Wednesday, the FBI removed what I can only assume was dash cam video and other evidence confiscated from the Quartzsite Police Department. Word around Town is that this visit by the FBI may be related to a recent traffic stop by a Hispanic QPD officer on Interstate 10 which resulted in a sexual harassment complaint to the AZ Attorney General by the female driver. She is rumored to be a reporter for the L. A. Times newspaper that recorded the encounter during which she was directed to follow the officer to Richard Oldham's airport and provide sexual favors in exchange for not receiving a citation. As of this post, these allegations have yet to be verified, however, it has been verified that the Quartzsite Police have been directed to have more than one officer respond, and if the suspect is female, an officer from an outside enforcement jurisdiction such as the County Sheriff or DPS must be present before QPD can even make contact.My favorite rumor unearthed in the past few days is that Police Chief Jeff Gilbert has been sending out his resume! Gee I hope that one is true, but it won't get him off the hook for pending civil litigation or potential criminal charges. So much for Gilbert's hollow protests that he and his department have been cleared of all wrongdoing.
This thread is for the sole purpose of collecting all of the known misconduct and crimes (both alleged and convicted) in one place for those FBI agents currently looking into these matters. Comments defending the QPD can be submitted elsewhere, but this comment threat will not be used for that purpose. Let's start with the other most recently exposed scandal.
It is a defense to a prosecution pursuant to section 13-1405 if the victim is fifteen, sixteen or seventeen years of age, the defendant is under nineteen years of age or attending high school and is no more than twenty-four months older than the victim and the conduct is consensual.
R13-4-105. Minimum Qualifications for Appointment
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COURT DOCUMENTED FACT: On 12-31-09, Duty Sergeant Xavier Frausto engaged in an illegal warrantless search of a building on the property of Vito Austin's RV park. False charges against Mr. Austin were dismissed by prosecutor Matt Newman. When Mr. Austin (the brother of the complainant in the aforementioned case) went to the QPD and Town Hall to make a formal complaint against Sgt Frausto (husband of the Town's Magistrate), Chief Gilbert threatened to arrest Vito for "disorderly conduct".
This spring, Chief Gilbert targeted Vito Austin for voting fraud, which resulted in a Grand Jury indictment and subsequent charge against Mr. Austin. Austin plead "not guilty" and the case is currently set for trial.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As publicized in "The Gem" newspaper, on April 23rd, 2008 Quartzsite Duty Sergeant Frausto and Officer Rodriguez along with a third officer illegally searched the private residence of Jennifer Harris and threatened her under color of law after she repeatedly asked for a search warrant. This was openly admitted to in Officer Rodriguez' incident report and is part of La Paz County court records.
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Complaints from the internet:
http://gosw.about.com/b/2009/01/29/travel-horror-stories-bad-experience-in-quartzsite.htm
"And we were charged $l79.00 for this little mistake. The Policeman told me the city needed the money."
http://www.vagabondjourney.com/travelogue/arrival-in-the-desert-quartzsite-arizona/
"I pulled into Quartzsite at night after running a gauntlet of agressively patroling highway police. I was driving in Arizona within 40 miles of the California border, and I passed no less than ten police cars who had pulled vehcles over and were in the process of thorouughly searching them and interrogating their drivers."
http://www.topix.com/forum/city/quartzsite-az/TGVP2A8APC2KV5P4E
"To add insult to injury, there is a growing police presence around town that was unknown a couple of years ago. The police are now shaking down out of state tourists. I should know - I got a ticket for something frivilous. I will never go back to Quartzsite.
http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/Justice.Court.Quartzsite.928-927-6313/review/read?cid=963407
"I received a ticket two years ago. I paid the fine on time. Then they claimed it was late,I have a copy of the cashed check from Quartzsite. I paid another twenty dollars. Now I discover I have a failure to appear on record. The worst part is that I should not have gotten a ticket as I was not speeding. I was behind a series of trucks and a group of cars went by on my left , I oulled out to pass at 7o mph and the patrol said I was doing 90 he wrote me up for 80 in a 70. He was an angry trooper and was angry that I even tried to explain i thought he was going to oull me out of the car and accused me of being a danger to the public. it was absolutley insane and now they do this. What am to do. They dont respond to anything. i live in Florida and I cant afford to go all the way to Quartzsite of allplace."
