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    Public Records Requests - Formal Letter and Complaints

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    7K views9 pages

    Public Records Requests - Formal Letter and Complaints

    Uploaded by

    Anthony Talcott
    Public Records Requests - Formal Letter and Complaints

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
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    of 9
    Me ocoee Mayer iy etson Sconerenoaay ose Wen eter ei Cy Manager November 14, 2023 Mrs, Sains Plasencia Dear Mrs, Plasencia: ‘We want to thank you for your service to the City of Ocoee. We regret to inform you that at this me the City has deed to goin a different direction, Your final Gay of employment will be November 14%, 2023. ‘You should only retum to work for purposes of retrieving your personal belongings and/or return of your ety provided cellphone, ereit card, employee identification card, keys or oer items related to your employment. Any retum should be coordinated with City Management Any pending payments will be mailed or direct deposited into your designated bank ‘account, depending on the arrangements you have in place on ihis date. Your insurance benefits will continue under their present tems through the end of the ‘month, and at which point you wil be offered continued coverage through our COBRA arrangement ‘We wish you all the best with your future endeavors, You should contact the "Human Resources Department at 407-905-3154 if you have any questions, ‘Again, thank you for your service tothe City of Ocoee, Sincerely, Robert Frank, City of Ocoee, City Manager City of Ocose «1 North Bluford Ave * Ocove, Resa 34761 Phone: (407) 905-3100 » www.cc000.0r9 ® PHL F3 ‘On June 14,2023, at about Spm had walked out of the station passed Chief Plasencia and Ofcer ‘Sanders to my parol car to getsome work done. Chief Plasencia and Ofc. Sanders were engaged in conversation and| passed them while they were standing by the door that leads to the employee's parking lot. heard the Chit say "Hello" after had walked past and | replied "Hi" over my shoulder and ‘eontinued to my veice. A fewminutes later a | was siting in my veice, Chief Plasencia knocked on my car door and sald, “| gohng to tell you this one time, dont ever arespect me like that again in front ofa subordinate’. was shocked and confused. Chie Plasencl’s tone was disrespectful and I felt ‘threatened and didnot know why. asked her multiple times what | had done or sald that was wrong, ‘She would not answer my question and continue to berate me ina derogatory manner ‘rolled up my window while sk was verbally attacking me, | cannot recall what she was saying during ‘that time, | just felt confused and uncomfortable with her tone. Itooka deep breath, then exited my car and continued to ask her to exsiin to me what | dd that was wrong; "Nou approached me to tell me | {id something wrong, but wort tll me what | did wrong?” She said, "You know what you dd?" she further stated that "have dore this disrespected her) multiple times" but would not provide examples. ‘She sad, "she doesn't care if Jontlike her or have apralem with her, that could say whatever | ‘wanted when no one i aroun, but to not do it infant of others" asked her to explain what | that she found disrespectful She scld she was “not going off of how she fl, she was going off of how the officer she was taking to looked at her" when | walked by ther. She sai "barreled by them" and when she sid "HI did not. told he dd respond "Hi" nd that | would never disrespect her in front of ‘another person, The Chef stated we would discus this with the Deputy Chief of Patol in the morning to ‘which | questioned that | stile not understand why we were having ths uncomfortable conversation tonight. then went on to say have been asking for months to speak to her, email, text, and phone call, but she would not give mea moment of her time. ‘She redirected the convetsatien and sald she thought "Natalia Cpl Ota and | were fine”. am not Sure wy her name was brougnt up in this conversation, Background: During my traning oF Cpl. Ortiza few months prior, Chie Plasercia involved herself by countering my dect order, Cpl. Ortiz was directed to transport her arrest to jal we were shor staff due to block training an felt it was unnecessary to tie up two officers on an ares. |asked Cpl. Ortiz to take on more ofa supenisor roll so that she could eam how to work the radio. and Chef Plasencia demanded that another officer transport fr her fom now on. If asked Cpl Ortiz ore the radio todo something, Cp. Ortiz sald she would geta call from the ‘Chet wanting to know why tld her to doit When | discovered Cpl. Ortiz and Set. Munoz were giving ‘the Chef false information onwhat type of Sergeant Iwas, requested to speak to Chief Plasencia and he refused. \ have addressed the gossip with Cpl Ort. Sgt. Munoz informed the Chief he started the issue and apologized Cl. Orland since then has maintained a cordial working relationship to this date, However, while speaking tothe Chet she sald Deputy Chief Ogburn tld her she didnot have to tale to me anymore because te issues was handled Basically belive she did nothear my reply "HI" and jumped to the conclusion that| was actively lsrespecting her infront of Of. Sanders. feel the Chief was inappropriate, she would have treated other officers or sergeant ferent, and that this isa form of harassment is directed specifically ‘towards myself for some unkrown reason. A reasonable person would have assumed they just dd not hear her if they appeared tobe ina hurry to get to their vehicle as was. Atte end ofthis conversation, ‘the Chief acknowledged she nay not have heard my reply, but we would stil dscuss ths withthe Deputy Chief of Patra inthe morning fi af LS Pa 3 In addition, upon my return tooice work after a medical leave ofabcence (May 2023), | was walking through the break oom ofthe police department at the same time as Chief Plasencia. | greeted the Chief "HP" as she stood atthe vending machine and she di not acknowledge