CAT Tracks for September 23, 2009 REPO MAN AT LARGE IN ALEXANDER COUNTY

The local media is all over this one...the national media may well be next!

It's a "man bites dog" type story...

It's a shame that the "Cairo School District String Program" has already cornered the local market on fund-raisers. Of course, this media moment gives the rest of Alexander County a worthy cause for the fall season. Residents of the Egyptian School District can "adopt a cop car" and help keep the sheriff's department rolling.

Gotta admit that my money is on Cairo...

Somehow I can't see some campaign to pinch pennies for patrol cars unseating the sight of second-graders strumming the night fantastic!

Might be too little too late, but maybe the first public concert performed by the participants of the Cairo String Project could be a 50-50 fund-raising extravaganza.

I can see the advance publicity blitz now!

Donate a dollar to support kiddie violin music...

...and help take a bite out of crime!

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From the Southeast Missourian...

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First National Bank in Cairo, Ill., repossessed five vehicles from Alexander County,
including these sheriff patrol cars, Tuesday because of nonpayment.
(Kit Doyle)

Bank repossesses Alexander County patrol cars

By Bridget DiCosmo ~ Southeast Missourian

CAIRO, Ill. -- A row of white sedans were on the outskirts of the parking lot at First National Bank in Cairo on Tuesday, the sides scraped clean of the Alexander County Sheriff's Department decals. Black letters still spelled out "sheriff" near the rear bumpers.

The bank repossessed the vehicles Tuesday because the county had defaulted on its payments for five of the department's patrol cars, according to a news release from Alexander County Sheriff David Barkett. The cars were turned over to the bank after a discussion and agreement with bank officials, Barkett said.

The bank's action comes in the wake of staff layoffs in the sheriff's department and the courthouse at the start of the month.

On Sept. 4, the board of commissioners mandated layoffs for 75 percent of the sheriff's department, Barkett said.

Sixteen county employees, both full and part time, received layoff notices, the Cairo Citizen reported.

Barkett said the sheriff's department would be focusing its diminished staff on serving the court, transporting inmates and handling legal process service.

The county budget currently has a $500,000 deficit, but county officials said that could be up to $1 million by the end of the 2009 fiscal year, according to the Cairo Citizen.

"It's really bad, if you ask me," Delisa Williams, 21, of Cairo, said Tuesday.

Williams said she'd heard other rumors about the county's financial struggles, like outstanding phone bills that had not been paid.

As a law enforcement officer and taxpayer in Alexander County, Gary Hankins, a lieutenant with the Cairo Police Department, said he understands the frustration of sheriff's department staff, but he can foresee the financial issues becoming a problem for county security.

"As a law enforcement officer, you want to do the very best you can for the people you're supposed to be serving," Hankins said.

From the WSIL TV Channel 3 Website...

More Money Woes in Alexander County

ALEXANDER COUNTY- Money trouble is affecting law enforcement in Alexander County yet again. Five Sheriff's Department cars have been repossessed.

The patrol cars are now at the First National Bank in Cairo.

County commissioner Angela Greenwell says the county wasn't making payments on the vehicles because of budget problems.

The sheriff's department says it still has a couple of older cars to use.

The loss of the vehicles comes after the county laid off eleven deputies earlier this month.

Commissioner Greenwell says because of the cuts to law enforcement people in Alexander county should be on guard.

Meanwhile the Tri-County jail may stop accepting prisoners from Alexander County.

That's because the county is behind on payments to the jail, too.

County board members say if they don't pay what's owed by October first the jail will have to refuse prisoners.

Alexander county has a contract agreeing to pay $53 a day per inmate at Tri-County.

From the WPSD TV Channel 6 Website...

Sheriff's Office Turns Patrol Cars Over To Bank

Reported by: Jeff Stensland

ALEXANDER COUNTY, IL - Just two weeks after laying off 75% of its staff, the Alexander County Sheriff's Office returned five of its patrol cars to the bank after defaulting on its loans.

"We don't even have bicycles ready for our deputies to ride," Commissioner Angela Greenwell says.

The Alexander County Sheriff says his department is crippled by a budget bleeding red ink. Tuesday morning, the department returned five of its patrol cars to the First National Bank in Cairo, Ill.

That leaves the department with the few cars it has paid in full. However, officials say the department only has one or two vehicles that are usable. Without the cruisers in use, the few deputies left following the recent layoffs have little ability to patrol or respond to calls.

"I don't know what to think," Cairo resident Dana Newton says. "It's just a big mess."