A. Except as provided in subsection (C) or (D), a person shall meet the following minimum qualifications before being appointed to or attending an academy:
2. Be at least 21 years of age, except that a person may attend an academy if the person will be 21 before graduating;
Sorry Josh, I don't know your birthday, but the math doesn't work. You seem like a likable fellow, so I hope you have a good attorney.
Deja vu! This is reminiscent of a previous officer, whose actions resulted in a felony conviction.
QPD Officer Kirk D. Peterson
Case NO: S-1500-CR-98000324
Sexual Conduct with a minor = GUILTY
Molestation of Child = GUILTY
Sentenced to 16 years, last know prison, Florance Prison, AZ
Case Date: 1998-1999
The case involved a 12 year old girl that allegedly became pregnant (father unknown,. however, QPD Officer Peterson was ordered to pay monthly "restitution"), A noticeable difference between these cases is the swift investigation conducted in the Peterson case. You might conclude that Vice Mayor Cowell and the rest of the Town Council would have been beating the drum for the diligent investigation of Josh Starr, yet they appear to have no interest and be solidly in Chief Gilbert's camp. Why is Mayor Foster the only one showing concern?
Sorry Josh, I don't know your birthday, but the math doesn't work. You seem like a likable fellow, so I hope you have a good attorney.
Case NO: S-1500-CR-98000324
Sexual Conduct with a minor = GUILTY
Molestation of Child = GUILTY
Sentenced to 16 years, last know prison, Florance Prison, AZ
Case Date: 1998-1999
The case involved a 12 year old girl that allegedly became pregnant (father unknown,. however, QPD Officer Peterson was ordered to pay monthly "restitution"), A noticeable difference between these cases is the swift investigation conducted in the Peterson case. You might conclude that Vice Mayor Cowell and the rest of the Town Council would have been beating the drum for the diligent investigation of Josh Starr, yet they appear to have no interest and be solidly in Chief Gilbert's camp. Why is Mayor Foster the only one showing concern?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COURT DOCUMENTED FACT: On 12-31-09, Duty Sergeant Xavier Frausto engaged in an illegal warrantless search of a building on the property of Vito Austin's RV park. False charges against Mr. Austin were dismissed by prosecutor Matt Newman. When Mr. Austin (the brother of the complainant in the aforementioned case) went to the QPD and Town Hall to make a formal complaint against Sgt Frausto (husband of the Town's Magistrate), Chief Gilbert threatened to arrest Vito for "disorderly conduct".
This spring, Chief Gilbert targeted Vito Austin for voting fraud, which resulted in a Grand Jury indictment and subsequent charge against Mr. Austin. Austin plead "not guilty" and the case is currently set for trial.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As publicized in "The Gem" newspaper, on April 23rd, 2008 Quartzsite Duty Sergeant Frausto and Officer Rodriguez along with a third officer illegally searched the private residence of Jennifer Harris and threatened her under color of law after she repeatedly asked for a search warrant. This was openly admitted to in Officer Rodriguez' incident report and is part of La Paz County court records.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Complaints from the internet:
http://gosw.about.com/b/2009/01/29/travel-horror-stories-bad-experience-in-quartzsite.htm
"And we were charged $l79.00 for this little mistake. The Policeman told me the city needed the money."
http://www.vagabondjourney.com/travelogue/arrival-in-the-desert-quartzsite-arizona/
"I pulled into Quartzsite at night after running a gauntlet of agressively patroling highway police. I was driving in Arizona within 40 miles of the California border, and I passed no less than ten police cars who had pulled vehcles over and were in the process of thorouughly searching them and interrogating their drivers."
http://www.topix.com/forum/city/quartzsite-az/TGVP2A8APC2KV5P4E
"To add insult to injury, there is a growing police presence around town that was unknown a couple of years ago. The police are now shaking down out of state tourists. I should know - I got a ticket for something frivilous. I will never go back to Quartzsite.
http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/Justice.Court.Quartzsite.928-927-6313/review/read?cid=963407
"I received a ticket two years ago. I paid the fine on time. Then they claimed it was late,I have a copy of the cashed check from Quartzsite. I paid another twenty dollars. Now I discover I have a failure to appear on record. The worst part is that I should not have gotten a ticket as I was not speeding. I was behind a series of trucks and a group of cars went by on my left , I oulled out to pass at 7o mph and the patrol said I was doing 90 he wrote me up for 80 in a 70. He was an angry trooper and was angry that I even tried to explain i thought he was going to oull me out of the car and accused me of being a danger to the public. it was absolutley insane and now they do this. What am to do. They dont respond to anything. i live in Florida and I cant afford to go all the way to Quartzsite of allplace."
