helping my mother who had to go out of town and deal with a family emergency, repair of my father’s vehicles to avoid city code violations, and other fraud unrelated to the police department, as well as personal affairs. Also, the Police Department is not cooperating in a timely fashion, always resisting, which really slows things down.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            In short, while I am not Superman, I do try to help out others when I am able, whether it is buying them something to eat, giving them directions, helping take care of a cat we have adopted (even animals are important), fixing broken things for others when they’re unable, or whatever. And, of course, that includes reporting things to the police and not hesitating to answer all their questions when they need help -or seek witness testimony or evidence.

 

 

 

 

ii.

                                                            TABLE OF CONTENTS                                          Page Numbers

 

Cover Page…………………………………………………………………..........…...……...….....o.

About the Report:……………………………………………………………...…...............……....i.

About the Author:……………………………………………………………...……...................…ii.

Table of Contents……………………………………………………………..…………….............iii.

Table of References………………………………………………………………………............…iv.-vi.

 

I. Prelude: An introduction to the relationship between police and citizens:                     

            A) Short summary

            B) Long version -with details………………………………...............................................  1-3

 

II. Lakeland Police knowingly and of free will executed a false affidavit

-and supervisors approved and consented to it; This prevented a fair day

in court in regards to a false arrest. (This is “simple perjury” by a LEO.)……………………4

 

III. Lakeland Police effected a false arrest, in violation of state laws………………………….  5

 

IV. A pattern of chapter 119 abuse: Police

Dept refuse to release many public records:

            A) Lakeland Police refused to release the dispatch tape for the false arrest.

            (This violated both chapter 119 “public information” laws as well as

            the discovery procedure -release of information to the other side in court.)                     

            B) The disabled vehicle creating a road hazard on US Hwy 98 S.             

            C) The disabled vehicle creating a road hazard near my home.

            D) My recorded phone call to dispatch circa 19 Jan 2006 would

            cost $2,000.oo for a public records request.

            E) Misc. other problems getting public records…………………………….................      6-9

 

V. Some accounts of good things the Lakeland Police have done:……………………………..   10

 

VI. A dispatcher told me to speak to an IA supervisor; I left a message,

and hours later, my phone was blocked from calling the police……………………………….     11-12

 

VII. The LPD’s refusal to investigate a refusal to prosecute an approx $300.oo

bad check:      (Having just spoken to my father, he informs me is was at least this much)......... 12-13

VIII. Lakeland Police have a habit of violating the law and violating

court orders                                                                                                                           

            A) Pattern of Abuse: False arrests of homeless persons who

            violated no law

            B) Trespass of homeless people without trespass authorization………………………..   13-14

IX. Two LPD police responded to a disturbance one night, and promised to

check out the homeless person, but instead took right off -they are liars……………………..    15                   

X. ? Should I include the harassment of the Tallahassee Police re racial abuse?…………….    16

XI. Slander by the cops - and a refusal to respond to a verified suicidal threat........................     17       

XII. …Title referencing Kyle’s case………………………………............................................... 18                   

XIII. Expectations are low for the FDLE: Individual quotes / CONCLUDING REMARKS..19

 

References (Audio CD’s & paperwork referenced) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - [separate]

 

 

iii.


TABLE OF REFERENCES

-Page Numbers are in brackets, followed by entry and sub-divided into logical sections-

Section A: Personal Information about Mr. Watts, etc.

[A1]     In Re. Watts (as next friend of Theresa Schiavo), Case No. SC03-2420. Watts denied by a 4-3 vote.

[A2-A3]           Bush v. Michael Schiavo, Case No. SC04-925. Bush denied by a 7-0 vote.

[A4]     Award of Bachelor’s Degree from The Florida State University for Mr. Gordon Watts, with GPA listing.

[A5]     Award of Associate in Science Degree from United Electronics Institute for Mr. Gordon Watts.

[A6]     News reports on Kitty Genovese, who was killed when approx. 38 people stood by doing nothing.

 

Section B: Representative Selection of Police “Calls to Service” for 821 Alicia Rd., etc.

[B1]     04/01/1998 Bobby Watts calls police regarding unknown vandalism, while son (Gordon) was in college.

[B2]     04/21/1999 Bobby Watts again reports vandalism to Lakeland Police while son (Gordon) was attending college (FSU in Tallahassee, Fla. until late 2001) and unable to watch guard the house.

[B3]     12/18/1999 Bobby Watts reports “Signal 51” (still more vandalism) to Lakeland Police.

[B4]     09/15/2001 Gordon Watts calls LPD because mother, a visiting house guest, entered while he was using restroom, overcoming and busting through the lock on the bathroom door in the process.

[B5]     03/27/2002 Gordon Watts calls 911 due to serious accidental injury.

[B6]     04/26/2002 Gordon Watts calls LPD to report a suspect who pushed his way into house and committed theft -and requested specific officer who personally knew suspect’s real name due to contact while he was a corrections officer.

[B7]     08/25/2002 Gordon Watts calls LPD regarding serious auto accident near home.

[B8]     09/21/2002 Gordon Watts calls LPD to report suspicious person right after shooting, who was thought to possibly be looking for a gun tossed into the grass.

[B9]     12/15/2002 Gordon Watts calls 911 regarding fight outside in his yard, which all household witnessed.

[B10]   01/21/2003 Gordon Watts calls LPD regarding mother, who is visiting, and yelling and threatening him.

[B11]   04/16/2003 Gordon Watts calls LPD regarding suspicious vagrant hanging around outside at about 11pm.

[B12]   04/17/2003 Gordon Watts has to call LPD back after initial responding officers don’t keep their word to check out the suspicious vagrant. (This was after midnight, so date is different than for entry B11.)

[B13]   04/26/2003 Gordon Watts authorizes a trespass warning due to neighborhood vandalism.

[B14]   07/20/2003 Both Bobby and Gordon Watts jointly call LPD to report a neighbor for causing severe interference with radio, TV, telephone, cassette tape, and other electrical equipment. Bobby also alleged threats were made to his son.

[B15]   01/27/2006 Gordon Watts calls LPD to report finding a spent (used) bullet shell near roadway.

[B16]   05/23/2004 Lori (sic, Diane) Carpenter and Gordon Watts jointly call LPD to report a neighbor who is alleged to have threatened children with a gun.

[B17]   09/27/2004 Jerry Jackson, the landlord for 811 Alicia Road (neighbor to Gordon Watts) reports theft.

[B18]   09/28/2004 Gordon Watts calls LPD the next day with tip to help police catch suspect in theft.

[B19]   11/28/2004 Gordon Watts calls 911 to report big fight right outside his home. Many police respond.

[B20]   02/11/2005 Eric Pyle calls LPD to authorize Trespass Warning against Gordon Watts, for allegedly applying for a job without proper authorization and invitation -but later admits to police that Mr. Watts had indeed been authorized and invited by his security detail to come to his property. (Really: It says that. Read the report.)

[B21]   A typewritten version of item B20 because the handwriting is scratchy at times.

[B22]   “03:57 A.M. Sun. 26 Nov. 2006” Screen capture of one of several online postings of suicidal notes observed by Gordon Watts.

[B23]   11/26/2006 Polk County Sheriff’s Office calls LPD about Gordon Watts. (Note: Report has a typo here.)

[B24]   “MONDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2006” Page “B7” of The Ledger (newspaper), which details what can happen when “[t]he [suicide] threat was not reported to law enforcement.”                                         iv.


 

TABLE OF REFERENCES (continued)

-Page Numbers are in brackets, followed by entry and sub-divided into logical sections-

 

Section C: Time-line / Paper-Trail of various communications with Lakeland Police

[C1]     List of Persons Known to have information (witnesses, in this case, Police Officers)

[C2]     “30 Day of April 2003” An affidavit in which 2 LEO’s perjure under oath -and supervisors assent.

[C3-C4]           “Friday, 06 January 2006” Internal Affairs Complaint by Gordon Watts (alleging pattern of false arrests but neglecting to mention perjury item, which is documented in C2 and audio CD’s).

[C5]     “January 11, 2006” Reply by LPD General Counsel, Attorney Roger A. Mallory, Esq., to Mr. Watts.

[C6]     Authorized letter from phone company documenting that Lakeland Police Department did indeed put a “call block” on a phone, to prevent Mr. Watts from calling the police department.

[C7-C9]           “Monday, 27 February 2006” Letter to assistant State Attorney in reply to his request for documentation of what he called “simple perjury.”

[C10-C11]       “Thursday, 01 June 2006” Public Records request from Mr. Gordon Watts to Lakeland Police.

[C12-C13]       Answer from Atty. Roger Mallory to Mr. Watts regarding Records Request.

[C14]   “Wednesday, October 25, 2006” Reply from Mr. Watts to Atty. Mallory making more specific Public Records requests, which he initially denied the first go round.

[C15]   “October 27, 2006” Reply from Mr. Mallory demanding $2,000.oo for the single sole public records request, with half up front.

[C16]   “Monday, 18 December 2006” Reply from Mr. Watts, detailing a request for selected public records.

[C17]   “December 19, 2006” Reply from Mr. Mallory requesting clarification.

[C18-C19]       “Thursday, 21 December 2006” Reply from Mr. Watts, answering Mr. Mallory’s request for clarification and requesting some previously denied Public Records -and requesting investigation on new issues as well as explanation and clarification of old issues.

[C20-C21] Just arrived the 11th. LPD’s expensive reply. [C22-C24] Rec’d 1-31-2007

 

Section D: One particular public records request that was denied when records in fact existed

[D1]     “THR. 06-22-2006” Certification by Lakeland Police that certain records do not exist.

[D2-D4]           The records which were alleged to not exist. (Note: Although MANY records requests were improperly denied, I must be honest and admit that this one was probably an simple mistake by a new employee. All the others records requests which were denied were probably not mistakes but rather intentional stonewalling by the Blue Shield of Silence.)

 

Section E: Selected records documenting a pattern of false arrests

[E1]     08-23-2003 An LPD officer arrests Mr. Earl J. Savage in violation of court orders to the contrary.

