Thieves among us - Seems CMPD has a security lapse deep inside the law enforcement center.
Charlotte office workers are well aware that anything left laying about is likely to "grow legs" and just disappear. Leave your lunch in the break room frig and at least in some offices someone else might eat it. Mistakenly leave your desk unlocked you'll find the change from yesterdays lunch long gone in the morning.
But you would expect your personal stuff, like wallet, and iPhone would be safe from crooks in the CMPD law enforcement center. But apparently not. Word is CMPD uses a "contracted" cleaning service that has virtually unfettered access to the CMPD offices including those of Chief Monroe, robbery and homicide divisions. And if the scuttlebutt is correct on certain contracted cleaning staff employee has been caught on more than one occasion stealing wallets and cell phones. It may have been the iPhone that was her undoing, as iPhone has a tracking option.
The odd part is a detective tried to intervene on her behalf, asking that the crime be overlooked as nothing more than a lapse in judgement.
Harris Teeter Offers 50k Bounty - If there is one way to get one rat to out another, it is cash. So the $50,000.00 bounty offered for info on these guys should produce pretty fast results.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
In Case You Missed It - Memorial Day
For most, this past weekend was full of boating, family picnics, beer drinking, partying til dawn, a 3 day weekend on the water, at the mountains or at the beach, with a good dose of NASCAR's Coca Cola 600 thrown in to kick off the un-official Official start of Summer.
And in case you missed it, Memorial Day.
A number of years ago Mrs. Cedar and I spent the last weekend of May on the West Coast. Three fun filled days of checking out the San Francisco area; Napa Valley, Monterrey and the former home of John Steinbeck, a Giants baseball game at the old Candlestick Park and the golden gate bridge. That Monday we stumbled into The Presidio and the vast military cemetery there on what just happened to be Memorial Day.
The fact is I had forgotten what day it was, until I noticed the sea of stars and stripes. They have been honoring Memorial Day at the Persidio for 144 years. While it is not Arlington National Cemetery, it is vast and stunningly beautiful. The late afternoon fading light of a California sunset is a surreal backdrop to the endless rows of headstones that mark the graves of American Soldiers. There are 34 Medal of Honor recipients in the San Francisco National Cemetery, a somber reminder of the price we have paid as a nation.
The unexpected find, and that moment of realization that without such days, we take far too much for granted, has stayed with me.
And in case you missed it, Memorial Day.
A number of years ago Mrs. Cedar and I spent the last weekend of May on the West Coast. Three fun filled days of checking out the San Francisco area; Napa Valley, Monterrey and the former home of John Steinbeck, a Giants baseball game at the old Candlestick Park and the golden gate bridge. That Monday we stumbled into The Presidio and the vast military cemetery there on what just happened to be Memorial Day.
The fact is I had forgotten what day it was, until I noticed the sea of stars and stripes. They have been honoring Memorial Day at the Persidio for 144 years. While it is not Arlington National Cemetery, it is vast and stunningly beautiful. The late afternoon fading light of a California sunset is a surreal backdrop to the endless rows of headstones that mark the graves of American Soldiers. There are 34 Medal of Honor recipients in the San Francisco National Cemetery, a somber reminder of the price we have paid as a nation.
The unexpected find, and that moment of realization that without such days, we take far too much for granted, has stayed with me.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
DC Medlock Road Rage?
For years I've heard of DC Medlock's wild temper, always discounting it as scuttle butt. Then I got a taste of it in person recently.
Having a white Mercedes ride my bumper I tried to bail to the right and let the car go around, just as I did he went base line and passed me on the right, nearly taking the back end of my SUV with him. I moved back to the left to let him pass, only to get brake checked and have the guy move left and slow down until I was along side. Then he rolled down the passenger window and verbally let me have it.
I'm sure he was as surprised that the guy in the SUV was CP as I was at who was going all road rage on me.
Then he roared off down the road another 300 yards before turning into the Mercedes of South Charlotte parking lot.
Not one expletive or any threat just a non stop barrage of unintelligible noise. I doubt you guys no more.
Cedar's Footnote: If it wasn't Medlock then it was his evil twin, and I'll freely admit I was just idling along with traffic going the speed limit and yielding to pedestrians and slow moving seniors, as well as some hot head aggressive driver in a white Mercedes with an FOP tag.
Cedar's Folo: I several souces tell CP Medlock's wife Gloria drives a white Mercedes. By the way it was a FOP Plate not a sticker.
Having a white Mercedes ride my bumper I tried to bail to the right and let the car go around, just as I did he went base line and passed me on the right, nearly taking the back end of my SUV with him. I moved back to the left to let him pass, only to get brake checked and have the guy move left and slow down until I was along side. Then he rolled down the passenger window and verbally let me have it.
I'm sure he was as surprised that the guy in the SUV was CP as I was at who was going all road rage on me.
Then he roared off down the road another 300 yards before turning into the Mercedes of South Charlotte parking lot.
Not one expletive or any threat just a non stop barrage of unintelligible noise. I doubt you guys no more.