Posts
How about a citation for allegedly failing to use a hand signal, failure to yield and failure to stop on a bicycle? The cost of that horrible crime is $600.00? Then being charged $25.00 for a copy of the police car cam of the indecent. The clerk was surprised when she was taken up on the offer. She said really? I thought the accuser has to supply the accused all alleged evidence free of charge.
ReplyDeleteThis is the worst police department I have ever seen. Shit rolls down hill, so it only makes sense this thing is rotton from top to bottom! And we know it is not just the P.D. The overall town government is equally bad. (not all the employees!) It's time to throw all the bums out and start over!!! This next election DON'T VOTE FOR ANYONE CURRENTLY IN OFFICE. Doesn't matter if it is Senator or Congressman or Town Council. THROW THEM ALL OUT! They don't deserve a second chance, they've had too many already! START OVER AMERICA!
ReplyDeleteHow does Javiers wife look at him across the dinner table? Seems like every time a complaint comes up it's either him or one of his boys. Anyone want to place a gentleman's bet on whether he gets divorced before or after his BFF the chief?
ReplyDeleteSo the police complaint department must be swamped, because I tried to get a complaint form at the police dept. and can you imagine? they were out...So I tried at their online site, and can you imagine? it's not working...hmmmm go figure
ReplyDeleteWe are at a very serious time in the history of the Quartzsite Police Department and what many would call “Miss Management,” but also “Criminal Malfeasance (wrongdoing or misconduct especially by a public official) of Office” by Police Chief Jeff Gilbert!
ReplyDeleteThe main question now is, 1) How deep is the corruption, 2) Just who is involved, 3) Will the people bankrolling Chief Jeff Gilbert and the Town of Quartzsite be brought to justice? We may never find out the real reasons behind the selective enforcement and persecution of small business in Quartzsite.
Lets face facts here. No one is safe in Quartzsite as long as the status quo remains the same with Alex Taft and Chief Jeff Gilbert deciding what laws are enforced and whom is above the law and is protected by the lack of or NON-REPORTING of criminal complaints by the Quartzsite Police Department!
As I have stated before, justice is slow in coming, but coming it is! It may take years before someone feels the black hood placed over their head and the hangman’s rope around their neck. In the end, you break the law; you swing from the hangman’s tree!
Has anyone found it odd that the top cop on the police department allowed his former boss to hit the town constable right in front of him and allowed the bum to just walk away. I guess we can say, kiss up to the Jeff Gilbert and you can break the law as much as you want. Piss him off and he will go out of his way to do what it take to have you charged with a crime knowing that he is not telling the full truth. Just ask Mike Roth.
ReplyDeleteDesert Viper,
ReplyDeleteDo you want to run my fan club? Thanks for the mention. It's true, what Chief Gilbert has done to me proves what a political and mean spirited animal he is. But Dan Field was no better. Alex Taft is the same. You speak truth to power in this town and your ass is smacked right away!!! I hope the next two elections we clean our house and put new AND better people in. We can use the help!
Did you know that you could order your own copy (on CD) of the U.S. Codes? Yep and its fun to be able to load up that little puppy and do searches on different laws enforced by the feds. You know, those guys from the FBI, DEA, BATF, ICE, and lets not forget the IRS! What is more important, you can read about your Constitutional and Civil Rights.