me. said "HI" again and a second time se didnot acknowledge me. then sat at the table in the break room with my lunch, ‘whereas she made smal talk wit other personnel She then walked passed the table where | was seated in clear view and again di not acknowledge my existence. This was my fst day back at work and elt unwanted and defated by my own chief. With al ofthe doctor appointments and then made to feel ike l was invisible, | did not think the office was a good setting for me while | recovered, so decided tostay home to finish recovering. ‘Ayear ago, | could regulary reach out tothe Che for professional advice ad career guidance. The Chief was approachable and wiling to share her knowledge at that ime. However, last year our professional relationship eoured for unknown reasons. | attempted to engage withthe Chiefin conversation, email request, meeting requests, and by text and phone, but allmy attempts to reestablish a professional relationship were declined. | have serious concern that i must correct Cp Ontizon her failures, the chief wil retaliate against me for disciplining orcorecting her. | am further ‘concerned thatthe Che's behavior undermines and demotivatesallfB Evenings & Midnights Today, | spoke to Deputy Chet Ogburn, he informed me he would never tellour Chief she not to speak to™me, She also made a comment about my memory to my Deputy Chit, insinuating thatmy memonys 8 potential Issue as a Sergeant and needed to be monitored by my eutenat fas notan issue when tested, Interviewed and promoted to corporal ‘and then sergeant] winen the chief sent me an ema May 5, 2022 stating, “Just have to shout you wrote at AMAZING evaluation for OfNcer Martinez. YOU took the time necessary to show me what a eeat officer he is becoming. Your documenting of his progress, his efforts stats, and talent in handling of his alls and growing with added tenure was exceptional. | appreciate your entra effort in writing his evaluation and know it wll mean the world to him as walls ‘my wish all supervisors would put as much effort into an evaluation as you did. Our employees are so deserving and crave this typeof effort from our supervisors. This whole year have had to explain myself when It comes to given an order to my officers, have had ta defined my character to other officers that do not know me. | have had ather officers on this patrol rotation questioned by other oficers onthe other sie asking fama teribe sergeant. am bel told ‘that the Females on this rotation are mean and not welling to help of back other ofiers and they acts like as if there arena click The rumors andl gosip about me, my ofcers andthe Bravo midnight officers were so ba, that Deputy Chief Ogburn sent out an eral tall sworn reminding officers tat Isa violation of Policy to spread rumors and gossip and that needed to stop. Due to Che's involvement and taking sides with and not allowing me to speak and us feeling ke we ae picked on by her, that we are not doing enough onthe road really messed up our motivation and our drive. {have wanted to workin Ocoee since I wasa child, however, this targeted harassment from the Chief creates a hostie and unwelcoming work envionment for me, Lhave suffered so much and come sofa, cespacially these past2 months, to retura to work only to feel unwanted and disrespected by my own ® Po 303 Chie. will not allow anyone ircluding my Chief to point a finger at me and speak to me ina disrespectful manner for any reason at all. f she speaks this way with others cant help that, but not Thank you for your tie, Tista blake 6/15/2023 October 4, 2023, Dear City Administration, T hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to express my concerns regarding the current leadership within our police department, specifically Chief Saima Plasencia, ‘As an employee of the department, I wish to maintain anonymity to avoid potential repercussions First, it has become evident that Chief Plasencia fails to provide effective leadership, ‘resulting in an alarming decrease in morale among the department's emplayees. This decline has had significant consequences, including the premature retirement of at least one ranking member who was an asst to our department, Lt. Bryant, The hostile ‘work environment created by Plasencia played « direct role in this early departure. One of Plasencia’ conceming practices involves targeting her employees based solely ‘on personality differences. She constanly disregards and undermines the commitment of her employees to this agency, only focusing on frivolous points and missteps. This creates unnecessary tenon and compromises the harmony within our department. ‘Additionally, Plasencia frequently bypasses the chain of command, issuing instruction to anyone, regardless of ther rank or positon within the department and Without informing thet direct supervisors. She often contacts swom and civilian personnel drety on tee personal phones to inquire about police matters ouside the chain of command. This approach only exacerbates tensions, makes offices and civilians very uncomforable and is a direct violation of General Order #1.0 ‘Moreover, Plasencia's emotional instability has become a source of discomfort and uncertainty among all enployed by this agency, except those who she “likes”. Chief ‘Plasencia has had a life long career with a lange department, but she lacks empathy, common sense and pro‘ssionalism, making her 30+ years of experience extremely ineffectual as a leader. She lacks basic knowledge of the law and law enforcement tactics, Chief Plasencia creates an unstable work environment that hampers our ability to serve and protect the citizens effectively. Chief Plasencia encourages gossiping and “high schoo!” betavior among employees, acting as a litle grt playing with her dollhouse or as ifthe Police Department was her own private company. Iti a known fact to all department employees that Plasencia has favorites among the “troops”. This {favoritism creates an unfir advantage for certain individuals, as they are more likely to receive her support in securing desirable