From: "Jeffrey C. Smith"
Date: December 19, 2017 at 12:02:45 AM EST
To: TJ Redefer
Subject: Re: Marc Appelbaum Letter of October 23, 2015

Dear Mr. Mayor (tj):

Please see replies below:

On Dec 18, 2017, at 10:19 AM, <tj@townofdeweybeach.com> <tj@townofdeweybeach.com> wrote:

Hello Mr. Smith,

The town has acquired a location that all of the equipment will soon be moved to. I signed the lease, after it was review by counsel, on Friday. I am told that this move should be completed by the end of January.

Due to the audit, the equipment will need to be produced well before January. We are requesting that its location be disclosed today. Its Military surplus equipment owned by the town and its citizens. Treating its location as an coastal version of “Area 51” is unjustifiable, and the very definition of unaccountable. Clearly that is the Police Department’s wish but they report to the Mayor and Dale Cooke, the acting town manager.

There has been no stonewalling. Not sure why you feel that way. Compared to how things were going prior to my election things are moving along well. You said at one point in our phone conversation that this was like emergency surgery... That this needs to move like a triage to save the town. Worrying about License plates and taking pictures of equipment while I work on all other systems seems like an band-aide to me, but we will get there too.

I’m certain of the priorities of obtaining the location of the 34 vehicles, and the answer why the two vehicles do not appear to be registered or have any required license plates. I’m also certain that the residents and have not received anything about the program from the town or the police department, since the Walton report — except for that which we have been able to collect and report ourselves.

Trust and integrity is all I have for you today Jeff.

As a famous president said in the 1980s “trust but verify.”
After reading the Walton report, many residents do not trust the Police on the 1033 program.

Trust that I am doing my best to get us all the answers to all the question as fast as I possibly can

Yes, I do agree its clear that the Police Dept is stonewalling Council, and now I hear the Police chief may go on vacation? Cant be true! Having run a business now for 30 years in partner with other business owners nationwide, no boss I know would ever allow a vacation during this time for the Police Department - who is in the center of the controversy.

Integrity is all that any of us have at the end of the day.

Integrity is in fact the core value, that we need to use throughout the day and demand of others who work for us. Integrity is being transparent as has been promised. Integrity is not allowing the police to treat these vehicles’ location as a Police secret to protect, or allowing the Humvees on Dewey streets without license plates - thats the law that applies equally to a Humvee or a Prius. It’s not in the Chief of Police’s authority to exempt his favored vehicles from state laws.

As a result of the investigation the towns people have been made vividly aware of the program. However, leadership and management knew, and they knew at the very least since some time prior to the employee’s public claims in June 2017. You see, under oath leadership and management talked the program in the investigation! What steps did they take? I know the answer. Do you? Now, what steps have I taken in 3 short months? The answer to that is more than anyone else has in years.

Well most of the summer was spent chasing down accusations that turned out to be false, at great (huge) expense to Dewey. As I’ve said prior, some people before June, based on the Walton report, did try to get answers from the police department and likely came up against the same wall that I have here. And those people making the false accusations are still in place and in fact are the same people who remain the problem and need to be called out. None of those people have been held accountable. But most importantly it’s 100 percent clear those are the same people blocking the promised transparency that you promised. And allowing any to go on vacation signals that they operate wirh impunity. Thats just simple management truths nobody could reasonably disagree with, as a leader.

Work with sir! We will get to the answers.

The Department heads report to Council thru Dale Cooke (acting town manager) and yourself, the Mayor. They can be accountable to you today. Any vacations need to be canceled until this information comes out. In fact the police chief had already promised you a report prior to the last council meeting, a promise that went unfulfilled.

Those are just some simple reasonable steps that would indicate both command and cooperation. I know your intentions are the best for the town, as are ours.

Respectfully,

Jeffrey