ReplyDeleteGet yourself a copy and walk through the RICO ACT sectoin. I have found most interesting what it has to say under the section that deals with “Conspiracy.” How about this one, “There are four substantive liability sections in the RICO Act: 18 U.S.C. 1962(a) through (d). Each of these sections shares common terms and concepts, including “racketeering”, “person”, “enterprise”, “association with the enterprise”, “pattern of racketeering activity”, “relationship among racketeering acts”, and “conducting the enterprise through a pattern of racketeering. Unlike the general federal conspiracy statute, a RICO conspiracy does not even require proof of an overt act. A conspirator need only intend to further a venture which, if completed, would satisfy all elements of a civil RICO claim.”**
Look at all the back door meetings held by the members of the Town Council, Town Manager Alex Taft (lets not forget all the long distance calls to the Town Attorney in Yuma), and Chief Jeff Gilbert. You could say that they are as thick as thieves and lets not forget when Chief Jeff Gilbert (and IMHO don’t think he took it upon himself) demanded and got Grand Jury Indictments with the help of La Paz County Attorney Sam Vederman against Mike Roth after the Quartzsite Prosecuting Attorney dismissed the charges in the “Interest of Justice”!
Did the Town Attorney (I’ve been told that she is only certified in Real Estate Law and NOT Municipal.) explain what happens to people, companies, person “Under Color of Law” that are charged under the RICO ACT? Got a car, GONE! Got a house, GONE! Got a bank account, GONE! Got money, GONE! Got an ass, NOPE, THEY HAVE IT NOW!
**RICO and Conspiracy Posted on June 5, 2007 by Thomas Walker http://www.ricolawblog.com/articles/rico-law/conspiracy/
My complain on record with the AG's office from 2 yrs ago:
ReplyDeleteIt is my contention that employees of Quartzsite, AZ and La Paz County, AZ engaged in, and continue to engage in illegal conduct, and conspire together to deny my Constitutional Rights*.
1) When an ongoing pattern of intimidation and harassment under the color of authority by La Paz County Health Inspector David Boatright culminated in him forcing me (as the sole renter of an empty field) to purchase an unnecessary “Mobile Home/Recreational Vehicle Park” permit for my business and personal RVs on or about 2/23/07.
2) When, on 4/23/08, I was threatened with unlawful eviction under the color of authority by employees of the town of Quartzsite (code enforcement and law enforcement) who then, with additional town law enforcement (including the duty sergeant) conspired with a county employee (animal control) and did willingly and knowingly commit violations of TITLE 18, U.S.C., SECTION 241 and 242* and Arizona statue §13-1504, criminal trespass in the first degree (a class 6 felony).
3) On 4/23/08 I was oppressed when my vendor permit was confiscated and “cancelled” without due process*.
4) When, on 4/23/08, I was wrongfully cited with violating County Codes, which I later proved did not apply to me, but found out did actually apply to the now former wife of a Quartzsite Town employee who was warned but never cited. (Denying me my Constitutional right to equal treatment under the law*.)
5) When I was then targeted for intimidation and harassment by an unnecessary and irrelevant inspection by the La Paz County Health Dept. the following day, again denying me my Constitutional right to equal treatment under the law*.
6) When the La Paz County Sheriff’s Office refused to file a report against a County employee for criminal trespass.
7) When Quartzsite and La Paz County employees did not fill eligible FOIA/Open Records requests that I needed as evidence for my defense. (I filed some with Quartzsite almost a year ago, and asked for one document from La Paz County twice that I still have not received…)
8) When the La Paz County Animal Control Officer Doug Taft engaged in multiple slow and menacing drive by stalking of my seasonal location.
9) When La Paz County Hearing Officer (now District 2 Supervisor) disregarded the presumption of innocence, ignored the prosecution’s indirect admission of perjury, and then threatened to extort me. He also interrogated Quartzsite Town Manager/Town Attorney Dan Field at great length, via speaker phone without disclosing that he was being audio recorded while giving testimony for which he was not sworn in!
10) When the La Paz County Board of Supervisors stalled filling my second batch of FOIA/Open Records requests for evidence that I needed – for over two months, in an effort to push me past the deadline for filing a claim under A. R. S. § 12-821.01 section A. (I maintain that A. R. S. § 12-821.01 section B therefore mitigates section A as further relevant facts will show.)
10) When Quartzsite Police harassed me (in front of my customers) under color of authority about “barking dogs” under the Town animal ordinance, after being assured a month earlier by the then Town Attorney that said ordinance would NOT be enforced against anyone (emphasis added).
