Thoughts of An American Citizen

Amidst a fanfare of sheriff's deputies and officers from around the County Sheriff Sadie Darnell appeared at the most recent orchestrated publicity event to take place at Alachua's City Hall. The Event: the introduction of the new interim Chief of Police.

What would have been expected as a display of love and loyalty to retiring Chief Robert Jernigan was instead an event nearly absent of reference to the long-term Chief.

Appearing before a joint meeting with the Alachua County Commission and that of the City Darnell introduced Captain Joel DeCoursey who she agreed to "loan" to the APD while they sought a full-time replacement. It appears that Darnell allowed City Manager Clovis Watson to personally select from among her command for a person of his own choosing. And he chose DeCoursey who is known to have a long personal history with Watson.

The event pre-dated Jernigan's scheduled retirement later this year due to the fact that, unexpectedly, one day last week Jernigan showed up for work but insted turned in his keys, his car, and badge. But in the absence of the Chief the Deputy Chief is lawfully empowered to step in to fill the vacuum. What was suddenly revealed this week was that Clayton Reiter, Deputy Chief of the APD, was on paid leave and under an internal investigation. That news alone should come as a shock given the fact that it has been Watson and Jernigan who have been at the center of the controversies and indeed proven criminal activities (such as fraudulently reporting Watson as a Police Officer, granting him powers of arrest and other restricted powers, and enabling him to receive pension benefits he was ineligible to receive as City Manager and reserved for those officers in the line of duty). Indeed I can personally attest to the fact that in my experiences over the past two years Clayton Reiter has been nothing but professional. From all appearances Reiter is one of those among the APD who respect the law and behave in an honest and ethical manner.

All this comes in the midst of the continuing controversy regarding the question of who controls the Alachua Police Department and for what purpose. Watson, who holds the additional title of Police Commissioner, has been considered the actual "head" of the APD for the past several years dictating commands from his political position (well, actually, City Manager's are supposed to be apolitical, but that's another story) in City Hall and expecting Chief Jernigan to dutifully obey. While Clovis was allowed to make several arrests, including that of myself for alleged "wiretapping," he was in direct violation of Article V of the Florida Constitution which prohibits dual office-holding. And someone in the APD as well as City Hall was responsible for fraudulently reporting Watson's status for both pension and police matters. All the while questions have been raised about the appearance that the APD had been used as a means of political strong-arming rather than actual law enforcement.

But these general questions of who and what only lead one to a myriad of particulars.

Why did Jernigan unexpectedly quit? How, when, and why was Deputy Chief Reiter removed from duty?

Word on the street is that Watson and Jernigan have had some kind of falling out creating this unexpected vacancy before a replacement for Jernigan was chosen.

As for Reiter's status there has never been any public accusation of his involvement of wrongdoing in APD, which accusations the Department has hardly been able to duck for several years, and most who know of his service, including myself - one of the Department's most vocal critics, have nothing but praise for his being one of that force who has consistently showed complete respect for the law and a professional demeanor.

But the coincidences of Jernigan's early departure, Reiter's unexplained absence, and Watson's personal pick for the interim stand-in only further concerns that Watson is desperately trying to avoid the appointment of a new Chief who refuse the role of loyal subordinate to Watson but is instead trying to find either an open ally or someone who, like Jernigan, would not dare challenge Watson's command. (See High Springs Herald: Many apply to be next Alachua police chief)

There is also another angle to this story of significant concern throughout Alachua County. Included among the list of applicants are two former members of the Alachua County Sheriff's Office (ACSO) who have recently left the department amid controversy while Darnell has attempted to clean up that agency from its deteriorated condition as left by her predecessor.

There has been no love lost between a small faction within the Sheriff's office and their political allies (primarily the coalition of the Jeff McAdams led union and certain "leaders" of the Republican Executive Committee of Alachua County (ACREC) who have allied to oust Darnell at the next election.). In fact Stafford Jones, the Chairman of the ACREC, recently conducted a poll in an effort to obtain support to back Clovis Watson for Sheriff rather than Lonnie Scott. (This raises ethical questions about Jones and the REC involving themselves in support for a candidate in backroom deals and prior to the opportunity of registered voters in that party to make their independent choice.)

