To HSV General Manager Scott Randall, all POA Board members, Public Safety Director, Chief Cornett, residents and property owners of Hot Springs Village:
I have served as a police officer for almost 27 years. Twenty of those years were on a larger metropolitan police department with a rather significant violent crime rate. After moving to Hot Springs Village four years ago, I proudly began serving as a patrol officer with the Hot Springs Village Police Department seeking to give back to the community I had chosen to make my new home.
Throughout these past four years, I have witnessed the officers of this department deal with many frustrating, outdated and antiquated policies, procedures and administrative decisions. These procedures and "past practices" would leave both officers and their supervisors feeling frustrated on a repeated basis. Recommendations or suggestions made by experienced officers were rarely acknowledged and their ideas were never considered. Any attempts to improve procedures or outdated practices were not only discouraged, but met with resistance, extreme negativity, and even hostility on occasion. The statement, "If you don't like it here, go get a job somewhere else," was heard quite often. Officers were also subjected to working within the most "hostile work environment" I've ever experienced.
As a property owner and resident of Hot Springs Village, I am entitled to an opinion and have the right to express that opinion. Unfortunately, as a POA employee, that right is basically forfeited. As a direct result, I have been unable to share or expose the many issues and problems that plague your Hot Springs Village Police Department.
A recent incident and the subsequent Dawna Natzke investigation have caused many Hot Springs Village residents to question their police department's leadership. There also appears to be some type of official "gag order" surrounding this investigation. This has caused many questions to surface regarding the manner in which the current command staff handled this investigation and why resources that were offered or made available were never utilized. Based on my experience and training, these concerns certainly appear justified and deserve to be addressed.
In light of this questionable investigation and the "deafening silence" that has followed, I fear that appropriate accountability will never be sought and that subsequent consequences will never be paid. As a result of this, I have decided to publicly resign from the Hot Springs Village Police Department. I have zero confidence in this department's current leadership and I am unable to feel even the slightest amount of pride in any continued service. Therefore, I cannot continue to serve under this department's current command staff or their direction.
It is my hope that this action will provide further cause for residents to demand that their questions be answered, their concerns be addressed, and that their police department undergoes a major restructuring.
Although this letter is an expression of my personal views and opinions, I can assure you that other members of both your Hot Springs Village police and fire departments have shared similar viewpoints with me. Fears of retaliation and loss of their jobs have prevented them from openly expressing these concerns previously. If asked individually in a private environment, additional officers and firefighters will substantiate the views expressed herein.
In closing, I realize my decision will not be without consequences of its own. Attacks against my character and attempts to discredit me may soon be forthcoming. My family's personal finances will also suffer accordingly. I do believe, however, that these personal sacrifices will be small in comparison to what the entire Hot Springs Village will gain by demanding change within its police department.
Respectfully submitted,
Dale E. Anderson
Hot Springs Village
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
Make no mistake; Mr. Anderson is not a disgruntled employee, which is how the political powers will try to spin this. At the POA every time the truth isn’t palatable to “the powers to be” the standard tactic is to discredit the messenger and put a gag order in place and hope that it blows over. They hope that the elderly population forgets about it and moves on to their latest issue of the day, such as what new golf fees are being proposed.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately his comments are accurate and indicative of the overall POA culture and practices, not just the Police dept. Mistakes made by the police may have let Dawna’s killer walk, which is a big price to pay. Let’s not sit by and let it happen again.
The POA’s top down management style stifles communication, innovative ideas to improve efficiencies or resolve issues. Employees familiar with the day to day operational issues are not only are discouraged but often penalized for identifying problems and proposing solutions. Lack of communication channels within the organization is an ongoing critical problem which needs to be addressed. Having a viable "open door policy" requires more than saying you have one.
HSV residents it is past time to be very concerned, the future viability of the Village is at stake. We must stand up and take action and let our voices be heard.
Who besides us, the residents, are left to insure that appropriate action is taken to rectify the situation?
Not the board; they have their own agendas and their duties do not include micro managing the POA operations. (Yet they do!).
Not the GM; who isn’t in touch with nor cares about managing the operations to better the community. He perpetuates the status quo and does what the board tells him to do. Most Villagers are by now cognitive of his cold callused personality. Unless something is of political significant to his well-being he won't even give most people the time of day or acknowledge them. His personal conduct certainly doesn’t help the HSV community.
Not from the managers; who see no need to change as they feel that business as usual is what promises them job security.
POA employees waited when Mr. Kosoglow was interim GM for him to evaluate the leadership team and clean house. It is disappointing that never happened despite his campaign promise to make management accountable. While he was there the management team was on their best behavior, fearfully anticipating their well-deserved departure. Included in those were those who on an ongoing basis barely make an effort to show up for a whole day, to those who spend their work day doing everything but POA business, to those who are incompetent and fail at whatever tasks they are assigned, the list goes on.
How long do we want to continue to line the pockets of folks who don’t contribute? We need to demand responsible change NOW! Let's not sit on the sidelines watching while the property values continue to dwindle.
Now is the time to demand some housekeeping.
Now is the time to insist on competent leaders who actually have management skills, vision and care about the future of the Village. We need leadership who embraces change and fix the problems rather than sticking their heads in the sand and hides their competencies.
Most of the current management team has no long term vested interest in the Village (i.e. they don't even own homes in HSV) and are only there hoping to hold onto their paychecks until they retire.
Let us not allow them to continue to embrace the "don't rock the boat" mentality?
Let us help them into retirement now.
Thank you again Mr. Anderson for encouraging all of us to get our heads out of the sand and save our precious Village.
Sometimes it takes a Village; this is one of those time