11) When Quartzsite Police Officers did not respond to my request for a civil assist regarding a vehicle that was illegally parked in front of my seasonal business location, thus denying me my Constitutional right to equal protection under the law*.
Police corruption spreading, prison statistics show
ReplyDeleteBy Jack Nelson and Ronald J. Ostrow / Los Angeles Times
WASHINGTON -- In greater numbers and in more places than ever, police are succumbing to the temptations posed by huge sums of cash from illegal drugs.
Official corruption, which has raged for years in the nation's big cities, is spreading to the hinterlands. So rampant has it become that the number of federal, state and local officials in federal prisons has grown fivefold over the last four years, increasing from 107 in 1994 to 548 today, according to the federal Bureau of Prisons.
READ MORE: http://www.angelfire.com/ny2/bluewall/link9.html
Information of Drug-Related Police Corruption
READ MORE: http://www.ethicsinstitute.com/pdf/Drug%20Corruption%20Report.pdf
To Serve and Collect: Measuring Police Corruption
Journal article by Sanja Kutnjak Ivkovic; Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, Vol. 93, 2003
Behavior typically understood as "corruption" is classified as bribery and extortion, but, depending on the legal system, it may also be classified as theft, fraud, tax evasion, or racketeering.
READ MORE: http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst;jsessionid=MqkdpthPqpWMjZGNqLYb3Z0G3cHj1XKQWPt7JBh77wp1n9hWmv98!1736942558!-775909462?docId=5002007354
Does the FBI investigate graft and corruption in local government and in state and local police departments?
Yes. The FBI uses applicable federal laws, including the Hobbs Act, to investigate violations by public officials in federal, state, and local governments. A public official is any person elected, appointed, employed, or otherwise has a duty to maintain honest and faithful public service. Most violations occur when the official asks, demands, solicits, accepts, receives, or agrees to receive something of value in return for influence in the performance of an official act. The categories of public corruption investigated by the FBI include legislative, judicial, regulatory, contractual, and law enforcement.
READ MORE: http://www.fbi.gov/aboutus/faqs/faqsone.htm
When a police officer breaks the law the majority of the time they get off easy, usually just getting a small slap on the wrist for such crimes as DWI, child porn, stalking, sexual harassment and spousal abuse, etc. Since Law Enforcement has so much more power over citizens such as yourself, it's only fair to "balance the tables" and deal harshly with police misconduct. No one should be above the law!
READ MORE: http://www.policecrimes.com/about.html
Gilbert is racist - when my friends tried to complain about one of his officers, the chief told them "If you don't like the way my officers do their job, go back to the reservation!" Funny thing is, they've never lived on the reservation. Gilbert musta been a real charmer as a CRIT officer!!!
ReplyDeleteJeff Gilbert was a piece of crap as a CRIT officer. This is well known by the indians and the other officers. His wife wasn't liked either. The other officers called him "Officer Kiss Ass". He must have kissed ass really good because he flew through the ranks in a short period of time!
ReplyDeleteAny complaint you (the public) files regarding government/police misconduct with DPS - Major Crimes Division, the AZ Attorney General etc. should be copied and sent to:
ReplyDeleteThe FBI
http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cid/civilrights/color.htm
Assistant Attorney General
Civil Rights Division
Criminal Section
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, Northwest
Washington, DC 20530
Dept. of Justice FAQs
ReplyDeletehttp://www.justice.gov/crt/split/faq.php#copsharras
Maybe Quartzsite Town Manager Alex Taft, Police Chief Jeff Gilbert, the QPD Officers, along with the Quartzsite Town Hall employees should take a lesson from the Blago Trials and the FBI wiretaps. Today’s Technology allows not only the taping of your cell phone, but an exact GPS positioning (and you thought that you were safe going off the police radio) along with the when and where you made your call and the same of the person you called if on a cell phone too!