[E2]     Certified “this 10th day of September, 2003” and certified again on “9-25-03”:  Daniel F. Bishop is arrested for the same thing, also against the law; Also included: Court cites verifying allegation that this practice is illegal.

[E3-E7]            Ibid.

[E8]     Courtesy Polk Sheriff: Documentation that The State refused to prosecute and the court refused to convict Mr. Bishop ("Nolle Prosequi"), since this arrest was illegal. (Since they allege this data is only for “informational purposes” and may not be relied on for any legal action, you will have to obtain “official” records if you want to do your investigation right. It’s not my fault that Polk Sheriff can’t provide better records; Blame them, not me, and please get the records if they are needed since it is not my fault -or take my word.)

[E9]     Courtesy Polk Sheriff: Documentation that Lakeland Police brought two charges of statute 784.048(3) (probably double jeopardy, an attempt to intimidate?), and also admitted in the 2nd charge that matter was non-domestic violence (“NON DV” abbreviation), supporting a claim made by the defendant that the charges of “violence without violence,” contradictory claims, were made. (See comment for E8 above regarding “informational purposes.”)

v.

TABLE OF REFERENCES (continued)

-Page Numbers are in brackets, followed by entry and sub-divided into logical sections-

 

Section F: Records regarding a pattern of abuse of false arrests for trespass

[F1]     “19 day of January 2006” Blanket “Trespass Warning Authorization” to Lakeland Police Department

[F2]     06/21/2006 Official LPD records that Bruce Mason was arrested for Trespass

[F3]     06/21/2006 Official LPD records that Ronnie Barlow was arrested for Trespass

[F4]     06/21/2006 Unofficial PCSO records giving more detail to item F2.

[F5]     09/18/2006 Official LPD records showing incident for an unnamed suspect.

[F6]     09/18/2006 Unofficial PCSO records showing it was probably Bruce Mason arrested for Trespass in F5.

[F7]     10/16/2006 Official LPD records showing incident for an unnamed suspect.

[F8]     10/17/2006 Unofficial PCSO records showing it was probably Bruce Mason arrested for Trespass in F7.

 

Section G: Records documenting racial profiling by Tallahassee Police Department

[G1-G4]           “12-14-00” Report by an officer, giving a rare admission of racial profiling. (Notes: A supervisor, who is also a minority, ordered said officer to write report; A few errors made by reporting officer are noted in comments, but this LEO admits to having committed the crimes outlined, hence the term “rare admission.”)

[G5]     Computer printout regarding items G1-G4, courtesy of that police department.

[G6]     An instant message conversation between Mr. Watts and one witness’ secretary.

 

Audio CD’s: Public Records

 

A copy of the referenced Audio Records in *.cda (CD) format:

[Track01.cda] CD audio of:     23Dec2005_circa330pm_GWattsCallToLPD.wma

[Track02.cda]  CD audio of:     23Jan2006_circa1130pm_GWattsCallToLPD.wma

[Track03.cda]  CD audio of:     30April2003_0311am_GWattsCallToLPD.wav

[Track04.cda]  CD audio of:     PlaceholderFor19Jan2006_MidDay_GWattsCallToLPD.wav

 

A Copy of the same Audio Records in various computer formats:

23Dec2005_circa330pm_GWattsCallToLPD.wma                  (3,510 KB Windows Media Audio file)

23Jan2006_circa1130pm_GWattsCallToLPD.wma                  (1,544 KB Windows Media Audio file)

30April2003_0311am_GWattsCallToLPD.wav                                    (14,548 KB Wave Sound)

PlaceholderFor19Jan2006_MidDay_GWattsCallToLPD.wav   (13,898 KB Wave Sound)

 

Descriptors for Audio Records:

* The 23 Dec 2005 call: Regarding disabled vehicle creating road blockage in US Hwy 98 South / Bartow Highway

* The 23 Jan 2005 call: Regarding disabled vehicle creating road blockage in US Hwy 92 East / Memorial Blvd

* The 30 April 2003 call: Regarding a suspicious person Mr. Gordon Watts was reporting to Lakeland Police Dept.

* The “placeholder” dated 19 Jan 2006: This represents a missing record which police refuse to release, even after proper details are given regarding the “who / what / where / how / when / why” in a Public Records Request. It is a “placeholder” because, like a bookmark, it is “holding the place” of the real record, currently missing.

>>> Note: A copy of the audio records is provided in both CD and computer format because each       hold advantages:

>>> In computer format, the records may be easily copied.

>>> In “CD” format, they may be played easily on any standard CD Player.

>>> Additionally, in case one CD is not able to be played, the other stands as a “spare tire” of sorts.

vi.

I. Prelude: An introduction to the relationship between police and citizens:

 

A) Short summary

Long-story-short: Here’s the short version, for the sake of time

Because I’m a responsible citizen -and because of deep-seated religious beliefs to “do the right thing,” I make sure to report to the police anything that is a true problem -not to call them willy-nilly like some people do (calling 911 over the stupidest of things). In other words, I’m not like those approximately 38 citizens [A6] who just stood by and did nothing when a woman was getting killed. Rather, I’m like Officer Frank Serpico (ret.), who reported crime, even if it angered others & resulted in cops being arrested! http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070666 “Serpico (1973) Tagline: Many of his fellow officers considered him the most dangerous man alive - An honest cop. Cast overview, first billed only: Al Pacino [as] Officer Frank Serpico.” http://www.FrankSerpico.com “Welcome to the official Frank Serpico Website: This website is currently under development and strives to be a resource for people who feel that “Doing the Right Thing” is important.”

 

IMPORTANT: If even you don’t know whether or not I am a liar -or a truthful person, with correct facts and appropriate, intelligent, “doable” requests, you know one thing: I have established myself as a responsible citizen who does his part -whether it is being well-educated and crredible (my guard license), or honest and responsible (calling the police and “doing my part” instead of being lazy -based on my religious belief to defend tthe weak and do what is right) -even if it means I am labeled a nark and a whistle-blower -and have people hate my guts -like Ofc. Serpico (NY Police Officer, Frrank Serpico, on whom the famous TV series was based always got in trouble for turning in bad cops and nearly lost his life one time). This is the “short version”; Below is the “long version,” if you need proof that I am a good citizen, etc., etc., etc., et al.

 

B) Long version -with details

WARNING: This section really is long; You might be wise to skip past it -unless you call me a liar and weirdo; In that case, this section is required reading. Besides being a responsible and educated citizen with many credentials (such as State Licensing for Security detail), Mr. Gordon Watts documents the following:

 

* Reference [B1] documents someone calling Lakeland Police to 821 Alicia Road on 04-01-1998, where Mr. Gordon Watts lives, but Gordon was in college [A4] from 8-12-1996 until late 2001, so it was obviously Mr. Bobby Watts, his father, reporting neighborhood vandalism. CONCLUSION: Vandalism was much higher when Gordon was gone to college and unable to be a “visible presence” to deter crime. That is not Gordon’s fault.

 

* Reference [B2] documents Mr. Robert (Bobby) Watts calling Lakeland Police in 1999 regarding a stolen car cover, while his son, Gordon, was in college from 1996-2001. CONCLUSION: Vandalism was much higher when Gordon was gone to college and unable to be a “visible presence” to deter crime. That is not Gordon’s fault.

 

* Reference [B3] documents Mr. Bobby Watts calling police again in 1999 regarding “Signal 51,” that is, vandalism, again, while his son was off at college. CONCLUSION: Vandalism was much higher when Gordon was gone to college and unable to be a “visible presence” to deter crime. That is not Gordon’s fault.

 

* Reference [B4] documents Mr. Gordon Watts calling Lakeland police to this residence on 09-15-2001 because his mother, who was staying with her ex-husband at the time, entered the bathroom when Mr. Gordon Watts was using it. CONCLUSION: What would *you* have done if someone burst into the bathroom on *you*, busting through a locked door? That is not Gordon’s fault. The dispatcher says in notes that Gordon “sounds S20,” meaning a nutcase. I think we need to investigate this dispatcher.

 

* Reference [B5] documents Mr. Gordon Watts calling 911 when he severely injured himself by accident.

1

CONCLUSION: What would *you* have done if you injured yourself severely? In all this, Mr. Gordon Watts has acted appropriately and not broken any law.

 

* Reference [B6] documents Mr. Gordon Watts calling police to report a man who pushed his way into the house and stole something, and asking for an officer whom he knows was familiar with the suspect, when the cop was a corrections officer. CONCLUSION: What would *you* have done? The police refused to investigate and made more “Signal 20” comments, in spite of the fact that a crime was committed. In all this, Mr. Gordon Watts has acted appropriately and not broken any law.

 

* Reference [B7] documents Mr. Gordon Watts reporting a serious vehicular accident near his home. CONCLUSION: Gordon is a good citizen, is that not correct?

 

* Reference [B8] documents Mr. Gordon Watts calling police to report a suspicious person who was seen immediately after a shooting in the neighborhood. Mr. Watts believed the suspect might be attempting to retrieve a gun thrown from a car, but police took an hour to arrive, and the officer argued with Gordon about having to come out. CONCLUSION: What would *you* have done had you had a shooting in *your* neighborhood and then seen someone suspicious on the scene right afterwards?

 

* Reference [B9] documents Mr. Gordon Watts calling police to report a woman being chased in my yard by two men right before Officer Ron Rose responded and they got away, as witnessed by both the dispatcher and Gordon’s father. CONCLUSION: Gordon is a good citizen, is that not correct?

 

* Reference [B10] documents Mr. Gordon Watts calling police to report his mother is screaming at him, while he is in his room, behind a locked door -this is witnessed by the dispatcher (see ref B10). CONCLUSION: What would *you* have done if someone was screaming crazily at *you*? At some point, one officer suggested Gordon get a good lock for the door to his room, since his mother has trashed her own house, and she has become homeless and has been forced to move in with her ex-husband’s. (To clarify: Gordon does not live with his parents; Rather, he and his mother live with his father, because his mother’s mental illness has caused her to allow her own house to become unfit in which to live.)

