Thread: The Howard County Drug Task Force, the Sheriff, the Mayor, and the Kokomo Tribune

I find this latest article in the Kokomo Tribune disturbing...

What? The Sheriff's Department no longer participates in a very important inter-agency investigative effort that concentrates on drug trafficking in Kokomo/Howard County?

It’s old news, folks. Sheriff Talbert pulled his support for such activities back in January, according to the Kokomo Perspective.

One has to wonder why the Tribune decided to publish Scott Smith's piece "Drug Task Force at a Crossroads" now?

May I surmise the reason is our own article, "The Unraveling of a Police Department". In our research, KPD's Chief of Police is seriously undermined. His ability to conduct the affairs of local law enforcement are demonstrated to be compromised.

People tell me the Kokomo Tribune's main man these days is managing editor Jeff Kovaleski. I've also been told he's a great pal of Mayor Goodnight.

In reading Scott's piece, I could almost taste the blood as Smith held his tongue at his boss's bidding. The paper is trying to vilify the Sheriff, when in fact he did the right thing distancing his department from a serious corruption problem.

Good for Marty.

Kokomo/Howard County NEEDS a valid, effective drug unit. The KPD doesn't seem to have one... so Talbert has his guy going it alone with the help of our Indiana State Police.

This isn't how it's supposed to work... but inter-agency cooperation cannot happen if the agencies involved don't trust one another. Some KPD folks have demonstrated they aren't trustworthy.

Mayor... please fix this. Citizens are dying in the streets because drug trafficking is so rampant in Kokomo. We need everyone on board here... but Rob Baker is a pariah no-one wants to work with....

Do the right thing for Kokomo and replace this guy.

Originally Posted by notinkokomo

It’s old news, folks. Sheriff Talbert pulled his support for such activities back in January, according to the Kokomo Perspective.

So... I've gotten 13 emails in the last hour asking me to clarify HOW I could say the Sheriff pulled his support for the Drug Task Force in January.

Read the article, folks...

Talbert said he was amazed by the mayor's comments and that the city administration never expressed to him any displeasure with Roberson or his job performance prior to the beginning of this year, when Talbert pulled his department from the Howard County Drug Task Force. On the contrary, the sheriff heard the opposite from Roberson -- that the problem actually rested on the shoulders of the KPD. And he was reluctant to accept that the task force had fallen into dysfunction.

NIK

Originally Posted by notinkokomo

So... I've gotten 13 emails in the last hour asking me to clarify HOW I could say the Sheriff pulled his support for the Drug Task Force in January.

Read the article, folks...


Quote:
Talbert said he was amazed by the mayor's comments and that the city administration never expressed to him any displeasure with Roberson or his job performance prior to the beginning of this year, when Talbert pulled his department from the Howard County Drug Task Force. On the contrary, the sheriff heard the opposite from Roberson -- that the problem actually rested on the shoulders of the KPD. And he was reluctant to accept that the task force had fallen into dysfunction.




NIK

There is more problems than meets they eye concerning Roberson's involvement with the task force.... Way before the problem came to light the guys at the PD and task force were complaining about Matt and the job he was doing.... He did what he wanted to and was labeled as renegade by KPD and HCSD.... Bottom line there was NO accountability....Who do I blame for this? His task force supervision for not dealing with the problem and telling the Sheriff what was really going on....

Just how did Matt get the position at the task force? No one wanted it and they had to provide a warm body to continue getting the grants and funding.... Thus a young inexperienced deputy was placed into the position with no formal and practical criminal investigation skills.... The best SD members the county ever had on the task force all had experience working in the Criminal Investigation Section and many years under their belts.... Experience candidates bought with them street skills, education, life skills, people skills, a vast knowledge of street criminals and practical application skills....

The drug task force is a joint operation that requires all members to put differences aside and work together.... Do officers from both departments think Marty pulling Matt and putting him in a office at the CJC was a smart move, no it wasn't! Just because he claims to be working with ISP on cases doesn't mean he is doing his job.

The drug task force was designed to work with multiple agencies, in a universal office and just because KPD is dysfunctional at this point the Task force still needs to be a team to get the job done....