ReplyDeleteYes, the bagging of former Governor Blagojevich is a small victory for the FBI (considering they could only get him for lying to a government official), but what better headline news on National TV (for the FBI) than busting most of the Quartzsite Town Hall employees along with the Head of QPD and most of their Officers. What better way to show that the Government can and will prove that the Law and Constitution of this Nation will be ENFORCED and does matter!
http://abcnews.go.com/WN/fbi-tapes-blagojevich-trial-profane-incriminating/story?id=11074475
It is kind of late for the people in the game to start watching the words they use while talking to other co-conspirators and fellow criminals. We can only guess who have already cut deals with the ABI, FBI, BATF, IRS, and their respective agencies of the Attorney General Offices to save their butts from prison time with Bubba. I have friends that work in the prison systems and they say “NOPE no conjugal visitations”! Besides don’t most wives file for divorce and get court orders about visitation with the kids after your butt is parked along side of Bubba?
Just think of the good that will come from this. You and I will no longer have to hear (I have heard this in 4 other States) that, “Quartzsite, isn’t that the place where one Mayor hired a hit man to kill another Mayor”? Now we can look forward with pride when they say, “Quartzsite, I sure wish that the FBI would come in and clean up our Town Hall and Police Department like they did for yours”!
I think that it is about time that the people in Quartzsite are able to say, “Yes, I live in Quartzsite, Arizona where we are free from graft, corruption, vindictive police actions against our citizens and visitors from our Mayor all the way down to the Street Sweeper”!
Let's not forget the murder of Kevin Norris. Wasn't that investigated by an "outside" down the street agency? I heard there was stolen money, gash and/or bullet in his head and infidelity involved...
ReplyDeleteGood sound advice right now would be, if you have a job offer on another police department, take it! Once the word gets out about Jeffy and his band of merry men you won't be able to get a job as a meter maid in Dead Water, Texas being a former cop from Quartzsite
ReplyDeleteStrange how girls keep turning up missing here in Quartzsite. I guess Gilbert only has to make a police report when a body is found. Talk now is about a young mother that got knocked up by a local cop at age 14. Now she and the baby have disappeared. I hope to God that they were just relocated to hid that little secret and not dumped in the desert like useless garbage…
ReplyDeleteIs there freight train thru there. Ifyou think this is real find ftra
DeleteAbout 2 1/2 yrs ago Quartzsite cops wrote me a ticket and towed my truck from BLM land. They dropped the charges but it cost around $300 to get my truck outta impound. I found out later that they shouldn't have been out on federal land let alone authorize a tow. Different now they got some kinda agreement, but not back then. Maybe they were gettin a kickback?
ReplyDeleteWhat ever happened to the Quartzsite cop that was popping that little girl Jeffy refused to investigate? Can’t say that I’ve seen any reports where he’s been busted! Oh ya, Jeffy worked it out so that the sheriff and state patrol won’t take complaints unless he gives his blessings. Looks like Quartzsite is the place to come if you are a cop that loves screwing little girls, cause our top cop won’t investigate you! Anyone wonder if it isn’t a personnel but a personal thing with Jeffy?
ReplyDeleteA resent check of the La Paz County Court Records fails to show NO Josh Starr as being charged.
ReplyDeletehttp://apps.supremecourt.az.gov/publicaccess/
Someone posted something about shutting down QPD and having the County take over since Quartzsite pays them all that money. What money? Quartzsite Police Department to this day pays NOTHING to La Paz County for anything, not even thier dispatch services and if you noticed when you call the local police phone number more often then not Central Dispatch will answer during business hours which are mon-fri 8am to 5pm. Why is this you ask? Because Linda who runs the office for QPD is out of the office more then she is in the office. What happened to the money from the 2nd woman Vicki who used to work there? Pay up QPD.
ReplyDeleteDid you forget that 6.5 million in taxes that the county takes from the property owners of Quartzsite?
ReplyDeleteHas anyone really looked at the good that would come from closing down the QPD? You would save $1,500,000 right off the bat! Could do away with the cost of running the town court and the town attorney. The girls would be safer!
ReplyDeleteI know that your town police force is corrupt. Keep the system of bad enforcement and harassment going and say good by to the tourists and all the reviniew they bring to your town.....get the state police in there and thse banditoes out....until you do I won't be back !
ReplyDeleteSave $1,500,000? WOW - that's enough for a swimming pool AND community center!!! I know a lot of law abiding citizens that would feel a whole lot safer, including me and my wife!!!
ReplyDeleteAre you too frightened to speak up, in case you look like a fool? This short tale may help you to overcome this nonsense
ReplyDeleteNasrudin and The Egg
One morning, Nasrudin,
The great Sufi mystic* who always pretended to be mad,
Wrapped an egg in a cloth, went into the town’s main square, and called the people who were there.