Alachua's neighbor in High Springs also recently shocked many when it chose to hire James Troiano to replace their retiring Chief of Police. Troiano had left the ACSO after having been demoted by Darnell. The decision is a queer one not only for the fact that this establishes a factional war among law-enforcement agencies in this County (clearly jeopardizing public safety) along the political and factional divide regarding control of the Sheriff's Office. (One reason the County needs to take action as recommended to it to establish the Sheriff as a Charter office under its authority). Politics has thoroughly polluted and corrupted our local law enforcement community. But also because his record at the ACSO was reported in an investigatio as finding that "Troiano is severely lacking in the personal and professional skills to be a productive supervisor. It is clear he needs extensive training and behavioral adjustments in order to be a successful supervisor at the Alachua County Sheriff's Office." Yet this qualified him to head an entire law-enforcement agency? Queer indeed.

So we should not be surpised to learn that rumors emerging from within the Sheriff's domain are that Watson has narrowed his personal choice down to two of the numerous applicants. And if the City continues its precedent it will be Watson, alone, who will dictate this decision to the Commission who will dutifully "recognize" the choice.

Which two are rumored to be under serious consideration? Robert E. Chapman, who resigned as Director of the Jail in the midst of an investigation, and Chad Scott, the Sergeant fired by Darnell after an internal investigation discovered misconduct in reporting items related to his pay. That the rumor is that Watson has made a deal with Scott to take the helm should thus be given great consideration given the financial irregurities known to have existed in Watson's own relationship with APD from his collection of benefits as Deputy Chief that were only available to lower level officers, in the years prior to becoming City Manager, to his fraudulent activities to obtain pension benefits unavailable to him as City Manager.

No one can fail to see the desperate need for Watson to find a "loyal leuitenant" to replace Jernigan rather than the best applicant from the law enforcement rather than political perspective as well as the need to prevent an independent actor such as Reiter from having command in the interim.

The appearance of a deliberate purge of the APD of those who refuse to play the political pawn of the City Manager is also not a first in Alachua nor under Watson's rule. Several years ago Watson initiated a witch hunt against then Deputy Chief Steve Hammands as well as Officer Ed Peritore. These individuals had been involved, after Watson moved from APD to City Hall, in seeking to actually address the very real problem of Alachua being a center of hard drug distribution in North Florida. For some reason Hammond's success in this area was met instead with his termination for insubordination.

Indeed Watson has reason to fear Reiter, if he has reason to fear a leader of the Department who would follow the law and refuse the role of political pawn, because Reiter has recently demonstrated this trait in the lead up to the last political arrest orchestrated by Watson involving myself. This past August I was arrested (and battered) by Chief Jernigan and Officer Patrick Barcia. Barcia is the son of Alachua Mayor Jean Calderwood and has a checkered history from other law enforcement institutions. He is also the step-son of Hugh "Bud" Calderwood who was "leaking" information falely alleging that I had committed some kind of illegal and inappropriate act at a local gas station. It turned out that the information was coming directly from Chief Jernigan, rather than through the appropriate process (which involved Reiter as the person who reviewed and approved police reports), through Watson, to the Calderwoods.

It was in response to this that I began, unbeknown to any of those actors, a series of discussions with Clayton Reiter. I trusted Reiter having seen his leadership over the department last Spring one one of Jernigan's days off. I went to the Alachua City Hall with Carol Thomas and Michael Canney to seek to obtain public records. Although nothing occurred other than my mere presence two armed uniformed officers arrived in response to a call about a "disturbance" coming from a source in City Hall.

This indeed had become a pattern - a deliberate pattern - of the political use of the APD by Watson and his crew to try and silence my activities by attempting to create the false impression that I was threatening and disruptive as a means to prevent me from entering public buildings or attending public meetings. The pattern: I would arrive, make a request, would be ignored or denied, I would explain the law, the "law" would be called, and a report would be generated claiming I was disruptive and at times they would threaten me with arrest for trespassing and indeed on this occasion to actually do that - they arrested me at the police station as I was seeking to file a complaint for the criminal violation of my rights by persons within the department who had accessed my personal banking records and released information on the internet. It turned out that the perpetrators were Jernigan, Watson, and Calderwood.

But on this particular occasion, it being Jernigan's day off, Clayton Reiter was in charge. He arrived moments after the armed officers and witnessed that there was no disturbance. Instead I had to argue to the officer to have Deputy Clerk Alan Henderson agree to meet with me to discuss public records matters. When I asked the officer in charge if he found a "disturbance" (the event was videotaped) he had to admit that there was none. But then, mysteriously, he could not identify who exactly made the call for police help from within City Hall.