 

* Reference [B11] documents Mr. Gordon Watts calling police to report a suspicious vagrant, hanging around outside his residence late at night. CONCLUSION: Gordon is a good citizen, is that not correct?

 

* Reference [B12] documents Mr. Gordon Watts calling police to report that the first 2 LEO’s dispatched lied to him and refused to check out the vagrant. CONCLUSION: Now, who’s fault is this? Don’t blame Mr. Watts; The cops lied, as witnessed by others present that night. (Note: This B12 is on a different calendar date because it is after midnight; That B11 was before midnight.)

 

* Reference [B13] documents Mr. Gordon Watts having called police to issue a trespass neighborhood kids who committed vandalism.  CONCLUSION: Now, who’s fault is this? Don’t blame Mr. Watts, for you yourself would have done the same thing or greater.

 

* Reference [B14] documents Mr. Gordon Watts and, his father, Mr. Bobby Watts jointly calling police to report that a neighbor was interfering with TV, radio, telephone, and other household electrical equipment. Mr. Bobby Watts also alleged that this neighbor had made threats. CONCLUSION: Now, who’s fault is this? Don’t blame Mr. Watts or his son, for you yourself would have done the same thing or greater.

 

* Reference [B15] documents Mr. Gordon Watts calling police to report finding a spent (used) bullet shell, a

possible piece of evidence to the scene of a crime. CONCLUSION: Gordon is a good citizen, is that not correct?

 

2

* Reference [B16] documents Mr. Gordon Watts and his neighbor, Mrs. Diane Carpenter (her name is misspelled in police paperwork) jointly calling police to report a neighbor who, according to several witnesses, had threatened neighborhood kids with a gun. CONCLUSION: Gordon and Diane are good citizens, is that not correct?

 

* Reference [B17] documents Mr. Jerry Jackson calling police to report a theft. CONCLUSION: This is the landlord next-door to Mr. Watts’ residence, and since Mr. Watts is not the thief, he is not at fault here, so lay no charge to his blame. Do not.

 

* Reference [B18] documents Mr. Gordon Watts calling police to report additional information to help catch the thief referenced in B17. I recall they got the bad guy and returned the stolen item. CONCLUSION: Gordon is a good citizen, is that not correct?

 

* Reference [B19] documents Mr. Gordon Watts calling police to report a big fight right outside his residence, as many witnesses (including police) should recall. I recall a woman yelling, screaming, and possibly getting beat by two men right before many police “had a talk” with the two men. CONCLUSION: Gordon is a good citizen, is that not correct?

 

* Reference [B20] documents Mr. Eric Pyle trespassing Mr. Gordon Watts for allegedly not having permission and authorization to come to a certain office to apply for a job; However, as the paperwork clearly says, Mr. Pyle accidentally admitted to the officer that his security detail did indeed authorize Mr. Watts to come on back, so the CONCLUSION is this: Mr. Watts is not at fault; He did not go anywhere until obtaining permission, so lay no charge to his blame. Do not.

 

* Reference [B21] is merely a typewritten copy of B20 above since it has scratchy handwriting at times. This is courtesy of Mr. Gordon Watts, thus it is his credit, not fault here, so lay no charge to his blame. Do not.

 

* Reference [B22] documents Mr. Gordon Watts observing online comments that appear suicidal in nature. (Note: Not all comments were available at press time, but many suicidal comments were observed by Mr. Watts.) CONCLUSION: It is a citizen’s duty to pay attention when anyone makes suicidal comments.

 

* Reference [B23] documents Polk County Sheriff calling Lakeland City police to report that Mr. Gordon Watts called them. (Note: The LPD paperwork has a glaring typo: It was PCSO, not Mr. Watts, who called Lakeland Police -and this can be verified by audio records, if you care to check.) So, the CONCLUSION is this: Mr. Watts is not at fault; He called the proper agency, since he did not know if possibly suicidal subject lived in or out of the city limits. See special note immediately below to clarify.

 

* Reference [B24] documents what happens when suicidal threats are not reported to police. Courtesy of “The Ledger” newspaper, page B7, Monday, 25 Dec 2006. CONCLUSION: Mr. Watts was not out of order to report item in B22 as shown in B23. So, we see once again that Gordon is a good citizen.

 

IN CONCLUSION: “The 3 standards”: #1: As a “legal” matter one may -and probably must -report crimes, so as to not “be a party” to the crime & aid and abet; #2: If the reader of this report doesn’t have a “moral” compass, than I can’t make him grasp this; me not being The Divine, I shall not even try to persuade you. But there are “moral” and “absolute” rights and wrongs, be put on notice. Mr. Watts, because of his deep-seated religious convictions, is a whistleblower, when needed, even if it “upsets the balance of things,” and he hopes to not be persecuted for his religious or political beliefs for this: #3: In all cases, as a “practical” matter, Mr. Watts was made positive contributions that rival even those of sworn LEO’s in some cases; Thus, any cop who says Mr. Watts is a “cop caller” is lazy and trying to evade duty with excuses such as this -and should be investigated.

 

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II. Lakeland Police knowingly and of free will executed a false affidavit

-and supervisors approved and consented to it; This prevented a fair day

in court in regards to a false arrest. (This is “simple perjury” by a LEO.)

 

On 4/30/2003, two police officers executed an affidavit to the effect that I had been told by a dispatcher to leave the area of police activity [C2], but this was clearly a lie (see: [Track03.cda] CD audio of: 30April2003_0311am_GWattsCallToLPD.wav -from the audio CD’s enclosed), whhich show the dispatcher saying nothing of the sort -except to thank me for my call to the police department -and she told me not to scare the guy off.

 

When I spoke to Capt. Harry Katt, who was then the Lieutenant over that squad, and protested LEO’s committing perjury against me, he did nothing, and neither did the sergeant (whose name I forget) over that squad, who spoke to me before I went up the chain to Mr. Katt. It is apparent that LPD police supervisors assented to this illegal act.

 

When I told the State Attorney office, one of them told me that what the officers did was “simple perjury” and indeed against the law; He asked me for documentation of this allegation. I organized the documentation he requested [C7, C8, C9], and along the way, I discovered that there is no statute of limitations to prosecution of this type crime. Later, however, when I was attempting to give this documentation [C7-9]  to him (I provided him with audio cassette tapes plus a copy of the affidavit [C2]), he sent his secretary out and said he wasn’t interested in helping me. He was a turncoat, who had merely given me lip service when he asked for documentation, but was not serious about it in real life. Later, I contacted the Lakeland field officer to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). The agent who fielded my call (FDLE Agent Russo: 863-701-1474, probably Special Agent Dennis Russo, but I forget for sure his first name) said I should go straight to the State Attorney himself -if the assistant State Attorney did not do his job; I did as Agent Russo asked, but all messages to the state attorney by me were not returned.

 

I honestly admit that I was unable to put this, probably the most important, matter in my one-and-only Internal Affairs complaint [C3-C4], because I had misplaced the audio records, but later I brought this to the attention of LPD Detective Elisa Martin, who promised to accept any new complaint (which this would have been). She lied. Section VI. of this report, a few pages down below, (VI. “A dispatcher told me to speak to an IA supervisor…”) has details of this matter. (Of course, nothing was done.)

 

It is no wonder, then, that LPD had initially refused to release the audio tapes to either me or my public defender, thus delaying my case. Since you can see that two cops executed a false affidavit, and many police supervisors did nothing to stop them, even after much vocal protest, you should be fair and agree with me that I did not -and could not -get a fair day in court. (That is the next item.)

 

Double Stop Alert: Even if everything else I write is a blatant lie, this one documented finding is sufficient cause for major uproar: Cops have no business writing false affidavits, thus committing simple perjury, and their supervisors have even less business allowing it. Cops, of all people, should obey the laws they are sworn to uphold. If the FDLE officers reviewing this are honest, then I’ve made their job easy for them by laying down hard documentation paper trail. If they’re dishonest, no amount of documentation will help, and all hope is lost.

 

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III. Lakeland Police effected a false arrest, in violation of the relevant State Law.

 

You don’t have the authority to discipline judges -unless I’m right about RICO -see below -but this is pertinent background nonetheless: Since I had been falsely accused in a false affidavit, and I had proof that the cops perjured themselves in their statement, I thought I would get a fair day in court, but my public defender told me that I would not be allowed a trail by a jury of my peers, for reasons that weren’t clear, but my “jury trial” rights, as explained in both the State and US Constitutions was being denied. The judge had yelled at me in court when I had come forward to give her paperwork for which she asked. (I did not know this at the time, but I was supposed to give the paperwork to the bailiff.) This judge had a real snarley attitude in court, so I concluded that it would be best for me to take the state’s offer to go to class if they did not press charges. (I had hoped to go to court and be declared innocent, but the best I could hope for was a “nolo prosequi,” a bill of no prosecution. Although I was not prosecuted, I did have to go to “class” (which I did not mind) -and pay a huge fee (which I did mind) -plus, I was never adjudicated innocent: It was a draw, and the bad cops got away. (The people who do have authority to discipline judges, The “Judicial Qualifications Commission,” are notorious for not doing their job, so please don’t even suggest I go to them; Would be a waste of good breath.)

 

Better news: My estimation is that the false affidavit from the cops played a part in emboldening the judge to yell at me in court and give me the feeling I would not get a fair day in court -so both the cops (who lied on paper) and the courts (who yelled at me and charged me a huge fee) are at fault -both cops and courts; not only that, thee State Attorney’s Office, who refused to investigate, was part of the racket. So, since cops, courts, and the state attorney’s office cooperated, maybe you do have the authority to investigate all of them after all -under relevant RICO laws: “RICO” stands for Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization, and I’ve shown that above, so RICO may be used by you to bring charges against all the participants: It’s a “racket,” hence the RICO estimation here seems correct.

