Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

No Problems At GPD

Gurdon City Marshal David Childres said there are no problems within the Gurdon Police Department.

Responding to remarks made at the June 10 Gurdon City Council meeting, Childres said salaries at the GPD for the first five months of 1996 are below budget.

He agreed the maintenance and repair budget is higher than it should be, but said when something goes wrong with one of the patrol cars, it must be fixed. "There's no way you can tell ahead of time when something will happen to a car," he said. "It's something we can't help."

Childres said the department has had problems with the brakes on one of the cars, and the rear end broke loose from the frame on the new Chevrolet.

In talking about the department's fuel budget, which is higher than anticipated for the first five months of the year, Childres said the GPD had been running three cars on the weekends for the past two months.

"In the hot summer is when we have most problems here," he said. "I thought the people of Gurdon would appreciate having three cars running on weekends. We've had less trouble and break-ins."

Childres said he and Gurdon Mayor Rick Smith discussed the situation about a month ago. At the time, the GPD was about 100 gallons over normal consumption. This, the marshal said, amounts to four fill-ups for one car.

"If they don't want us utilizing the cars and men we've got, we'll park one of the cars," he said.

However, the newest patrol car is already parked, though not voluntarily. This vehicle has its air conditioning compressor blown, and apparently has a problem with its central computer processor. Basically, the car won't start and local mechanics don't have the equipment to diagnose the problem.

Childres said he thought he was doing the city a better job by keeping the three cars on the road during the weekend, though during the week two ran daily.

He said there are times when one or two of the cars are transporting someone to Arkadelphia.

"You never know what will happen," he said.

According to Childres, his understanding of the budget process is if a department is over budget in one area and under in another, the funds could be commingled to balance out.

In discussing the newest part-time officer, Childres said the department had moved one of its men to full-time status in November, 1995.

This slot was not filled immediately. Gurdon applied for, and received, a grant from the federal COPS program in the amount of $5,000.

The only way to spend this money, Childres said, was for overtime for full-time officers. At this time, he said, the mayor was informed the GPD might not hire a replacement for Tony Pruitt, the officer moved from part to full- time.

Childres spoke with the other officers, who, he said, agreed to work extra duty on weekends for the overtime funds.

When Pruitt went full time, Chris Harper applied for his part-time post. Nothing was done until about six weeks ago, Childres said, when he reviewed Harper's application and hired him.

He said Harper rode with another officer on weekends for a month before getting paid anything.

Childres said he and and Smith talked about this situation about three weeks ago. The marshal agreed he should have informed the mayor about hiring a new officer sooner.

"The deal was," Childres said, "I had to give Tambra Smith (Gurdon City Recorder/Treasurer) Harper's social security number for the books. I had that.

"On the car situation, anyone driving it (a patrol car) is covered (insured)."

Harper can work with the GPD for up to one year before attending the police academy in Camden. Childres said he has the paperwork to get Harper into the academy together, and is waiting for a slot to open so the officer can go and be trained.

Should Harper successfully complete training at the academy, he will be certified as a part-time officer.

There were questions raised about a checking account the city knew nothing about, but had checks written on it.

Childres said he had been told by the courts to start the account, which came from money from the drug task force in the amount of about $550.

These funds, he said, could only be used to purchase drugs, information and equipment as pertaining to police work in the fight against drugs.

The account, he said, was opened about two months ago. At the time checks were written on it, Childres said the department only had counter checks, not regular numbered account checks.

The second check written on the account was for the purchase of 18 black knit golf-type shirts with the word "police" embossed in gold over the left breast. These shirts were distributed to the officers on the GPD.

The first check, he said, was written for cash to make a drug buy in the case leading to the arrest of Julius Marks and Micki Fields.

"If we'd put the money in the general fund," he said, "the police department won't realize nothing out of it."

Childres said these problems stem from his being reelected as city marshal. "People up there (city hall) are upset because I won the city marshal's race," he said. "I can tell you that.

"I believe that and don't appreciate them bashing me and me not being there.

"The mayor, and stuff brought up (at the council meeting) I don't know if he knew about the account. They (the court) told me it was none of his business."

Childres said he and the GPD get audited. "I'm the one who accounts for what we do. I was told to do that (the checking account) by the court. That's the way the auditors said to do it.

"I'm the one who has to go in front of the auditors. I've been doing it since (first elected) city marshal and haven't gone to the pen yet."

Childres denied any wrongdoing in the GPD and said he would have been at the council meeting had he known about it if he'd known the council was planning on talking about him.

"I don't think about it (council meetings)," he said. "I don't get off on the city council like some of them do. I don't live for council meetings like some of them do.

"I imagine I'd better start going so I can take up for myself and the GPD. I'd like to have been there to answer questions instead of being made look like a damned fool."

Childres said there are hard feelings at city hall because he won the election. He said one of the council members, Edna Cooper, is married to one of the two men he beat for the office.

"I know she's got a problem with me," he said. "I'm sure there are problems there. The mayor was for Rod Cooper (Edna's husband).

"People are sick about it that I didn't get beat. I have nothing to hide. If we're over budget on gas, I'll park one of the cars."

According to Childres, police cars are serviced about every 3,000 miles with an oil change. In