Jernigan and Watson had been compiling, since my victory in the wiretapping case, a dossier attempting to criminalize the investigative and related activities of myself and Michael Canney. It was filled with instances of such manufactured "disturbances" documented only by police reports, often quite exaggerated, from the APD and with City staff and officials making the complaints. Included in these complaints were allegations that the staff and officials feared for their lives. Yet all these events so described were caught on video by Canney's camera. Yet the report would offer "evidence" for the building of a case against us - and indeed beginning with a letter by Ward Scott, followed by the first official act of Mayor Gib Coerper, and most recently an interview with Watson by Charles Goston in the highly dubious publication "Black College Monthly" they began to weave together a paper trail to back their claim that they needed to take some kind of pre-emptive action against me before I committed a Columbine or Virginia Tech style massacre or a repeat of a recent case of a person gunning down the members of a City government. It was the police reports that laid the foundation for the defamatory charges.

But when I asked for the report of the "non-disturbance" and the fact that a disturbance complaint was filed by someone in City Hall for my mere appearance there - I was informed by the officer that "this was a non-reporting incident." Well now wasn't that convenient.

Standing in the distance, observing my interaction and conversation with the officer in question, was Deputy Chief Clayton Reiter. I had no prior experience with him and no opinion about him.

Although I was told by the officer that no report would be filed I informed him I would be making the request for the report as well as the dispatch logs. When I got next door to the APD and began to ask for the documents with the confused dispatcher I was suddenly greated from behind by Major Reiter.

"Mr. Grapski," he informed me, "I understand you requested a report. I have instructed the officer to write up such a report and will provide it to you within the next two days." And indeed he did. I did not have to argue with him. Indeed I did not even have to contact him. He did it because it was his duty and the law. And that was all it took.

As a result of the trust I gained from that experience when I discovered the mischief going on with regard to the bank account incident I contacted Deputy Chief Reiter. All of our conversations (except our phone conversations) were recorded.

I asked Reiter how to file a complaint. He explained that to me professionally and courteously. I asked him about Internal Affairs investigations in APD. To that he also directly addressed me without attempts to deny or discourage my learning the information. (The latter information, by the way, was that there was no Internal Affairs process in force within the APD). And I asked him to look into the matters of the leaks as well as some other questionable activities by particular officers.

He did so. Indeed Reiter discovered, and was clearly shocked, that a well-known Watson pawn, Robert Sharpe, had somehow initiated a second police investigation into a matter closed because there was no issue, no crime, and no complaint. What Reiter did not know at the time was that there was indeed a third investigation going on by Jernigan - on his day off - which generated the false and misleading narratives leaked by Watson through Calderwood.

More ironic is that I was following what I had learned from my conversations with Reiter (which took place without the knowledge of Watson or Jernigan) in seeking to file a formal complaint against the Chief and any other actors who were involved in this matter. Jernigan met with me briefly then when confronted with the evidence stated he would have nothing further to say. While I awaited a request to meet with the second in charge, the Deputy Chief, Jernigan came into the waiting room and asked me to step outside. He was clearly upset that I was pursuing this matter and he insisted that the "case was closed." Indeed it was, I assured him, but not that of the activities that violated my rights from within the APD. And it was for that purpose, to redress grievances with my government as protected under our highest law, that I was present at the Police Department quietly waiting in the lobby to file a complaint.

After receiving a series of frantic calls from Watson, Jernigan having ignored the first three attempts, Jernigan stated on the phone "Yes Sir" then returned and proceeded to re-enter the Police station and lock the door - locking me on the outside (with another witness who was there on other business) and locking everyone else in (in violation of the fire code).

I knocked on the door, explained why I was there, and was met this time not only by Jernigan but by Calderwood's son, Patrick Barcia. Barcia asked "is he under arrest yet." At that time I turned to Jernigan (and all of this is on audio tape as well) and offered him my hands to show I was not resisting. He chose not to arrest me. However, as I turned around to walk away (with the intention of filing a charge of violation of my rights to petition for redress of grievances and to access a public police department for public business), Jernigan knocked the recorder out of my hand, said I was under arrest, and I was subsequently thrown head first into the wall by the actions of Barcia and Jernigan. All this for simply seeking to speak with Clayton Reiter to file a complaint according to the procedure that he informed me about the week before.

I am thoroughly convinced that it is this character trait - Reiter's honesty and integrity and his obedience to the law and his duties - that is at the heart of this so-called "investigation" conveniently leaving the door open for Watson to place a "friend" in the highest position and remove someone who was not loyal. That person would not only been relevant for future actions - but would also have access to the records within the APD. Records that might incriminate certain individuals no less than potentially Mr. Watson himself.