 

What “The Law” says: The proper basis to make your case: Lastly, you may look at my records: I was charged with violating a law prohibiting having a police scanner installed in my car, but this was not true; It was a hand-held. Nobody disputes that. While this may appear to be a “legal loophole,” I nonetheless did not violate the State Law as it was written, and a friend who runs a radio repair shop was prepared to go to court and testify as an expert witness that the scanner was not “installed” as the statute required. Neither did I did not violate the letter of the law -nor did I violate the “spirit of the law”: I did not attempt to help anyone escape the police, but rather, I did as I was told and did not scare the guy off -all the while reporting what I saw and heard. You may look at my case and see what I was charged with to verify that I did not break the laws with which I was charged. Does truth matter to anyone anymore? In plain English: The police accused me of interfering in an investigation, but I did nothing more than pick up an elderly man who was walking (not illegal), and report him as suspicious to the police (also not illegal), because I felt he may be the person of interest they were seeking -remember: I heard things on the police sscanner. (I did 2 good deeds, one for the old man, and one for the police -good deeds never go unpunished -if you live in LPD’s jurisdiction.)

 

ALSO   -   POLICE   REFUSE   TO   FILE   A   STOLEN   VEHICLE   REPORT:

Oh, one more thing: When you listen to the tape, if you listen real carefully (see enclosed CD’s), you’ll hear the man say he just got his truck or car stolen; This was a candid response, not solicited or planned, so when the police refused to file a stolen car report or institute the “low jacker” car tracker for this man (I first-hand witnessed this), they were derelict in their duty to “serve and protect”: I give you my word that I personally heard with my own ears this man ask the police to go looking for his allegedly stolen vehicle and take a report -ask him if you don‘t believe me; I saw them ignore him like yesterday’s news, and while I admit it is possible he may have been lying, given the fact the 1st thing he told me when I asked him if he needed a ride was about a stolen vehicle, I much doubt he was lying. Nonetheless, even if he were lying, the police were obligated to take a stolen car report and attempt to activate the low-jack tracker, if it had one. Lakeland Police (“The System”) fails once again.

 

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IV. A pattern of chapter 119 abuse: Police

Dept refuse to release many public records:

            A) Lakeland Police refused to release the dispatch tape for the false arrest.

            (This violated both chapter 119 “public information” laws as well as

            the discovery procedure -release of information to the other side in court.)                     

            B) The disabled vehicle creating a road hazard on US Hwy 98 S.             

            C) The disabled vehicle creating a road hazard near my home.

            D) My recorded phone call to dispatch circa 19 Jan 2006 would

            cost $2,000.oo for a public records request.

            E) Misc. other problems getting public records.

 

A) Lakeland Police refused to release the dispatch tape for the false arrest.

(This violated both chapter 119 “public information” laws as well as

the discovery procedure -release of information to the other side in court.)

*** I will admit right up front that I can’t prove this allegation all by myself -it is merely my word against theirs -but if you analyze the audio record of the court hearing that day or speak with my public defender, you CAN verify that I speak the truth. Here is what happened:

 

Regarding the false arrest above, I had not said what the two cops claimed I had said in their affidavit. However, all attempts to get this audio record evidence (under either discovery rules or public information about my case) were unsuccessful for quite a while, and both I and my Public Defender were frustrated and did not get a copy for some time.

 

(Actually, there exists a scratchy audio copy of the court proceedings, but I did not burn it to CD as you can barely hear what is said. I purchased a copy after a bailiff asked me to leave the courtroom while I was very quietly getting instructions from my Public Defender, and I reported this matter to the Polk County Sheriff’s Department. Although they did not discipline the officer as much as I would have liked, they actually did hear me out and listen to the tape, so I consider this a closed matter. You can speak with Capt. Joe Watson or Sgt. Glenn D. Ferrell for details, but, in short, when I very softly asked my Public Defender where I needed to go with the paperwork, the bailiff rudely interjected and said to leave the room and go the public defender office, which sent me back to my public defender -this is in addition the problems I had with LPD falsely arresting me and then refusing to release audio evidence.)

 

On reflection, if the LPD had not falsely arrested me, I would not have been subjected to the rude behavior of the county officer bailiff that day.

 

The poor quality audio record (the actions in court that day) was reviewed by myself and Capt. Watson, and we heard the bailiff act up as I described -and we heard my Public Defender and myself complain to the judge that the cops were dragging their feet in releasing the evidence to our side.

 

Had it not been for the release of the LPD dispatch tape (my phone call), I am sure I would have been falsely prosecuted as well as falsely charged, and this would have tainted my clean criminal record. Again: The audio CD of the court actions that day was of very poor quality. >>> The “poor quality” issue of audio record might be of interest to your agency if you other audio records would be hard to understand.

 

I say this happened, but I can’t prove it unless either my public defender or the scratchy audio records are consulted. If you don’t want to order an audio CD from the courthouse like I did -or speak to Officers Watson or Ferrell, may take my word here. *** LAKELAND POLICE INITIALLY REFUSED TO RELEASE AUDIO EVIDENCE. ***

 

 

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B) The disabled vehicle creating a road hazard on US Hwy 98 S.

*** The audio CD (see: [Track01.cda] CD audio of: 23Dec2005_circa330pm_GWattsCallToLPD.wma) supports my claim here that I called in a report of a dangerous road blockage on my way home from my security guard job; Note also in my public records request [C10-C11] that I am pretty clear on when and where it happened. Initially, however, the communication records department employee, Kris Katchadourian, told me in a phone conversation between us that she could not give me a copy unless I told her the report number and console number of the dispatcher, as well as the dispatchers name or number. (Console number!? How am I supposed to know all that?) However -and this is my main point here -the dispatcher who took both this call and the one below in section “C” did not send a police officer like they had promised, and thus no report number was generated, making it “impossible” for the records department to find this needle in a haystack without much money from me. (Although they have caller ID records, as I later show, and thus could easily have found it, they used as an excuse the fact I did not have a report number, but LPD themselves were at fault here -for they did not assign a report number: A friend of mine has said that if a report number is needed to obtain records, then they should assign one. Period. Otherwise, they break the Chapter 119 Public Records Law -and have a weak excuse to do so and to ccontinue to do so.)

 

Proving my claim: Proof of my claim that the dispatcher did not dispatch police (as she promised in the audio CD), thus assuring no report number was assigned, is the fact that no “call to service” paperwork was -or is -available to give an exact time by their clock. They just failed in one area of assigning numbers to make an excuse of “no records available” later on. That is not an isolated incident: See below…

 

C) The disabled vehicle creating a road hazard near my home.

*** The audio CD (see: [Track02.cda] CD audio of: 23Jan2006_circa1130pm_GWattsCallToLPD.wma) of a similar incident about another dangerously parked vehicle near my home here in Lakeland shows yet another dispatcher promising to dispatch police, thus assuring a report number. Guess what? Another liar in a position of authority: If you don’t believe me, I challenge you to try and get a copy of the “call to service” paperwork for this one: It is a ghost which doesn’t exist too!

 

The lack of dispatching police and assigning numbers makes it near impossible to get audio records -and the lack of audio records means that there is little proof of bad dispatchers who refuse to dispatch police. Lakeland Police have put me and you into a “Catch-22” here regarding inability to get evidence -unless you do like I did and pay top dollar for many “man hours” of so-called LPD research and “counseling” time [C12-C13] to the rich LPD attorney who runs the LPD racket involved in this money-making scheme.

 

Proving my claim -again: Proof of my claim that yet another dispatcher did not dispatch police (as she promised in the audio CD), thus assuring no report number was assigned, is the fact that no “call to service” paperwork was -or is -available to give an exact time by their clock. They just failed in one area of assigning numbers to make an excuse of “no records available” later on. Thus, my public records request [C10-C11] this matter was also quite clear on when and where; Proof that it was available is the fact that after over $200.oo, I was able to “coax” the LPD into giving me a copy. But it gets better… If you think $200.oo is unreasonable (read: illegal per Ch. 119 Fla. Law) for a simple germane records request, how ‘bout 2 THOUSAND…

 

D) My recorded phone call to dispatch circa 19 Jan 2006 would

cost $2,000.oo for a public records request.

*** This is probably the 2nd-most important incident in this whole reppoort -second only to the perjury by cops, but it is in the middle of the report for chronology reasons -so it can fit in with other similar items:

 

In this instance, I had been told to submit a complaint to Internal Affairs about when I saw LPD breaking the law in a pattern of false arrests of homeless people [C4, point 1 near top of page] -and in regards to some of my own concerns [C3-C4]. After IA reviewed the matter, the agency lawyer, Roger Mallory, Esq., wrote me back

 

7

and said that I had not raised any substantial matter or words to that effect [C5]. So, I remembered how a friend of mine, Robert Hartung, had spoken with the police chief on a matter. Therefore, I also asked to speak with the police chief, Roger Boatner, since the prior matter, perjury by several LEO’s and it being allowed by their supervisors, rose to the level of “speak to the chief,” especially considering I had already given IA a chance, and they flunked. Thus, I phones LPD and asked to speak to the chief. Following me so far? (I had mistakenly thought that I did speak to the highest person in IA, because when I called the number on the public paperwork for IA –which I thought went to the sergeant’s desk –Det. Kelly Collins, the same detective who initially took my complaint, answered the phone.) However, I had not spoken with the highest person in the IA division.

