CHIEF BROOKS’S LATEST PERFORMANCE! PART 1

CHIEF BROOKS’S LATEST PERFORMANCE!
PART 1

In September 2013, Chief Brooks received $71,750.78 in Federal Forfeiture Funds.  These funds could only be used by the Lisbon Police Department.  As of March 11, 2014, Chief Brooks had spent $27,468.74 on such things as:

1.   Three (3) 16M4A4 Telestk MPC assault rifles.  What possible use is there for assault rifles in Lisbon?  The loudest noises here are people snoring too loud.  Contrary to what Chief Brooks says Lisbon is not Detroit.

2. A GPS bundle.  What possible need is there for a GPS in Lisbon?  If we have a member of the Police Department who cannot find his way to work or how to find his way back home then I suggest that person maybe over qualified for the Police Department.  Get serious, a GPS to find your way around Lisbon.

3.Finally, plastic balls, ball launcher and bed for the K9 officer.  These maybe items used in the training of our K9 officer but these items should be part of the operating cost and not Federal Forfeiture Funds.

This is the priority that Chief Brooks decided to put ahead of the items on the 2015 Capital Improvements Plan.  
The items on the 2015 Capital Improvement Plan are listed below:
Animal Control Truck                $24,000.00
    Mobil Radios (11)                    33,000.00
    Voter Radio System                  28,000.00
    Document Imaging Unit           14,000.00

Chief Brooks put on an excellent performance when he justified the purchase of the Document Imaging Unit.  I personally believe that this is a necessity and should have been purchased before the assault rifles, GPS or doggie toys.  Chief Brooks continues to stick it to the taxpayers’ year in and year out.  The big ticket items are always purchased by the people instead of any Forfeiture Funds the town receives. 

Chief Brooks could have purchased two or three of the items from the list above in September but instead he spent some of the forfeiture funds on “Toys for the Boys” and screwed the taxpayers.  Well, he has approximately $44,282.04 remaining from the Federal Forfeiture Funds and should immediately purchase the Document Imaging Unit and the Animal Control Truck which the combined cost is approximately $38,000.00 dollars.  This will save the taxpayers some tax dollars.

Chief Brooks’ proposal the other night was to LEASE these items and have the taxpayers pay for the items over years.  If we have the money we should always purchase the items.  Leasing cost the taxpayers more in the long run.

Why should the taxpayers have to suffer because Chief Brooks cannot get his priorities straight?
 
More to come!

Larry Fillmore