Newton was born and raised in Cairo. She says the Sheriff's Office having to return its patrol cars is the latest example of how her community is suffering. The Sheriff's Office just laid off three-fourths of its staff two weeks ago. Newton expected the patrol cars would be next.

"I'm not surprised," Newton says. "It's the way it's been for years. I don't see any big change."

"It makes you wonder where all the money is going," another Alexander County resident says. "There might be some crooked folks around here; you never know."

County Commissioners met Monday with two major outstanding bills to pay. One was to keep jail access; the other was to keep squad cars. The jail won, with the county having to pay $45,000 in backed bills to Tri-County Jail.

Commissioner Angela Greenwell says the county has already lost more than a thousand people in eight years, according to the U.S. Census. The coffers that were empty before now have IOUs pouring out of their tops.

"We have too many unpaid vouchers," Greenwell says. "We started this year, this current fiscal year which started December 1, 2008, with well over $500,000 deficit budget. We're working on a deficit budget now for many years, probably going into decades."

Because of the deficit, Greenwell doesn't think you'll see any new cars parked at the Alexander County Sheriff's Office for several years, including the ones now parked in front of First National Bank.

"I would say the fact that the cars have been repossessed, that would nullify the payment," Greenwell says. "They have the vehicles back."

Alexander County owes about $55,000 for the five patrol cruisers it returned Tuesday. Greenwell made no indication the county plans on paying that debt. The Sheriff went to Springfield Tuesday to meet with state leaders and try to get help for his department. Local 6 was unable to reach the Sheriff to discuss what he was able to work out at the state capital.

From the KFVS TV Channel 12 Website...

Alexander Co. sheriff's dept cars repossessed

by Heartland News

Cairo, IL (KFVS) -- Alexander County Sheriff's deputies are going to have to do their jobs without some of their cars.

Tuesday afternoon the department told Heartland News that 5 of the department's cars had been repossessed by the bank.

A Deputy said the department still has a couple of cars sitting around but he called them "junkers."

The same deputy said there are not enough cars for deputies to do their jobs.

This comes just weeks after the Alexander County Sheriff sent out a news release saying the department was laying off 75 percent of its work force.

Heartland News is following this story and we'll update you as soon as we get more information.

We interrupt our programming for this message from our sponsors...

You will notice that the reporting by KFVS TV was sparse...some might say surprisingly sparse since Channel 12 had a news team "on site", present in Cairo yesterday...only a mile away.

Yes, while Alexander County burned, Miss Paula was at Emerson Elementary with her violin ensemble.

However, for those of us who work in the entertainment industry, this focus of coverage is not the least bit surprising...little kids will steal the scene every time!

So, the KFVS news team can surely be forgiven for ignoring the on-going soap opera that is Alexander County and focusing on the folks who will provide the violin music for the closing scene.

One consolation for Alexander County...

During the "Examples of Excellence" segment of last night's Cairo School Board meeting, it was noted that by attending the meeting, we in the audience were missing the filmed coverage by KFVS TV of the String Program. However, we were assured that we would be able to catch the action during a reshowing at 10 p.m.

Alas, it was not to be...

Repossession of Alexander County Sheriff's cars...YES!

Adorable little kids playing violins...NO!

Guess the cold-hearted editors back in the studio (distanced from the mesmerizing sight of fabulous fiddlers) felt that the bankruptcy of a government entity was more newsworthy.

Guess the ancient Romans were right..."Fame is Fleeting".

Hmmm...ancient Romans. We're back to that Nero dude...

But, that's a whole other story...maybe for our next commercial break!

Back to our coverage of the fall of Alexander County...

From the Southern Illinoisan...

Alexander Sheriff’s vehicles repossessed

BY CODELL RODRIGUEZ, THE SOUTHERN

Five patrol cars were repossessed by First National Bank in Cairo because of non-payment, according to a news release from Alexander County Sheriff David Barkett.

Barkett said County Chairman Mike Caldwell received the letter from the bank on Friday and after a conversation with the bank, the five vehicles were turned over on Tuesday.

The department was recently forced to lay off 11 employees, 75 percent of their workforce, because of budget restraints within the county. Their duties became limited to serving the court, providing security at the courthouse, serving legal papers and transporting and securing inmates.

Calls seeking comment from Barkett, county commissioners and the First National Bank of Cairo were not successful.

Since I have been admonished in the past for not checking out the LOCAL local coverage, I checked The Cairo Citizen Website. If you missed it, you can catch up on the "background" of the current events...the County's distribution of "pink slips".

I'm sure there will be extensive coverage in this week's paper!

Stay tuned...

Keep those cards and letters coming...