Today there will be an important contest! - he said
Whoever discovers what is inside this cloth, will be given the egg inside it!
The people exchanged glances, intrigued, and answered:
How can we know? No one is capable of divination!
Nasrudin insisted:
That which is inside this cloth has a yellow center like a yolk, surrounded by a clear liquid like egg white,
Which in turn is contained inside a shell which breaks very easily.
It is a symbol of fertility, and reminds us of birds flying to their nests.
So, who can tell me what is hidden here?
All the folk thought Nasrudin was holding an egg, but the answer was so obvious,
No one wanted to embarrass themselves in front of everyone else.
What if it wasn’t an egg, but something more important, a product of the fertile Sufi mystic’s imagination?
A yellow center might suggest the sun, the surrounding liquid could be an alchemist’s concoction.
No, the madman was definitely trying to make someone look a fool.
Nasrudin asked twice more, and no one dared say something foolish.
So he unwrapped the cloth and showed everyone the egg.
You all knew the answer - he said
And no one dared put it into words.
“Such are the lives of those who haven’t the courage to risk:
Solutions are generously provided by God, but
People always seek complicated explanations, and end up doing nothing.”
-------------------------------------------------------------
*Nasrudin was the archetypal 'wise fool', who lived in the Middle East over 600 years ago.
Zani
Personally, IMHO, I feel we have come to the point that the reality of closing down the Quartzsite Police Department is a sound decision both economically and from the view of better Law Enforcement. Less chance of having your underage daughter being rapped by a QPD officer and his boss covering for him by refusing to take a report for one!
ReplyDeleteThe Town of Quartzsite would have no problems in clearing out the departments police related equipment and vehicles to help pay off other town bills or even keep a real working town employee. In fact the money could help with the judgments against the Town of Quartzsite both present and pending.
Faced with the fact of having to provide police protection again for Quartzsite, the Sheriff himself would be more than interested in the QPD building and vehicles. One thing to remember is in the fact, as a town in La Paz County, we do NOT have to contract with the county for the Sheriff’s services.
Jeff Gilbert reminds me of Don Adams in his roll of Agent 86 from Get Smart! Remember that line, “Would you believe”? How can Gilbert be crying about rumors about himself and his cops when he is behind some of them? Now if Gilbert is the one that is passing around the rumor that he likes screwing dogs in heat, how can he complain about other people repeating it?
ReplyDeleteWhat about when the dog in heat is spreading the rumor that she's screwing Jeff? Jeff probably only spreads rumors to see where the leaks are in his dept so he can add another name to his shit list. Notice at the ad hoc how he complained about people on this blog making allegations against him, but Jeff doesn't deny a single one of the allegations made here!
ReplyDeleteUnlike the kids game, “Where’s Waldo,” people in Quartzsite are asking, “Where’s Josh Starr”? We can’t find where he has been charged for the underage rape of a child or any published reports of his arrest. With “Jessica’s Law” and the public hostility towards ANY adult raping a child, the news medial would NOT have missed at running his arrest as the leading story for the evening news to be picked up across the nation.
ReplyDeleteCould be, we need to send our information and get an interview (for the stepfather) on the “Bill O’Reilly” show. Bill is one of the most out spoken advocates for “Jessica’s Law” and he would not rest until Josh Starr was before a Grand Jury! He would be most outraged finding out that Josh Starr was at the time a Law Enforcement Officer and that his Chief of Police, Jeff Gilbert refused to take a report, stalled and/or hampered any “Written Police Report,” thus obstructing the criminal investigation in the unlawful sexual conduct of a Police Officer with an underage girl! Please keep in mind that this isn’t the “First Rodeo” like this for Quartzsite involving a Police Officer.
The only reason that can explain Chief Jeff Gilbert’s actions lie within what did QPD Officer Josh Starr have knowledge of or evidence of that incriminated Chief Jeff Gilbert that kept him from doing his duty and comply with the Laws of Arizona in such a case? Did Josh Starr have even more knowledge of criminal activity of other QPD Officers and was holding that old “Get out of jail FREE” card. One thing is for sure, if this scenario is true could there be a mineshaft with Josh Starr’s name on it or could he already be in the “Witness Protection Program”?