So the question really is when did the investigation into Reiter begin, by whom, and for what reason? Who is conducting that investigation? And what is the link to the premature departure of Robert Jernigan? Is Watson orchestrating a cover-up or simply retaining his unfettered control over a law enforcement agency which he has so unscrupulously used for his personal and political benefit.

Perhaps the most disappointing fact in all of this is the position and action (or lack thereof) of the new Sheriff. It has become well-known that the State Attorney Bill Cervone, who is politically and personally connected (as is his higher level staff) certain of the questionable actors and issues in Alachua. Indeed he came up through the ranks under Rod Smith who has acted as Watson's personal attorney, while being paid for this by the City, as well as representing the City without ever having gained authorization for this. Smith, by the way, wrote Watson's contract that was used to give the impression of entitlement to defraud the State pension fund. As you can see there is a very big web of actors and issues raised here in Alachua. And the mischief and indeed criminal activity within the City, by its officials (both political and law-enforcement), has been harbored and condoned by the actions and inactions of Cervone.

But one would have expected more from Darnell. After all her mission is one of cleaning up corruption and ineptitude in the ACSO. And that cannot be accomplished without recognizing its "part" in the greater "whole" of corrupted agencies and actors. But Sadie appears to fall into the trap of thinking politically while holding an office that requires one to think legally. A condition unfortunately brought on by the "elected" nature of her office - a means of appointment never intended to have such consequences. Consequences which are deadly, in a literal sense for some (who are the victims of police abuses of authority), but more importantly are fatal for a society founded on laws rather than the (political) will and whims of "men" (this including, of course, women too).

The void created by Jernigan's unexpected early departure prior to a hand selected successor forced Watson to make a choice. Leave Reiter in charge or find a way to eliminate him. In that scenario, however, he would be forced to turn to the Sherrif.

And Darnell is intimately familiar with Watson's history and the facts of his wrongdoings and abuses of power and authority and misuse of the APD and the police powers. She had the opportunity to place within that agency, for the interim, a person with no connections. A person independent. A person upstanding in the eyes of the community without question.

A person who would be unwilling to act as a pawn. And a person who would guard the records still in existence. And a person, even, who might actually enforce the law within the jurisdiction of Alachua and upon those who have misused their lawfully entrusted authority.

She had many persons to choose from among her staff. Yet she chose instead the "politically" expendient solution rather than that in the best interest of the community, the public good, and justice. Instead of ensuring that this haven of corruption was secured by a person of her choosing with an intent to ensure that the multitude of complaints by citizens that have mounted over the years were addressed she chose the cop-out of leaving the decision up to Watson. And Watson, predictably, has chosen a friend and ally.

Darnell deserves more time to try and clean up the Sheriff's Department. She has only had an abbreviated term of office. But to justify her remaining there she needs to show a commitment to be "above the politics" and instead to be committed, without hesitation or waiver, to the law and justice. She has failed so far to demonstrate that trait. If she does not change her approach in the next year and instead continues to dodge the political hot-potato of holding fellow local political actors to account, as has Cervone, a proper alternative needs to be found to fill that job. Just as we need, desperately, an honest, ethical, and independent actor with a strong commitment to law and justice to unseat Bill Cervone from his seemingly secure throne of inaction.

In the meantime I suggest that you keep a close eye on the APD and on its new interim Chief. DeCoursey too needs to be given a chance to prove himself before a firm judgment on his record at APD can be delivered. Who knows which way he will go? Will he play the pawn? Will he play the patsy? Or will he just take home the paycheck and look the other way? Or will he defy the clear rationale for his being chosen by Watson and do the job and do it well? Only time will tell. There are many who will proclaim, and at this point we can only assume they are correct, that he is as professional as Reiter. But only pressure from the public and the enforement of openness and transparency in the department will ensure that this happens.

When the criminals are in charge of the law one must ask if there is really any law any longer. Or is it just brute force? In such a scenario are we truly free or have we just not stepped on the wrong toes or accidentally witnessed the wrong thing (yet)? Perhaps DeCoursey could set the tone by immediately recognizing the "stink" that has been generating from the APD and City Hall, which no one can deny, and call for an independent investigation into the numerous allegations of corruption, criminality, and fraud that have been raised for nearly a decade. The FDLE has the capability of providing just such a service if called upon to perform it. I would encourage Capt. DeCoursey (now Chief DeCoursey) to take that action and call upon other members of the community to do so as well, to do so "on record," and to do so both privately to the man himself and publicly.