Letter: Male deputy’s behavior violates protocol

Letter: Male deputy’s behavior violates protocol

Unnamed Writer
(Mailed from St Johns, FL 32259)

Dear Editor:

In this county, the Sheriff’s Office wants to believe that it is as bullet proof as the vests that they wear. This is displayed every day in the behavior of its male deputies.

Was Jeremy Bank’s behavior an isolated case? How many female deputies live with rude and degrading comments while trying to do their jobs? How many violations of SP&P do there need to be before anyone stops the harassing and intimidating behavior?

With the recent cover up in the death of Michelle O’Connell, this seems to be a good time to look at the behavior of its deputies. One thing that has stood out is the image of Jeremy Banks, in his uniform, and patrol car, giving the camera the middle finger. He posted this picture on Facebook. Was Jeremy Banks’ arrogant behavior on social media (as well in life) an isolated case of just one deputy violating the department’s social media policy?

SJSO has a clear policy in their SP&P with regards to social media. Ask SJSO for a copy of it and you will see Sheriff Shoar, time and time again, stood in public and stated that his deputies are pillars in this community and are held to a higher standard. My question is does that standard end when they post to social media?

(Writer names four deputies whose names are omitted here.  We don’t publish editorial dissention anonymously.  Identify yourself and we will reconsider.)

These deputies (and this is a very short list, look around and see what you can find) that have listed SJSO as their employer on many social media websites. Become their “friend” (sometimes they are all open to the public) and see what they have posted.

• Inappropriate social interactions in public: Urinating in community pools with children in them, drinking to the point of excess, posting pictures of their patrol cars with a “For Sale” sign on them and standing there with a beer in their hand.
• Drinking: off duty to the point of excess and then complaining they have to go back to work in a few hours. Posting pictures of hard liquor bottles and boasting about how good they are. Guess the sheriff allows drunks and alcohol abuse for his deputies.
• Extramarital affairs: The sheriff must support his deputies humiliating their families on the Internet since these deputies like to post who they are dating while married to others. On top of that, if you break up with them, they have a habit of becoming verbally abusive or posting veiled threats so women are having to report this to the department (hint: pull a human resources file)
• Degrading groups of people (like women): and others because of who they are or some sort of perceived wrongs. These attitudes should concern everyone since at some point they are having interactions with you. How would you like to have your daughter pulled over by one of these creeps.
• Degrading SJSO: I was always taught that you never degrade your employer. Apparently this is a fulltime sport with the deputies of the SJSO.

If you think I am wrong, look for yourself. Looking into the names listed on different social media platforms. Pull their jackets from Human Resources. See who has been getting complaints about their behavior. Parents tell their children all the time “be careful what you post” Do we need to wait for another dead girlfriend, wife or former spouse to see what SJSO deputies are doing on social media?

Jeremy Banks used social media to spread his personal feelings while SJSO stood by.