            So, the dispatcher who fielded my recorded phone call to LPD dispatch that day told me that I had to go through the “chain of command,” and that I would instead have to speak to LPD Sgt. Debra More of IA.  I objected to the dispatcher, saying I had an uneasy feeling about it, but she insisted.  So, since I did in fact have a right to speak to the supervisors, and especially considering I was told to do so, I left a message for Sgt. More. After I did not get a return call, I called back 1 or 2 more times, and eventually gave up, thinking my next move would be to report these matters to the FDLE. (My Big-Time APOLOGY>>> I had 100% given up on LPD, but before I could contact FDLE, as I had then planned to do, Lakeland Police started doing so many other illegal things, that their ability to commit crimes was -temporarily -faster than my ability to ddocument them; this, in conjunction with part-time jobs I’ve had, made me I fall behind on my plans to give your agency a complete report I had promised SA Russo. Sorry. Agent Russo had suggested, that to save time, I could forward copies of my Internal Affairs complaints to LPD; however, had I tried to be “quicker” and gotten the pieces to you in “piecemeal” fashion, it would not have made a strong case, and the Lakeland Police could and would have made each incident seem like an “isolated incident” and subsequently beaten the rap -and subsequently been emboldened to commit greater crimes; I know that you, as a good investigator, would not have wanted that, so I took my time to do the job right.<<<) That recorded phone call to LPD dispatch (mentioned above) occurred around the 19th of January 2006, mid day, as I recall. About 12 hours, plus or minus, after the MID-DAY phone call on the 23rd of Jan 2006 to Internal Affairs (as I had been told to do on the 19th, recall?), I came home that late that evening (that same day, the 23rd of Jan.), circa 11:30 PM from my security guard job, saw a dangerously parked bus, and attempted call LPD. Initially, I was unable to call Lakeland Police to report this: Lakeland Police had placed a “block” on my phone number [C6], so I could not call. Yes, that’s right: My number was blocked, apparently because I angered someone by my phone call to Sgt. Debra More. (That was the reason: Since I had been able to call her then, but had my number blocked just hours after that, then this was obviously the reason, as shown by cause-and-effect.) Petty Police were annoyed -when all I was doing was following orders and doing what I was told by the LPD dispatcher in that recorded phone call -the one which they refuse to turn over (see [Track04.cda] CD audio of: PlaceholderFor19Jan2006_MidDay_GWattsCallToLPD.wav). I eventually was able to use my cell phone -which they had not blocked (see: [Track02.cda] CD audio of: 23Jan2006_circa1130pm_GWattsCallToLPD.wma). That, as you recall, is described in section “B” above, remember? Blocking access to call the police is a denial of redress rights, a constitutional violation, but the phone company gave me documentation that this really occurred [C6]. To be clear, my ability to call 911 was not blocked, as I found out a few weeks later, when reporting a loud auto wreck that woke me out of bed, but blocking of any type -let’s just put it this way: Do you want your number blocked from calling local police for no reason other than they’re lazy and easily annoyed, when you haven’t broken any laws? This question is not rhetorical. (Some car wrecks that I’ve reported, such as this one, can’t be documented simply because I misplaced the paperwork -or never got it! Likewise, I’ve reported serious emergencies or neighborhood fights not recorded here, and fully cooperated with responding police -and they usually seemed quite grateful for my diligence.) Since it was the Lakeland Police themselves who had asked me to speak to Debra More, I tried to obtain a copy of that recorded phone call [C14] to show I was only following orders. However, LPD saw that I was onto something, and, even though I provided detailed information about when and where and who, they (made an excuse and) said that they would not cough up the public records for less than $2,000.oo -with a 50% down payment. Their lame excuse was that I had not provided them with “exact” detailed information -like the name of the dispatcher, her badge number, or the exact time. The dispatcher spoke real fast, and after prior problems getting public records (in my false arrest and the two other calls [C12-C-13]), I had given up hope on ever getting                                                                      8

public records again, so I did not think that writing down the “exact” time and asking the dispatcher to repeat her badge number would help me any -I was afraid if I asked her to repeat the badge number or such, it might enflame matters, and I wisely held my peace, noting the approximate times, for reference purposes.

 

Since I now know they can see my number under some form of caller ID (otherwise they could not put a call block on my phone number), I asked for the audio of that recorded phone call, as I mention above, but the chief excuse-maker, Lakeland Police Department’s, Mr. Mallory, had not only previously claimed that the custodian of records had “limitations in technology” [C12, near top of page], but also, more recently (after well-over-charging me for prior requests [C13]), he balked at the prospect of complying with my lawful records request [C14] and providing those records [C15] for anything less than TWO GRAND -yes, 2 Thousand dollars for a single audio record, well-described in my records request.

 

>>> IT APPEARETH that LPD DOTH violate Florida Public Records Laws Willy-Nilly. Repeatedly. <<<

(Newspapers, if they are not still intimidated by police, will be very upset, as might radio, cable, TV, and other news media -if we haven’t lost our Free Press, as some other countries have.)

 

LOGIC  USED:  By claiming there were “limitations in technology” [C12, near top of page], to get an audio record with knowledge of what phone number called him and when (which I provided), Mallory is basically claiming that when you call LPD, the number isn’t recorded. OK? If this is true, then someone making terrorist threats could call LPD and not be identified without much research and tracing from the phone company. However, everyone knows that the police department knows your number when you call -whether or not you use 911 -whether or not you try to block your number. If you disbelieve my allegation here, then you need only look at the fact that LPD blocked my number, which they can not do unless there is some record of which number I call from. So, in conclusion, either the police can review caller ID records -or not. Either possibility has scary implications: If they can not trace them, then they have “technology” problems that make them vulnerable to terrorist threats going untraced, but given their proven ability to see which number called them and have it blocked, I now think they are lying: The implications of a dishonest police department is even scarier.

            Double Stop Alert: The paragraph above is scary -no matter which is the case: Either lying police or cops who don’t even have basic caller ID capabilities. Even this poor country boy has caller ID! (I would bet my reputation on the fact that if the police wanted a copy of some record when given the basic info, it would not run into a “costs $2,000.oo” obstacle.) Can you say “double standards” or “dishonest cops?”

            Double Stop Alert: This situation will raise the ire of the local media, because they share our common goal of having access to public records -and when this is denied, it is evidence of an oppressive government, which would cast the FDLE in bad light before the public and press. That is why I want to help you avoid obstacles in your investigation. I don’t want your FDLE good cops looking incompetent in the public square. (Plus, I’ll admit I don’t like being bullied -nor do I like the good LPD cops -most coops are good -I don’t like LPD’s good cops being bullied into breaking the law all the time.)

 

E) Misc. other problems getting public records.

*** I asked for records on a particular address, and the police claimed they had no records on that date [D1], but after I talked to another officer, this one more competent, I was able to get the “report numbers” needed to get this “call to service” [D2, D3, D4]. While this instance here may simply be case of a new employee, all of the other refusals to cough up records were probably “stonewalling,” behind the “blue wall of silence” -period.

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V. Some accounts of good things the Lakeland Police have done:

 

            Once, when calling in to report a man knocking on doors late at night, I listened in on my police scanner to follow the activity. (Most of what I hear on the scanner indicates cops work very hard.) I overheard a police officer call me “Signal 20,” which roughly translates to “mentally ill” or perhaps “don’t disturb our coffee and donuts break -this guy’s not important.” I immediately called to speak with his supervisor, as I had done nothing wrong. Sgt. Pacheco (spelling uncertain) spoke to the officer in question, Officer Ron Rose. Officer Rose not only apologised to me but also appeared to show no ill will afterwards. In addition, once, when I asked for some paperwork on a call to service, he personally delivered it to me at a time that the records department did not have it. These indicate the Ofr. Rose, like most officers, are good.

 

            (The paperwork in question involved me being trespassed from a business where I had applied for a job. Although my admission of this gives me a bad name, I was not at fault. Officer Rose himself wrote in the paperwork [B20, B21] that I had obtained permission from the security at the gate, thus it is safe to conclude that I had permission to be there, so the charge of me being an “unwanted guest” was improper: I had not done anything wrong, and the supervisor’s claim that I had not obtained permission to be there was false; In short, the security at the gate made a mistake by not getting permission, but I was the one who was yelled at and blamed. However, my religious beliefs convicted me to try and get gainful employment, so I was not out of line here.) Any bad FDLE officer can use this “trespass incident” as an excuse to ignore my report here, but I trust your agency, and I trust you, so I am “honestly” including all relevant info: After I was incorrectly trespassed, I asked for a copy of this, and Officer Rose went and got it and delivered it to me. He is not the only good cop. Later in this report, you will see that a dispatcher asked me to speak to a certain IA sergeant at LPD, and only hours later, my phone was blocked from calling LPD! However, no less than three police officers with whom I spoke later said that the police couldn’t or shouldn’t block someone’s number. One even went so far as to say that he apologised if he were wrong in this instance, but that he had wanted to believe the best about his agency. Most cops would probably be shocked to learn of this phone blocking, which is even more proof that most cops are sincere in their jobs -and not bullies.

 

            Also, in spite of the animosity generated by the incidents described in this report, I have only been targeted once for a traffic ticket when none was deserved; If there were many bad cops, I would be drowning in debt over false charges in this regard, but I am not. (Although I am tempted to include that incident in this report, I don’t think I would be taken seriously -even though I did not improperly back in the roadway, according to the statute, the only witness left the state, and the court did not subpoena him -even when they had a chance, when he was in jail on a child support issue, so I can’t prove my case here, and I will leave this minor issue alone, and instead only concentrate on major issues: Result = Few bad cops, many good cops.)

 

            I would be remiss in my moral duty if I did not mention Ofc. Sean Finney: On several occasions when my mother, who is homeless, and staying with us, busted in my bedroom and the bathroom, when I was using it (see e.g., [B4] and [B10]), I was dumbfounded. On one of those occasions (I forget which), Ofc. Finney suggested I get a lock for my door, and this solution seems to have worked better than the prospect of jailing my mother for disturbance of the peace or simple battery. Like I said, most cops are good, and try to offer real solutions, but a few bad apples in higher ranks order them to commit false arrests -and you know the good cops generally go along with it to keep from losing their job. ~ I don’t like good cops being bullied by supervisors; I stand in their defense, because we don’t need egg-head police supervisors harassing good cops like you, now do we?

 

            Last but not least, the LPD Records Dept has done an outstanding job of providing “written” records -quite in contrast to the “Communications” division, which almost *never* complies with Public Records Requests -regarding the audio records mentioned elsewhere in this report.

 

 

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VI. A dispatcher told me to speak to an IA supervisor; I left a message,

And hours later, my phone was blocked from calling the police. That’s

right: I can’t call the police.

