“F---
the Public”
Says Brian Anderson
Affidavits cite Anderson as saying,
“citizens get what they pay for”
Brian Anderson sheriff candidate
By Ron
Lee
Investigative Reporter
US~Observer
Josephine
County, OR
- Recently, several ex-Josephine County sheriff deputies along with
one on-duty officer have stepped forward with affidavits claiming that
on many occasions Brian Anderson, current undersheriff, made disparaging
remarks toward the public in briefings to his staff saying, "F---
'em. They get what they pay for." According to an affidavit Anderson
even went on to say that he would release the prisoners of the jail
if the public didn’t want to fund it and let them deal with the
criminals. In the affidavits Anderson also instructed deputies not to
respond to anything other than emergency calls. Included as well was
information alleging Anderson allowed "false investigations against
deputies to proceed despite his knowledge the deputies were innocent,"
because they didn't belong to the "A Team" - a group some
in the department call the good-old-boy club that currently exists.
One of the affidavits even cites specific criminal misconduct. The US~Observer
has also obtained a recent letter written by Grants Pass Chief of Police
Joe Henner stating that the city police will no longer back the sheriff's
department unless it is an absolute emergency. This is because there
are no procedures in place within the sheriff's department to take care
of many situations they face. In his letter Henner specifically mentioned
that he had previously brought this to the attention of Undersheriff
Anderson, but that no procedures have as yet been adopted. These affidavits
and the letter by the city police chief come at a pivotal point for
Anderson who is seeking to be elected as the county sheriff in the upcoming
election on the grounds that he is well qualified for the position and
has been doing a good job as undersheriff.
On
October 10, 2006, US~Observer investigative reporter John Taft called
Anderson for comment on the allegations stated in the affidavits, specifically
that of him saying, "F--- the Public." Anderson at first responded
that his remarks were taken out of context but later recanted saying
that he never used the F-word. However, commenting on the grounds of
anonymity one high-ranking public official stated that he had heard
Anderson say this many times.
One
of the affidavits reads in part, "...Brian Anderson a patrol lieutenant
... came in to briefing and told ALL of us, 'I want all of you to only
go out on emergency calls and do NO patrolling f--- the public they
don't want to give us any money then f--- them go out on the emergency
call and come right back to the office.' ... We were not allowed to
go to burglary or theft calls and many more."
The
evidence supporting that Anderson told his staff in briefings to only
work on emergency calls comes in the form of the department's own published
reports on burglaries in 2004. The report says that they had received
516 burglary calls but that only 95 of these cases were reviewed and
only 43 were actually investigated, something many, especially in the
outlying county areas, know all too well. One resident stated that she
had called the sheriff's department when her home was burglarized but
didn't hear back and it was only after several calls and almost a week
when they actually responded by sending out officers. According to this
woman who wished to remain anonymous, when they did respond they were
rude and never investigated the crime.
Anderson
has, in part, based his platform on running for the position of sheriff
that there needs to be an individual in the top position who has budgetary
experience as funding is, according to Anderson, the biggest law enforcement
challenge this county faces saying, "we don't have stabilized funding
so we end up losing a lot of our officers to other agencies because
they might not have a job next year. And to me you can't fight the meth
problem and any of those other issues if you don't have the staff to
do it. You need detectives. You need deputies out there handling calls.
You need directors for when people call in. You need the jail, a jail
that's adequately funded to house people. I think funding is the biggest
issue." But mismanagement of funds is one of the many issues the
affidavits address calling into question Anderson's ability to head
the department, one which obviously has more issues than previously
known. As for “budgetary experience;” any experience Anderson
does have is for naught given the excessive amount of lawsuits (most
successful) that have been filed against the Josephine County Sheriff’s
Office while Anderson and Dave Daniel have overseen the department,
or in better terms, failed to oversee the department.
The
authors of the affidavits all feel the public need to be informed of
what is going on in the department. One of the affidavits reads in part,
"In making these statements, it is not my will or intent to bring
disfavor upon the Josephine County Sheriff's office. I still have many
friends there that are good people that work hard. I simply want the
citizens to know the truth about what has been happening ..." Another
even says, "I do not believe that the public would want someone
like this (Anderson) to be our sheriff for Josephine County."
With
the election now days away the effects of these affidavits remain to
be seen. As for Gil Gilbertson, Brian Anderson's opponent in the election,
he had no comment when asked if he had any opinion on the effects the
affidavits might have.
Editor's
Note: It has come to light that the editor, Denis Roler, of the Grants
Pass, OR local news publication, the Daily Courier, also has the affidavits
and has yet to publish any kind of story. Is Roler trying to protect
Anderson by remaining silent, or does he feel that it isn't worthy news
for their readers? Whatever the answer, it makes one wonder.
Denis
Roler at the Daily Courier can be reached by calling:
(541)
474-3700
or by e-mail at newsdept@thedailycourier.com
To
voice your opinion to Brian Anderson, he may be reached by calling the
Josephine County Sheriff's Department:
(541)
474-5123
or by e-mail at jocosheriff@co.josephine.or.us