Sure the administrators at KPD, Mayors office and HCSD are not going to say something about the county's assigned person, the controversy and bad blood he has created.... A rule of thumb is and has been not to speak badly of another agency....

If the public would like the truth about the dysfunctional task force and the county appointee to the task force just talk to the officers at both agencies. They are the ones who have worked with him in the past and present.... Some of the things they will tell you will shock and boggle the mind!!!!

I just cant help but wondering if the CI was given a tape recorder by another officer what would she have taped Roberson saying about KPD, the players mentioned in the paper and his own department.... The general opinion is Roberson needs put back in uniform, put back on the street patrolling and the task force need re-done with ALL members (city and county) having to take yearly drug tests.... As long as there is no accountability the task force will remain in a tailspin....

Thanks for the well-expressed reply, Catty.

Are you saying, though, that IF this Deputy was replaced with another that Task Force operations would return to being effective in the area?

I'm not certain the Sheriff wants any Deputy in the middle of KPD's own leadership problems right now, and I would not blame him for trying to distance his department from those issues? Do you?

I agree the Task Force needs re-constituted so that it can do the important work for which it was originally formed.

The problem is... with Baker in so much deep water, and the KPD leadership in disarray... "How do we get there from here?"...

NIK

Any organization is only as affective as the leader. No leadership is being displayed by any ranking individuals in the current administrations. The current laws covering change reads the individual has to commit a crime in order to be removed. This means change will come only at election time. This is really sad in the land of law and order.

Originally Posted by notinkokomo

Thanks for the well-expressed reply, Catty.

Are you saying, though, that IF this Deputy was replaced with another that Task Force operations would return to being effective in the area?

I'm not certain the Sheriff wants any Deputy in the middle of KPD's own leadership problems right now, and I would not blame him for trying to distance his department from those issues? Do you?

I agree the Task Force needs re-constituted so that it can do the important work for which it was originally formed.

The problem is... with Baker in so much deep water, and the KPD leadership in disarray... "How do we get there from here?"...

NIK

I do believe the deputy needs replaced.... The task force and officers have already made up their minds they are not going to trust or work with him.... Given that scenario they need a fresh face to accomplish the ultimate goals of the task force...

I'm a firm believer that the representative from the SD needs to be at the task force office in order to be accessible and functionable.... At present there is so much dissension between everyone and they need to relocate the task force to neutral ground away from the main building with satellite offices at KPD, ISP and HCSD.... By distancing the county task force member the Sheriff has added to the tension of the situation.... At present there is a total break down in communication! A honest hard working member should be able to function without getting into the daily politics or taking sides....

A past task force member once told me that "you must remain neutral in you feelings and opinions and not let politics distract you from your goals and objectives in order to do this job".... Good rule of thumb, wouldn't you say?

My feeling is that the task force has always been perceived as a separate unit and unfortunately leadership can change based on Mayoral decision.... These guys are supposed to be professionals who are fighting the war on drugs.... Unfortunately the battle ground and focus has shifted to battling political created problems....

KPD cannot begin to heal as long as Kokomo's Mayor takes a lame duck approach to solving internal problems.... The first move he needs to make in the clean up is to replace Chief Rob Baker! Then and only the will KPD begin the healing process....

So... just to clarify, do you and officers you hear from believe the Sheriff would be wasting everyone's time, talent, and energies attempting to put anyone in the HCSD role on the task force UNTIL KPD has its own problems worked out?

NIK

Originally Posted by notinkokomo

So... just to clarify, do you and officers you hear from believe the Sheriff would be wasting everyone's time, talent, and energies attempting to put anyone in the HCSD role on the task force UNTIL KPD has its own problems worked out?

NIK

Someone is needed on the task force primarily for the exchange of information which presently is almost non-existant.... KPDs problems will be going on for some time and to put drug enforcement on hold because of their problems would be non-productive....

They need to stop pouting and show the community the so called professionals can work together no matter the situation....

The issue, as you mentioned earlier, is leadership at the Task Force. Who is running things there... now? With all the shuffling, I've lost track.

Is that officer considered a good leader, who would make the effort work if the Sheriff reciprocated with a replacement for Robo?

Just curious...

NIK