 

            As described -and documented -above in section IV. (A pattern of chapter 119 abuse), subsection IV. “D,” I tried to obtain a copy of an audio record of a phone call I made to LPD dispatch circa 19 Jan 2006, which they said would cost $2,000.oo -for my public records request here -and I described most of the relevant points about how LPD put a block on my phone from calling them -which was the reason for that particular Public Records Request -and why I had to mention the “call block” in the prior section first. (LPD, to this day, has never told me what I had done to offend them, and, honestly, without the “smoking gun” evidence of the audio records, showing I acted at their own request to call Ms. Debra More, I am afraid to speak with them: Without this proof, they will likely call me a liar, but they are the ones refusing to comply with Florida Public Record Law: I feel “doubly” victimized here (once for a wrongful phone block -and again for refusal to hand over the smoking-gun evidence that would clear me, as required by Public Record law). I suspect that my phone call to Sgt. Debra More’s voice mail earlier that day had irritated someone, and that this may have been compounded by the fact I had called Lakeland Police on prior occasions -don’t mind that I had probably saved a few lives and/or prevented a few crimes along the way -I probably irritated a few lazy police, as I hypothesize as much on the bottom of page 3 of this report -and may have earned the label of “nark,” “whistleblower,” “Serpico Junior,” or “cop caller.” This hypothesis seems reasonable, given LPD’s recent bizarre behavior.) Holy cow, they commit a lot of crimes; my typing fingers are wearing out… Sorry about that, but it is only logical to make an honest expression of emotion occasionally -to demonstrate the validity and veracity of my claims. OK, let me regain my professional composure.

            Since I showed earlier that my phone number had not been blocked up to that day, the 23rd  of January when I phoned back, as the dispatcher had asked me to do in our phone conversation of about the 19th, it is clear that the phone call on the afternoon of the 23rd was what I did that was “wrong” in the eyes of the police department. However, my decision to leave a message for Sgt. More was based on my deep-seated religious belief that I should commply with the lawful request of the LPD dispatcher -and that I should report a crime -even if it was committed by a cop. The only contraindication here would be the fact that the LPD staff attorney, Roger Mallory, had said the Internal Affairs complaint was closed; Yet, he himself is not above investigation (that is what I was requesting of the chief), and we don’t forget either that I had a “new” complaint, the perjury matter -by virtue of the fact I had accidentally left it out of my initial Internal Affairs (IA) complaint. So, based on their reaction, I think it is clear now that my religious beliefs are being persecuted..

 

AN   INSIDE   SOURCE   SPEAKS:

A friend of mine, Robert Hartung, whom I mentioned earlier, informed me that he recently talked to someone in the Lakeland Police Department and asked them about me. (Mr. Hartung is a State-Licensed Security Guard like me, and he is also a supervisor at many jobs where he’s done security.) Robert said he would not name his source, or else the source might “dry up” for future info, but he claims that his LPD source informed him that Lakeland Police regularly block peoples’ numbers if they call a lot; However, if there’s a car wreck or a fight in the neighborhood, it’s my civic duty to report such things -no matter the mood of the police at that moment. THAT is why I feel justified in claiming I am persecuted because of my religious belief to do my civic duty.

 

HOWEVER, there is more I didn’t mention earlier:  My  attempt  to  look  into  this  “call  block”  issue:

Later, after I saw my number blocked and still had not received a return call from Sgt. More, I went to the Police Department in person and asked to speak with her. Out came Detective Elisa Martin, accompanied by PSO Christopher R. Schuck. I asked her about my number being blocked, yet she did not tell me why it was blocked-only that I was not blocked from calling 911. That is just great: I do nothing but be a good citizen -I call the IA Sergeant and leave a message -simply doing what I was told, and the neext thing I know, my number is blocked: Looks like to me the LPD is a little bit “Signal 20,” if you know what I mean. Mr. Schuck is a good employee,

 

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and Ms. Martin might also be, since I know she did not falsely arrest me that day, but she was visibly agitated and told me that I had to leave the property unless I had another complaint. So, since I wasn’t totally clear in my IA complaint that the cops had perjured, I pointed out that this was a “new” complaint, and I attempted to bring it,

 

                        DEFINITION: new

                        Pronunciation: 'nü,

                        Function: adjective

                        1 : having recently come into existence : RECENT, MODERN
                        2 a (1) : having been seen, used, or known for a short time : NOVEL <rice was a new crop for the                                 area> (2) : UNFAMILIAR <visit new places> b : being other than the former or old <a

steady flow of new money>

 

                        Source: Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, from: http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/new

 

but Ms. Martin did not keep her word (about being open to any “new” complaints -let‘s take a look at the dictionary definition above, eh?), and she ran me off the property. Liar! (In all fairness to Ms. Martin, she did not know me, and I did not know her, so I think she acted “Signal 20” simply because her superiors had ordered her to do so -and she didn‘t like the prospect of her putting her job in jeopardy to protect an irritating, but good citizen (me!), therefore, in all fairness to Martin, I believe Sgt. Debra More is probably responsible for Det. Martin being a liar. These “personality” and “liar” conflicts are most unfortunate; Indeed, even as I assured the reader in the introduction of this report, I love both people and animals and try to live in peace and harmony with all.)

            I know for a fact that the Police Department can trace my number to block it, so why can’t they trace it to get me the records I seek and charge me the regular fee -instead of 2 Grand?! Looks to me like they know that release of the tape will solidify my case that I have not acted inappropriately. Observe:

 

#1: I have a right to appeal to the chain of command (whether or not the dispatcher “authorized me” or “directed me” to do so), so there should be no problem with what I did -for this reason alone.

#2: I was told -directed -by the LPD personnel -to contact Ms. Debra More, the IA Sergeant, so them punishing me for just following orders -is out of order.

#3; Numbers 1 and 2 above both add up: Lakeland Police are really out of order -obviously quite Signal 20 today.

 

VII. The LPD’s refusal to investigate a refusal to prosecute an approx $300.oo

bad check:      (Having just spoken to my father, he informs me is was at least this much)

 

            I don’t have documentation to support this claim, but I do have at least one eyewitness -if you’re not afraid to interview him: My elderly father, born in 1935. My father told me that a customer of his wrote a bad check; Lakeland Police dispatched a female police officer (name unknown), who took the report. My father received help from Publix Warehouse, I believe, who were also victims, and working with them, he and several witnesses there that day identified the woman who wrote the bad check.

            When he notified the police department that he had information on who it was, the cops told him that he was a tainted witness because he saw a photo or something like that. However, the financial crimes unit had more than the usual information needed to prosecute, since my father had both witnesses and also information gleaned from another local business who had been burned by this thief. Since the LPD did not ask the State’s Attorney to prosecute, I felt this needed to be reported, and I spoke to the officer in that division. (Some Sergeant or Lieutenant in Financial Crimes -I forget his name). He initially was very receptive to my concerns, and I saw him call my father on the phone and get more details, but in the end, he told me it was none of my business because I wasn’t the victim, and he refused to seek prosecution for the woman who wrote the bad check, and he defended

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the bad cops who refused to prosecute. (Lazy cops -using excuses to get out of his day’s work.) He never said that LPD was unable to bring charges -only that it was none of my business. Just because my father is not as outspoken as myself, is that any reason to persecute me -or take the “lazy route” escape, eh?

            Although I forget his name, I am sure it is on record -if LPD hasn’t decided to seal that Public Record too. Also, I am sure he will remember me -and my father and those present that day surely remember this incident. My father, Robert F. Watts, can be reached at the two “business” numbers on the cover page of this report and the home number as well (I live with my father currently).

           

            This is troubling, because I feel that if it had been a cop who was victimized, you’d see more action.

 

            Pattern of Behavior: Not just Lakeland Police make lame excuses & refuse to prosecute:

 

            As proof that this is a pattern of behavior, ask my father about a guitar of mine being stolen and the act being caught on video tape, and the Plant City Police Department (we used to live in Plant City) refusing to bring charges. The guitar was a birthday present and quite expensive, but the cops in that jurisdiction told me it was a “civil matter” because I gave it to the guy to repair.

            However, when he refused to return it, he had unauthorized possession, and if, for example, a police officer or a city councilman lends a person his car, and the person refuses to return it, you can bet your bottom dollar that he will be charged with “unauthorized possession,” but I guess I’m not important enough to get protection here, huh?

 

            Or, maybe the guitar was not expensive enough to warrant police action. Maybe it would have to be “grand theft” auto. Whatever the reason, it is wrong when police refuse to bring charges in such cases involving large sums of money or theft of expensive items. Period.

 

            Maybe the Lakeland Police would like to pay my father the sum of the bad check. That would “make it right” in my book.

 

VIII. Lakeland Police have a habit of violating the law and violating

court orders

            A) Pattern of Abuse: False arrests of homeless persons who

            violated no law

            B) Trespass of homeless people without trespass authorization

 

A) Pattern of Abuse: False arrests of homeless persons who

violated no law

*** Please see references [E1] to [E7], inclusive, for details of this matter; It is plain and simple: The law allows for free exercise of speech on public property, but the police must disobey the laws and the court order in this matter. It is therefore illegal to arrest a person for “trespass” on public property, but the police are doing this less nowadays, and, instead arresting homeless persons on private property instead in a manner that may be illegal.

 

UPDATED info on this:

Since the panhandling laws have been struck down, as I document above, making it illegal to arrest a person for simply exercising free speech -with a sign -and of course, making it illegal to “trespass” a person on public property, some cops have, more recently, started being “creative” and are now alleging the homeless men in question are jumping in front of traffic -a traffic infraction. Pretty “creative,” huh? However, there’s one problem: I’ve SEEN all the homeless individuals mentioned on this documentation, and NONE of them do anything other than stand at the corner, that is, the intersection, and protest, and, if traffic is stopped, talk to people and get handouts. If traffic is stopped, there is no impediment to traffic, and proof of this is the fact that many churches

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and civic organizations have volunteers solicit at intersections -much more professionally, but the same principal applies. BOTTOM LINE? I must conclude the cops not only committed the false arrests above -but also trumped up charges about jumping into traffic and the like -at least in these cases I have seen.