Cedar's Footnote: If it wasn't Medlock then it was his evil twin, and I'll freely admit I was just idling along with traffic going the speed limit and yielding to pedestrians and slow moving seniors, as well as some hot head aggressive driver in a white Mercedes with an FOP tag.
Cedar's Folo: I several souces tell CP Medlock's wife Gloria drives a white Mercedes. By the way it was a FOP Plate not a sticker.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Officers Shelton and Clark Memorial Softball Tournament
The 6th Annual softball tournament will return to Matthews next month to honor slain Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers Sean Clark and Jeff Shelton.
The annual tournament, along with a Home Run Derby Contest, is set for June 2-3 one month earlier than last year and will be held at Meckenburg County's Idlewild Road Park. The tournament will feature 16 teams, eight co-ed and eight all-men teams.
Shelton, 35, and Clark, 34, both were fatally shot on March 31, 2007 when responding to a disturbance call at the Timber Ridge Apartments in east Charlotte. Demeatrius Montgomery was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder in their death’s and sentenced to two consecutive life prison terms.
The memorial tournament has been held every year since 2007.
Teams can register for the softball tournament for $200, and the Home Run Derby fee is $20 per person.
To learn more, contact CMPD Detective Darryl Seegars at 704-241-8343.
The annual tournament, along with a Home Run Derby Contest, is set for June 2-3 one month earlier than last year and will be held at Meckenburg County's Idlewild Road Park. The tournament will feature 16 teams, eight co-ed and eight all-men teams.
Shelton, 35, and Clark, 34, both were fatally shot on March 31, 2007 when responding to a disturbance call at the Timber Ridge Apartments in east Charlotte. Demeatrius Montgomery was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder in their death’s and sentenced to two consecutive life prison terms.
The memorial tournament has been held every year since 2007.
Teams can register for the softball tournament for $200, and the Home Run Derby fee is $20 per person.
To learn more, contact CMPD Detective Darryl Seegars at 704-241-8343.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Monday Odds and Ends
Did you know that CMPD Officers "FAMILY" medical coverage that has become so expensive that many drop the coverage and find it "outside" the department?
Cedar Says: If you are one of those who have discovered this fact, and have signed up for the Blue Cross Advantage or other health insurance outside of the department Cedar Posts would like to here from you.
Props to Chief Monroe on earning his CJ degree!
Excellent idea sending CMPD guys to the "Windy City" to see first hand the nutties we'll have to deal with during the DNC 2012, and it is a good time to get a first hand look at the protesters as well.
Speaking of Chicago, did you know a rookie CPD Officer is paid 61k a year? That a sergeant at the top pay level in Chicago makes more than CMPD's Captains? The department wide pay scale for both sworn and civilan employees is here.
Cedar's Take: Why don't we pay our CMPD Officers a fair wage?
Cedar Says: If you are one of those who have discovered this fact, and have signed up for the Blue Cross Advantage or other health insurance outside of the department Cedar Posts would like to here from you.
Props to Chief Monroe on earning his CJ degree!
Excellent idea sending CMPD guys to the "Windy City" to see first hand the nutties we'll have to deal with during the DNC 2012, and it is a good time to get a first hand look at the protesters as well.
Speaking of Chicago, did you know a rookie CPD Officer is paid 61k a year? That a sergeant at the top pay level in Chicago makes more than CMPD's Captains? The department wide pay scale for both sworn and civilan employees is here.
Cedar's Take: Why don't we pay our CMPD Officers a fair wage?
Charlotte Chamber's US Airways Flight To London Breaks Down
According to Natalie Dick, with the Chamber of Commerce, the US Airways flight had a "mechanical failure."
Officials were prepared to leave for London around 6:25 p.m. on Saturday, when they received the bad news. Because of the tight schedule, the InterCity Visit to London was cancelled.
"We regret the inconvenience this has caused all participants on both sides of the Atlantic and the lost opportunity to learn from the penultimate global city of London. We are grateful that all are safe," said chamber president Bob Morgan.
In a press release, officials said “all city and county elected officials and staff will be fully reimbursed for the trip.”
City leaders ended up waiting over six hours for the "mechanical failure" to get resolved.
Cedar's Take: We spend millions to support our airport and give preferential treatment to one airline, US Airways and look what happens. US Airways was unable or unwilling to subsitute another aircraft and apparently the Charlotte Chamber didn't have a plan "B".
I'd call this an epic public relations fail for Charlotte and US Airways.
Atlanta's Hartsfield International Airport would like to remind the Charlotte Chamber they offer more than 30 flights across the pond to London daily.
In Case You Missed It - I'll Have One More
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| I'll Have Another left and Bodemeister Right (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) |
Having won the Kentucky Derby and now the Preakness I'll have another needs "One More" to win the Triple Crown, a feat that has not made the headlines since Affirmed won in 1978.
Is I'll Have Another the horse? One thing is certain he is a closer and with the right jockey holding him back just long enough he'll move through the final turn and "close out" the competition.
Real Quiet, and Smarty Jones, both lost their quest for the triple crown at Belmont and are names no one remembers, but mention Affirmed, Seattle Slew or Secretariat and even horse haters know what those names represent.
