People of Rockdale County, it is now time to cast your vote for the most efficient leader that will ensure the rights, safety, and pursuit of prosperity for all people who live in Rockdale County. Rockdale County has reached a pivotal point in the increased crime that has been happening across the county. We cannot afford to put our safety back in the hands of Eric J. Levett and his administration. Over the last eight years, there has been no real advancement within the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office . The Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office has become decadent under the leadership of Eric J. Levett.
Here is a quick recap of the last eight years of Lies and deceitful actions of a broken sheriff. In 2013, a transition report was conducted to outline all of the problems, as well as, recommendations to fix the identified issues in the Sheriffs office. The report also was created to ensure accountability for the incoming Sheriff. The first part of the 2013 report goes over the organization and operations.
The report explains why it is essential for any organization or administration to commit to supporting their staff; However, Eric Levett has only made commitments to his friends and family settting a standard of nepotism and cronyism within the department. There have been over 200 years of experience that have walked out of the Rockdale County Sheriffs' Office under Eric Levett's leadership.
Over the last eight years, Rockdale County sheriff's office has experienced a consistent 30 to 40 vacancies of certified deputy positions left open. Now the question is, why would there consistently be 30 to 40 vacancies over eight years?
Forbes Magazine said it best" People leave managers, not companies" In an article titled Don't Be Surprised When Your Employees Quit (Jack Altman,2017) https://www.forbes.com/sites/valleyvoices/2017/02/22/dont-be-surprised-when-your-employees-quit/#4121f0d6325e
The Forbes article states the number one reason people leave a job is: Bad managers ruin everything. Throughout the transition report, it outlines employees having poor performance due to lack of training, low morale and inadequate supervision. Over the eight years, this has been the central theme of the Rockdale County Sheriff's Office under Eric Levett's administration. Over the last eight years, employees' morale became so low that employees began conducting criminal activity.
Here are some examples:
On May 3, 2013, a deputy was arrested and charged with aggravated child molestation and aggravated sodomy.
September 3, 2014, seven Rockdale County investigators were caught cheating on an online test to retain law enforcement certification. One of these investigators was Eric J. Levett's uncle, Grote Levett.
AJC website: https://www.ajc.com/news/rockdale-sheriff-investigators-suspended-for-possible-cheating/h9XiMwvUcoK42F4nUjDr5K/
April 23, 2015, a deputy was terminated for distribution of anabolic steroids to other deputies in his unit. After the investigation was completed, four other deputies resigned due to illegal steroid use. That is five deputies caught in illegal drug usage.
The Rockdale County Citizen https://www.rockdalenewtoncitizen.com/news/rockdale-county-sheriff-s-office-deputy-terminated-four-resign-amid/article_01b0d304-a79b-548b-8069-c472faacfb22.html
On September 12, 2018, Rockdale County evidence Sergeant Dan Lang was under investigation for pawning 43 guns he had stolen out of evidence.
September 10, 2019, Rockdale County jail deputy arrested for sexual assault.
June 6, 2019, Rockdale County deputy accepts a plea for sexual assault.
June 11, 2018, Rockdale County deputy charged with stalking. https://www.ajc.com/news/crime--law/rockdale-county-deputy-fired-weeks-after-stalking-charges-allegations/ZiazbWiYxlQeeSyvxuZ4qJ/
July 31, 2018, Rockdale County deputy charged with selling cocaine inside the jail. https://www.ajc.com/news/crime--law/rockdale-deputy-allegedly-smuggled-cocaine-into-county-jail-give-inmates/pKUxqmKVmY9XEyMSCmSHzI/
The next concern was the security within the sheriff's office. According to the 2013 transition report, Eric Levett was given a detailed report on the issues and recommendations to fix the problems in the evidence room at the sheriff's office. The biggest issue was there were no cameras in the evidence room to prevent someone from taking sensitive items, like money, drugs, jewelry, and guns out of the evidence room. Eric Levett failed to implement the 2013 recommendations, and as a result, in 2018 five years later this happend.( play video below)
People of Rockdale, for eight years Eric Levett has had a detailed report on how to move forward after taking over the sheriff's office. In eight years, we are still in the same state, if not worse, when he took office. What Eric Levett will not tell you is that the sheriff's office was placed on probation for their 2019 State Law Enforcemt Certification due to incompetence. Here is the proof below.
We are now in the year 2020, eight years later and yet the same problems that are outlined within this report are still issues today. The same certifications the agency had achieved under previous sheriffs are the same certification the agency is now barely holding on to. There has been no growth over the eight years under Eric Levett's Leadership. Eric Levett once promise to bring the agency to a national standard of operation through achieving a certification called C.A.L.E.A.(The commission on accreditation for law-enforcement agencies). As you can see within eight years under his leadership, the sheriffs office still does not have this certification.
It's no secret that Shali Tilson died in the jail and Tilson's family is now suing the county. We the people of Rockdale County will be paying out millions of our tax dollars for a lawsuit over the death of a young man that was clearly forseeable and preventable. Tilson's family lawyer will clearly prove there was "deliberate indifference" that happened through Poor leadership, negligence, failed supervision, disregard of sheriffs office policy, and a breach of their duty to protect Shali Tilson. (Play Video)
Ask yourself this question, why do people continue to make excuses for a leader who has had eight years in office and has created nothing but turmoil through division, non-transparency because of secrecy, lies to cover up responsibility for the death that happened; as well as, other mishaps within the sheriffs office.
Over the last eight years under Eric Levett's leadership the Rockdale County Sheriffs Office has currently over 30 pending lawsuits. Now we the Rockdale community will pay the bill because we elected an incompetent Sheriff. Read the grand jury report below and see for yourself. Over the eight years of being in office, Eric Levett has continued the broken direction despite being given remedies in 2013.
September 19, 2019 a Rockdale County Grand Jury Special concluded the same problems that existed in 2013 are still in existence today... We have to choose a leader who will move us forward, not backwards.
I'll leave you with this Rockdale County, if you continue down the path of Eric Levett as the sheriff of this county, then when things inevitably become worse, it's no longer Eric Levett's fault. The fault will be on the People of Rockdale County because they failed to set aside their emotions and remove an incompetent leader.
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