 

VIII. Lakeland Police have a habit of violating the law and violating

court orders (continued from previous page)

B) Trespass of homeless people without trespass authorization

 

*** I have received word that the Lakeland Police are regularly arresting homeless people for trespass at local businesses (private property), with neither permission of the business owners nor “trespass authorization,” a blanket permission from the business owner. I checked this out, and I discovered that Lakeland Police did indeed have a Trespass Authorization [F1], but that it only specifically authorized Police to ask a person to leave “in the event of a threat to public safety or welfare” [F1, top of page]. However, we see in many other instances [F2-F8] people being arrested. One of them is Bruce Mason, whom I personally know, and sometimes play chess with at the Right Fuel convenience store where he works part-time. I live about a block from that store; I asked Sebastian, the manager who signed the trespass authorization, if he authorized the police to kick Bruce off the property or arrest him; Sebastian told me that this was not for Bruce but rather other people who might cause trouble. Since Bruce, although sometimes homeless, nonetheless works part-time there, it is incomprehensible that the police should have grounds to repeatedly arrest him for being “unwanted” (I documented THREE times alone in this report [F3-F8]). Obviously, the store owners do not want to make the Police angry at them, so they don’t stand up and tell them to leave Bruce alone. So, between subsections A) and B) here, I document that MANY homeless people are repeatedly arrested without legal justification. Because they’re homeless and can’t afford a high-powered attorney. That’s all.

 

Although the LPD Records Department has generally done an outstanding job of providing “written” records (such as these above -much in contrast to the “audio records” division which is quite resistant to Public Records Requests), nonetheless, I almost did not obtain these records [F1-F8] because of fear that I might become falsely arrested by Lakeland Police, who have acted very bizarrely in recent times. (But I “got up the nerve” -and went in there and got them!) Indeed, an “officer Johnson,” I believe his name was, once put only about ONE INCH between his person and my person when I was at the LPD Records window one time, even though I had not done anything to warrant it (like raise my voice or the like). I am not sure, but I think this may have been an intimidation tactic, and I would honestly feel more comfortable not being on the same planet as anything associated with that Police Department.

 

 

 

Double Stop Alert: Item “VIII.A” alone is a clear repeated violation of court orders and current laws; I mean, really, who would have believed that in America, you would have lost your right to protest on public property. Dishonest cops are like the mice who play when the cat’s away. YOU are “the cat” in this analogy. Also, Item “VIII.B,” while harder to “definitively” prove, is still not beyond your reach: If you can find the time to interview the small handful of employees and core customers of Right Fuel, here in Lakeland, you can rightly confirm my claims that Bruce Mason was certainly welcome -and even without this explicit proof, the burden of proof is actually on the Lakeland PD to “prove” he was some sort of threat -as the law technically requires! Bad pollice break the laws, and that is exactly what happened here -very often, in fact.

 

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IX. Two LPD police responded to a disturbance one night, and promised to

check out the homeless person, but instead took right off -they are liars

 

            The Lakeland Police all have always been very vocal in inviting me to submit to their Internal Affairs any complaint I might have about their department or a rogue officer, but after their prior refusal to take seriously perjury by several LEO’s [top of page 12 of this report] -and, or course, their formal refusal [C5] to discipline anyone for the string of false arrests I documented in my one-and-only IA Complaint [reference: C3, point #4], therefore it is reasonable to understand why I was so afraid to submit this complaint here for “investigation.” (I put “investigation” in quotes here, because it would have only resulted in a “so-called” investigation by LPD, a Kangaroo Court, of sorts, where practically ALL Internal Affairs complaints by any and all citizens are routinely dismissed, eh?) Don’t believe me? Look at their IA record, and just hope they don’t selectively alter or doctor the records -selectively showing you what you want to see. ---After their Public Records resistance -and considering that they don‘t want to admit they broke a few laws here and there, I wouldn’t put it past them.)

 

            However, given that I am going to all this trouble to include other, “weightier,” items, why not include this? After all, it shows a pattern of behavior:

 

            On 06/16/2003, about an hour before midnight [B11], LPD Ofc. Matt Beckley and a female LPD officer, not named in the LPD “Call to Service” [reference B11],  both responded to a my call to police about a man hiding under a tree on the edge of our property late at night. When they arrived, the cop said to wait there while he made contact with man. I watched through my bedroom window, and the cop NEVER made contact with the man, but he and his backup unit (a female cop whose name I did not get) took off.

 

            Liars!

 

            Although another cop was dispatched about an hour later, I am sure no one ever disciplined these two officers for lying to me and being derelict in their duty. * * * What would have happened if that man had later killed me and my family -or broke in the house? * * * (The man turned out to be a homeless man who was preparing to sleep under the tree, but I did not know that.)

 

            This incident is proof that some cops are bad and need to be investigated. Will you investigate?

 

            As further motive to investigate, put yourself in MY shoes, as I tell you one additional detail: When I was approaching my yard, I had in my possession one or more “cordless” telephones, since I take care -as a good “security” measure to have them with me when I’m near my residence’s “cordless base.” Therefore, I was able to call the Lakeland Police Department VERY quickly -no delay. (Some friends have called me an electronics or phone freak, but I will admit merely to being a security freak.) Note, if you would, this citizen (myself) took extra pains to be prepared and security conscious; The “friendly” neighborhood polices’ desire to be lazy -and then dishonest about it -cost valuable time, those precious few minutes saved by the extra-fast “Flash Gordon” Watts, as some friends have nicknamed him.

 

            Thus, we can see that, all nick-names and jokes aside, Mr. Watts’ extra care to have tight security were undermined by SEVERAL dishonest cops. (Remember: 2 cops responded that night, so with all that fire-power, it is inexcusable that they would both be lazy and then lie about it.) Mr. Watts was a better “cop” than the “real” cops; This is inexcusable too.            To investigate or not to investigate. ~ To be or not to be.

 

 

            Investigation -and demand for answers -or donut and cofffee break? Your call.

 

 

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X. ? Should I include the harassment of the Tallahassee Police re racial abuse?

 

            I hesitate to even include this because it might make it look like a bunch of cops can’t be wrong -it might make ME look like the weirdo, but, hey, facts are facts: I was right, so I must report this incident to you.

 

            On Tuesday evening, 11-07-2000 (Election Night, 2000), I attended a public function, a political party at the local hotel where I was going to college. Many people wore ethnic attire, and I was no exception. I am part Native American, and I sported a small feather to indicate such, because at this party, many others were dressed up (cowboy hats and other ethnic attire) to show our political party was “diverse.” Many Native American Indians wear such things at public events.

 

            I did not cause a disturbance. Although this hotel was private property and could have asked me to leave, they did not; Rather a police officer who was assigned to the event asked me to leave, and he even admitted in his official report [G1-G5] that the only problem he had with me was my ethnic attire -no mention of me causing anything even resembling trouble. (I take that back: He wrote something about a bow and arrow, but this claim was ludicrous, and to prove that this was untrue, please note in his report that no one complained about me having a bow and arrow: Reason? I didn’t have any. He hallucinated, in the same fashion as when he got my body weight way wrong: 165 lbs., as shown on the top of reference G2: Everyone knows I’ve never weighed over about 125 lbs.].) The only “supposed” complaint TPD Ofc. John A. Beeman mentions was my ethnic “attire,” the small feather I was sporting. By him asking me to leave for that reason, he violated the laws. Clearly.

 

            I admit, it was hard to coax him to write a self-incriminating report, but his supervisor, an African American police captain, Argatha Rigby-Gilmore, ordered him to do so; In case you can’t read the handwriting, a Sgt. Blankenship signed off on the report, but when I contacted him, he refused to do anything because a Lieutenant with whom I had spoken cocked an attitude, and she was more highly ranked than he that day. Mr. Blankenship could not have helped me, even if he had wanted to.

 

            My last point of contact with the Tallahassee Police Department was Internal Affairs, but I frankly admit I have misplaced my notes, which show names of persons contacted; They were rude and did not care to help me.

 

            Even though the matter went to court and I lost, the court never addressed the merits of the case, so legally speaking, it is not “res adjudicata” barred. (The court falsely claimed I was not timely: Watts v. Fla. Comm. Hum. Rel; No. 04-8132, U.S. Supreme Court: http://www.SupremeCourtUS.gov/docket/04-8132.htm) Even if the court had made a finding of fact -to the effect of innocence of guilt (it did not, merely upholding a “too late to file” ruling of lower courts), even then, I would not see it tying your hands: You have your authority -and it is not stripped due to the Separation of Powers protections you have; This police department is at fault, because this cop’s supervisors refused to discipline him or investigate the matter further; Most of them were probably hoping the court would justify me, but it was their job, not the court’s, so we all lost out here.

 

            Even though this matter is several years old, it does show a pattern of behavior. Edmund Burke said all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men (and women) do nothing. Do not allow evil to triumph. Do not do sit by and do nothing -like those 38 citizens [A6] who watched Kitty Genovese die.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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XI. Slander by the cops - and a refusal to respond to a verified suicidal threat

 

            The reaction of the Lakeland Police Department (LPD) to a recent call I made to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) is rather disturbing.

            On Sunday, 26 November 2006, while surfing the Internet, I saw an online posting by someone whom I knew to have lived in Polk County -an “away” message which indicated suicidal tendencies [B22]. This was not the first such suicidal Internet posting by him I had seen, and at that point, I felt this individual, who made REPEATED suicidal comments, might indeed be suicidal.

            Was I justified in contacting law enforcement about this? My father tells me he thinks so: Even if one-thousand reports are unfounded, but yet one life is saved, it is all worth it. See also, reference [B24], which quotes the local newspaper, and documents what can happen when a man was “thinking about killing himself and his two children,” and when the “threat was not reported to local law enforcement.” OK? (Hint: Lives were lost, if we are to believe the news article.) Besides my father and the news article, we know PCSO eventually responded, something they wouldn’t have done had this been frivolous.