All Chief Jeff Gilbert needs now is to answer that knock at his door to find a 60 minutes News crew with smiles on their faces!
Will Mayor Foster call for the criminal investigation into the child rape case of Josh Starr after the recall of the council?
ReplyDeleteSo, my friend has a "Public Pretender" and wanted to fire her after realizing she wasn't working in his best interest when she said," we don't need such and such to convict you." And judge (Burke) denied him his right to do so and his right to a fair and just trial. I could be wrong but if you want to fire your Attorney that's your right. So as I thought the judges in this area are just as corrupt as the rest of them..
ReplyDeleteZani
And now the plot thickens! As more and more people start to share information about Chief Jeff Gilbert we can now see a pattern forming. Just why is Quartzsite such a safe and livable place to be in Arizona? When you fail to conduct investigations into criminal activities and refuse to make reports it fails to make the Arizona and FBI crime statistics.
ReplyDeleteWe know that Josh Starr was not held to higher standards and as such we don’t have another Quartzsite Police Officer tried and convicted of unlawful sex with a child! Great PR moves for the Town Manager Alex Taft, Police Chief Jeff Gilbert, and the Town Council. But what about the underage girl, has anyone thought about her? How many more girls are out there that are victims? It looks like department policy is don’t file charges, just give them their walking papers to keep the town unblemished…
Many people that I have chatted with have the same view of the QPD and that calls for a full-blown criminal investigation into Chief Jeff Gilbert and all QPD Officers past and present. While Jeff Gilbert may think he is above the law and can do as he pleases, it is obvious that he failed to check into the Arizona State and Federal Laws that govern his actions and non-actions as one “Under Color of Law”!
ReplyDeleteThe residents of La Paz County are tired of the “Good Old Boy” network between the QPD and the Sheriffs Office and are demanding answers and action. As I have said before, it will take time, but justice is always served in the end. I can’t wait until Chief Jeff Gilbert gets served with his next set of court papers. The sky above Quartzsite is starting to darken as attorneys like the vultures smell the rotting dead flesh of Chief Jeff Gilbert’s administration in the desert summer sun!
I absolutely have to share this with you all. Mostly because it simply makes me feel better about myself, but also because it gives you a glimpse into their world from a different perspective!! The corruption, negligence, and malfeasance many of you have written and speak about, is not just limited to the citizens of Quartzsite. As a former Deputy with the Quartzsite Marshal's Office (way back when), I experienced the very same treatment...and I was supposed to be one of them!!
ReplyDeleteMy tenure didn't last too long and I have a few theories as to why I was set up to fail:
1) It was because I did not conform to "their ways," and was an intellectual and moral threat to my superiors who were misguided during severe upheaval and turmoil within the department.
2) Frausto couldn't make a decision if his life depended on it without asking his wife first. He has no spine or functioning moral compass when it comes to doing the "right" things, despite what others will think or say about him if he did it. PS...That is called integrity Xav. My theory on Xavier Frausto is he could be bought at the right price..isn't that right Interum Chief?
3) It was also because Sgt. Worz was (and probably still is) an insecure little girl who hid behind his abuse of authority. He couldn't hold an intellectual conversation with anyone without using threats to influence the other person to back down and obey!! His motto was, "I may be wrong, but I'll yell louder and arrest you if you dare debate me on it too long and prove I'm wrong!!" That was his best attempt at winning a battle of wits... relying on his badge, his book of AZ Statutes, and his Sgt's title! And I am pretty sure that was a self appointed title too. Nobody with half a brain would possibly...Wait!! Who am I kidding? This IS Quartzsite I'm referring to!
All the good Deputies got out and moved on when they had a chance. I just feel sorry for the ones who were run out of town because of that "Good'ol Boy" syndrome mentioned above. For the record, I did things by the book, and was portrayed as reckless and a liability at the end of my time there. Quartzsite ruined my efforts of fulfilling a dream of doing something I felt was making a difference as a police officer. It affected me so drastically, that there is hardly a day that goes by that I don’t reflect on that time with deep sadness. You can't affix a fine or dollar amount on that misfortune!!