Does I'll Have Another have enough to have one more? Have you seen this horse run? If not, take 3 minutes on June 9th and watch horse racing history note a new Triple Crown Winner.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
The Observer's Expose' on Rodney Monroe
The Charlotte Observer's long awaited "investigative" report on Charlotte Police Chief Rodney Monroe has finally come to print.
Buried in this morning's Sunday paper, the story is overly long and reads like a high school history book. It lacks depth, offers nothing of fact and will leave most Cedar Posts readers flat.
However, it does acknowledge that Chief Monroe has his critics, "the blogs":
Anonymous bloggers regularly spew vitriol, accusing the chief of fudging data to make it look as though crime is going down, questioning his ethics, even suggesting he’s pretentious for wearing the customary five gold bands on the sleeves of his dress uniform that signify he’s the chief.
“Chief Monroe has run the city’s police department like his own fiefdom,” one blogger wrote in November. And then in March: “Rodney Monroe is a man of poor judgment and questionable moral character.”
It’s difficult to say whether a few disgruntled officers are feeding the blogs or whether dissatisfaction within the department is widespread. Monroe’s critics, including current and former officers, declined to talk on the record.
The report saves the only shocker till the very end; that Chief Monroe now claims to have another apparently real degree. "In February, he earned a B.S. in criminal justice from the University of Phoenix. Asked why he never announced it publicly or mentioned it during several interviews over four months, Monroe said: “It’s personal to me. I did it for my own personal reason.” "
CMPD's bio of Chief Monroe has recently been updated:
Chief Monroe holds a bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University and a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from University of Phoenix.
The entire article by the Charlotte Observer staff is here.
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| The above photo has nothing to do with the story. |
Buried in this morning's Sunday paper, the story is overly long and reads like a high school history book. It lacks depth, offers nothing of fact and will leave most Cedar Posts readers flat.
However, it does acknowledge that Chief Monroe has his critics, "the blogs":
Anonymous bloggers regularly spew vitriol, accusing the chief of fudging data to make it look as though crime is going down, questioning his ethics, even suggesting he’s pretentious for wearing the customary five gold bands on the sleeves of his dress uniform that signify he’s the chief.
“Chief Monroe has run the city’s police department like his own fiefdom,” one blogger wrote in November. And then in March: “Rodney Monroe is a man of poor judgment and questionable moral character.”
It’s difficult to say whether a few disgruntled officers are feeding the blogs or whether dissatisfaction within the department is widespread. Monroe’s critics, including current and former officers, declined to talk on the record.
The report saves the only shocker till the very end; that Chief Monroe now claims to have another apparently real degree. "In February, he earned a B.S. in criminal justice from the University of Phoenix. Asked why he never announced it publicly or mentioned it during several interviews over four months, Monroe said: “It’s personal to me. I did it for my own personal reason.” "
CMPD's bio of Chief Monroe has recently been updated:
Chief Monroe holds a bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University and a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from University of Phoenix.
The entire article by the Charlotte Observer staff is here.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Friday Wrap Up
Chicago's NATO Protests - Charlotte's primer on the DNC 2012 Protests to come will hit full stride this weekend in Chicago. With few arrests and no real violence the Chicago warm up has so far been entertaining.
Friday afternoon "Occupy" protesters joined a group of nurses only to split from the group and head off in a different direction using the street and traffic to cause chaos along Chicago's Michigan Avenue and the Chicago River. Caught in the mayhem, those who ventured into the area unaware.
What was at first a peaceful protest by nurses was infiltrated but "Occupy" anarchists who overwhelm the nurses protest and once the march was underway spun off and headed across traffic.
Changing of the Guard - In this photo released by the Royal's press office, Queen Elizabeth looks on as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge chat with King Hussein and Queen Rania of Jordan.
There is a changing of the guard going on across the pond, and this photo taken during a celebration of the Queens jubilee just about sums it up.
CMPD Offers Bounty on Felons - Charlotte-Mecklenburg police launched Thursday a new program to target felons carrying firearms in the community. According to CMPD, the program urges members of the community to call a dedicated phone line to provide information on the location of a known felon with a firearm.
The anonymous caller will be eligible for a $500 reward if an arrest is made as a result of the tip.
To reach the firearm tip line, call 704-336-6000. A dispatcher will collect the caller’s information and send officers to the area. Callers need to be able to provide the felon’s name or a detailed description of them as well as where the felon is located at the time of the call.
Callers do not have to leave their name, phone number or address.
Cedar's Take: Cash for rats, might work, I'd guess they need to up the amount. Wonder if can you collect more than once on the same thug? Considering they'll be back out on the street inside 24 hours and have another gun 30 minutes after they are again "riding dirty".
To reach the firearm tip line, call 704-336-6000. A dispatcher will collect the caller’s information and send officers to the area. Callers need to be able to provide the felon’s name or a detailed description of them as well as where the felon is located at the time of the call.
Callers do not have to leave their name, phone number or address.
Cedar's Take: Cash for rats, might work, I'd guess they need to up the amount. Wonder if can you collect more than once on the same thug? Considering they'll be back out on the street inside 24 hours and have another gun 30 minutes after they are again "riding dirty".
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