            So, that morning, on my way to church, I personally visited the Lakeland Police Department. (Remember: I can’t “call” them! I have “call block” on my phone number.) A desk employee, a Black gentleman, whose name I don’t know, said they couldn’t help and referred me to a suicide line. (I did not think this was reasonable, as the person might not voluntarily call; The Black gentleman was the 1st of 3 LPD employees who were negligent in their duty; The other 2 were the responding officer and the other officer with whom he argued -as monitored by my police scanner.)

            Then, that evening, after church let out,  I called the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, because I knew of almost certainty that the suspect resided in the county, PCSO’s jurisdiction; I told them that although I lived in the city limits, the person in question might not, and also I told them the local Lakeland police had caused trouble and that I specifically asked PCSO to not call Lakeland Police.

            PCSO, however, did not heed my warnings: Polk Sheriff called the city police [B23] probably because I, myself, live inside the city limits, even if the “suicide suspect” might not [B23; Please note that it says “Victim or Caller” to be Mr. Gordon Watts, but this is incorrect, as I could not have -and did not -call them; If you don‘t believe me, summon audio phone records].

 

HERE   IS   WHERE   YOU   MAY   FIND   LAKELAND   POLICE   ACTING   INAPPROPRIATELY:

            I heard on my police scanner that LPD had received a call about me. One police officer said something to the effect that he had received a legal memo from the agency’s lawyer (Mr. Mallory) that LPD was NEVER to respond to ANY call by me or about me -or words to that effect. Another voice on the scanner argued with him and said that LPD was only prohibited from taking IA complaints about Officer Chuck Dallas, one of the officers who participated in the string of illegal arrests of homeless people for merely being on public property and exhibiting free exercise of speech [E1 for Mr. Savage and E2-E8 for Mr. Bishop]. Eventually, LPD Officer Quigley arrived and told me that LPD would not investigate this matter because I did not first-hand hear the person explicitly threaten to commit suicide. Was this officer right? See paragraph 3 of this page, above. See also PCSO’s response.

            I called PCSO back and told them the error of their ways: They had no business contacting a rogue agency such as LPD -especially since I had specifically warned them not to; I then asked an officer be dispatched. PCSO Officer “Rosa” responded, and she, unlike Officer Quigley, took my report and forwarded it on to her investigators. The disposition of this matter is unknown. AND, I might add that, to his eternal credit, it was the responding officer, LPD Ofr. Joshua Quigley (a fairly new LPD employee), who defended me on the radio, but this is a disturbing matter.

            I would like to know what is in that memo written by Mallory -and why a police officer would say that LPD just can’t respond to any call by me. I would also like to know the name of the officer that slandered me that night, as I heard on the police scanner -that I may reference him in an Internal Affairs complaint. This is sure slander, for the stated refusal to dispatch by this officer is slander -and probably illegal -no matter WHAT some pin-suit lawyer says in a libelous memo that defames my good character.

                                               

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XII. …Title referencing Kyle’s case

 

            When preparing this case, I sought the input of a friend in how I might write such a lengthy report (so many illegalities and police misconduct) -without the reader (you) getting bored before coming to something real important. (Some things in this report are “more” important than others.)

            In the course of getting his advice on whether or not I should make a “bullet point” summary at the outset of this report, he asked me if I would include a section to your department about how he felt he was treated illegally by Lakeland Police.

 

            I feel morally obligated to both him -and to your department, so I shall try to be brief:

 

            My friend, James ‘Kyle’ Kessler, with whom I’m acquainted from Plant City High School and more recently who lives here in Lakeland, has only been arrested twice, once for alleged disturbance of the peace resulting from a dispute over a local business keeping him awake -and arrested a second time for alleged stalking charges. It is this 2nd arrest which is of concern:

            He tells me that when he was living with his former girlfriend, Cynthia Smith, someone left a message on his answering machine. (He let me hear the message.) Because of this message, which sounded like it was about Cindy, he called her work to check on her welfare, thinking she was in serious trouble. The employee at that McDonald’s restaurant who answered the phone refused to give out any information about her. He says that he called back, asking to speak with a manager -and all parties agree that words were exchanged.

            However (and this is the salient point), Mr. Kessler insists that he only called on that one occasion -and then again as he as disconnected. Yet, it is a matter of record that he was jailed for over three (3) months: See e.g., reference [E9]. Although I can not prove whether or not he called those 2 times only -or called a hundred times and made numerous threats, you have the ability to request his file and see the facts. As it stands, I have never known Kyle to lie, and while he has his personality problems, he is not violent. (If he were, as large as he is, he could do serious damage, and I would not hang around him: He is twice my size.) Therefore, I feel that the Lakeland Police probably falsely arrested Mr. Kessler -that is, arrested him with insufficient evidence.

            One other thing: It is a matter of record that Cyndi requested (and got) a restraining order against him, which weakens his credibility, but it is my understanding that a restraining order can not be issued without credible threats, and since I know of no case in which he actually assaulted or battered anyone -or made credible threats (2 phone calls probably doesn’t constitute a threat), then I believe his story when he says that Cyndi told him the police pressured her to request said restraining order.

            Therefore, I believe that the Police were simply bullies. If you don’t believe me, then please see what was done to him: No actual finding of guilt by the court. Although there was some reported plea agreement for probation, Mr. Kessler tells me that he had to accept it so he could get out of jail quickly and attend to “real life” responsibilities (paying bills, safeguarding his house from burglary, etc). He said that otherwise he would have fought the charges to the bitter end. This claim seems reasonable, since he was in jail for over three (3) months [E9]. Therefore, I think that, unless the Lakeland Police can come up with “real” evidence, it is clear they have committed a false arrest -once again.

            One last thing I’d like to point out regarding Mr. Kessler: Lakeland Police brought TWO separate charges under the same statute number: We know, however, that, whether it is on two separate occasions or both at the same time, this is prohibited “double jeopardy.” (It doth appear that Lakeland Police used this “double” charge as an intimidation tactic.) However, Mr. Kessler said one last thing that really troubles me: He said that the police (charges on the arrest docket) claimed “Domestic Violence WITHOUT violence”, which is a self-contradiction, an impossibility, an oxymoron. However, noting the circled part on the 2nd charge, on reference [E9], included with this report here, I note the text “Charge on docket: AGG  STALKING  (NON  DV),” which, as we all know, literally translates to “Non  Domestic-Violence,” or non-violence. This substantiates his claim, and, I think, should be investigated along with the above irregularities.

 

            Please let me know whether or not my report here constitutes probable cause for your agency to investigate the police department in question.

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XIII. Expectations are low for the FDLE: Individual quotes…

 

I hesitate to even include this section as well, but I feel you must know how you are perceived -rightly or wrongly. This section (XIII.) is frightening, I warn the reader now.

 

            Practically all those who have advised me have said that contacting your agency (FDLE) is not only useless -but also dangerous. To set your mind at ease, fear not: I do not necessarily believe all that is said about you -nonetheless, to clarify, I shall try to accurately recall the quotes -and give proper attribution to each source:

            First, my father, Mr. Robert F. Watts, advised me that the police, when they caught wind of this, would find ways to retaliate against me, such as frequent false traffic tickets, and that I would be unable to prove it was retaliation.

            Second, when my father was counseling me in this manner, a close friend of his was present at his auto sales store (I forget his name, but my father would remember). This man, whom I’ve met several times before, said it would be even worse: He said that I’m talented enough to write a cogent report -and properly embarrass the Lakeland Police -and that when your agency took my report, they would merely issue a “slap on the wrist” to LPD officers, refusing to take any sustentative action; He then echoed the sentiment of my father: He said that all police “stick together” and that the “good ole’ boys’ system” would be the result -He insisted that after nothing is done that the local police would make it hard for me to live in Lakeland.

            Also, I spoke to Dan Bishop, whom I know from when he stands at the intersection of Lake Parker and 92, near my residence. Dan is a top chess player, and I have played him on numerous occasions, but I have never beaten him, and it was he who informed me of the court case referenced at [E2] to [E8] in this report here. (I was able to get copies at the courthouse: THEY at least honour the Public Records Laws without resistance.) Mr. Bishop told me that the local police would make it hard for me -as my father’s friend had said. He was not confident that State Police would do anything.

            Lastly, I have asked the counsel of Bruce Mason, mentioned elsewhere in this report: Bruce works off and on at the business where Lakeland Police habitually (at least 3 times, I know) harass him with a string of false arrests, as I discuss elsewhere. Bruce also plays chess, and is about as good as I am: Bruce told me that he thought the police would harass me if I did anything to get them in trouble; He too has low expectations for the FDLE.

            In fact, other than myself, and the enthusiastic FDLE employee who assured me FDLE would not be intimidated by the agency they might investigate (*), I find no one -at all -who has faith that the system still works. If the latter is true, then I shall conclude we have just phased over to a Communist or “Repressive” form of government. (I say this with trepidation, because some truly Communist countries might be insulted to be compared with the USA: At least these other countries don’t lie about their form of government.)

            (*) Those weren’t his exact words; What I do recall said was this: When I informed someone in your Tallahassee office of my desire to report a possible pattern of abuse of crimes committed, he referred me to the Lakeland field office, and he assured me that this office was in no way affiliated with the Lakeland Police agency -that it was separate, and by that, and by the tone and inflection of his voice, I inferred that he was trying to convey to me that your agency was “separate,” and thus “not intimidated” or with a “conflict of interest” to protect fellow-employees. Whether what he implied was what I inferred I do not know.

           

CONCLUDING REMARKS:           If the police hate me for calling to report suicidal people, neighborhood fights, or car wrecks, or suspicious people -if they use these good deeds as excuses to hate me and falsely arrest me -and then write up perjury false affidavits against me -and then blacklist me from calling their department -and then, if they send slanderous memos to other cops, forcing them to hate me, this is not a good pattern of behavior. Mr. Bishop said something very intriguing: He tells me that, on one occasion of false arrest, a cop who was arresting him told him that he didn’t want to arrest him -that it was illegal or otherwise wrong -but that his supervisors made him do so. It is this (un-named) good cop who I defend with my words today. By the way, I would be glad if citizens like myself got “defense” from those of you who investigate bad cops.

                                                                                                                                    --Gordon Wayne Watts

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