unit transfers and promotions. An example of that is the fact that Chief Plasencia contacted Detective Motes directly on his personal cellphone and “promised” him the position with the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation (MBI), Once another employee outscored Detective Motes in the application process, Chief Plasencia ereated a second position so Detective Motes could go on to the uni: he was guaranteed to get. Never in the history of our department, have we bed 2 officers assigned to MBI at the same time, The second position was ereated to accommodate her interests, No financial benefits will come with the addtional MBI position. Other officers believe this practice undermines the department’ selection processes and calls into question the integrity of the selection process T implore the city administation to address these pressing issues promptly, as the repercussions are already taking atoll on our department. We risk losing more officers to other departments or early retirements, and exacerbating our cureat understating problem. It is crucial thatthe city takes action to restore fuith in our department's leadership, eliminate favoritism, and preserve the well-being of our dedicated officers ‘Moreover, the chie's haphazard decision-making, devoid of any logical or statexic considerations for the betterment of the citizens of Ocoee or the department as a ‘whole, is disheartening. It is imperative that the leader of our police department ‘operate with professionalism, transparency, and a commitment to public service. Please understand that I raise these concerns in the interest of improving our department’ functionality, morale, and overall effectiveness. It is my sincere hope that the city administration will address these matters promptly and enact appropriate ‘measures to rectify the curent situation. Failure to do so may lead to a loss of trust and confidence in our police department among both the officers and the community wwe serve, During an agency survey prior to her promotion, 100% of the voters did [NOT want her forthe pesition of chief of police. Her inability to lead is also a known, ‘act among other police chefs inthe area, and causes embarrassment to the agency. In closing, while the content of this letter speaks in broad generalizations, it is ‘important to note that there exists a substantial number of specific incidents that could be listed. Should this leter be disregarded, the sender is prepared to take the steps of presenting the specific in a much more public manner and possibly contact the news ‘with details about the siuation. It is my hope that the city administration recognizes the gravity of these corcems and takes swift action to address them, ensuring the integrity and effectvencts of our police department forthe benefit of all involved, ‘Thank you for your attention to this urgent mater, I trust that you will take the necessary sleps to ensure a positive and productive work environment for all members ‘of our police department Sincerely, Your Concerned Employee Director Wison, {am writing this ema to fea formal complaint on the mistreatment, intimidation andthe hostile work environment have been subjected to over the course ofthis last year. More specifically, the treatment | have recelved by our current Poice Chief, Sima Plasencia. have brought these cancers to my Immediate supersor, Deputy chief MeXnstry and am now bringing these cancers to you, in hopes ‘that the behavior wil top and that | willbe given protections against retaliation from Plasencia, ‘The following events descrhed are only afew of the many instances where Plasencia hastrented me poorly or attempted to intimidawe me, creating a hostile work environment, as described in Personnel Rules and Regulations 13.02 (Art Harassment Policy). These actions have caused a strain on my mental health, my ability todo my job effectively and taken ato on some of my professional relationships with ‘my subordinates ond pees, Several months ago, we had a homicide victim's family come into the PD to recelve an update on the Status of their case, While inthe bllding, the victim's mather went tothe restroom and unfortunately left her cellphone inthe rstroem. Plasencia found the phone, thought It tobe the phone of an office, ‘took several sli pictures withthe phone and gave it to other police employees, who also took slfies, before realizing the phone belonged to our victims mother. Instead of doing the right thing, she broueht ‘the phone to me, told me whose hone it was and asked if there was a way to delete pictures taken on ‘the phone. When I told her we could not, absent a passcode ora warrant, she tld me to track down the victim's mother and return the phone. She said t was only a couple of sel plctures and said they were not eistasteful. | personally took the phone to this vitin’s mother, who Was already upset with the police and the overall lack of progres and arrests inthe case, and had the unpleasant experience of having her scroll through what was certainly more than just afew photos. This was an embarrassing ‘experience for me and the department. This was unprofessional and went against whats expected not ‘only from police officers but cern members of management. Plasencia has often attempted to cause advde within my unt by pitting employees against each other and speaking negatively about hers She has tld my direct subordinate, Sergeant Gomez, not t tell ‘me certain things or that he does not need to tell me everything they discuss. none particular instance, Plasencia told Gomez about employee Wendl Cady interviewing fora postion at City Halland asked Nim not to tll anyone, myself include, eventhough | was in Wendi's cain of command, Plasencia became Upset with me and Gomez whenshe found out he had told me and intially tried to deny ths, even after old her there were witnesses o her tling Gomer, ke employee Krista Femander. Plasencia proceeded to cal Krista into heroic and question her on what she heard ar det hea andl Kista

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