DPD officer's OT audit reportedly nears end
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By Ray Gronberg

gronberg@heraldsun.com; 419-6648

DURHAM -- Auditors may finish their investigation of a Durham Police Department desk officer's five-figure overtime claim today, in time for department leaders to spend the next couple days drafting their response.

City Manager Tom Bonfield said the Audit Services Department investigators would give their final report on the matter to him, Deputy City Manager Wanda Page and Police Chief Jose Lopez.

Bonfield has already seen some of the auditors' findings, and talked with them on Monday. He asked them to look at a couple issues where "they needed more follow-up."

That work was supposed to take place Tuesday.

The auditors at Bonfield's request are looking into overtime claims filed by Officer Alesha Robinson-Taylor, who heads the Police Department's towing and "secondary employment" office.

City records show that since July 1, 2008, Robinson-Taylor has received $62,583 in overtime compensation.

The figure is somewhat larger than the total that prompted Bonfield to order the investigation. The discrepancy comes because administrators initially queried the most recent 12 months of records, which showed $59,454 in payments.

The larger figure covers payments in fiscal 2008-09, plus those made in this fiscal year through Sept. 22.

Robinson-Taylor received $52,398 in overtime in fiscal 2008-09 and so far has made another $10,185 in this fiscal year.

Her base salary as of May 13 was $51,221 a year.

Bonfield has said the auditors are also looking into who authorized the payments.

Police Department policy, spelled out in a 2003 general order signed by former Police Chief Steve Chalmers, is that employees can't be paid for work "performed without the knowledge and approval of supervisors."

Overtime claims are supposed to be logged.

"All logs must be signed by the supervisor keeping the time and the employee, who by signing the form, indicates agreement with [the] log," the order says.

Robinson-Taylor answers to a short and relatively top-heavy chain of command.

At the moment, she reports to Capt. Charlene Balch, executive officer of the department's Operations Bureau. Balch in turn works for Deputy Police Chief Beverly Council and ultimately Lopez.

Balch was operations executive officer for only part of the time Robinson-Taylor was receiving large overtime payments. She took over the job early this year, replacing former Capt. Ron Evans.

City records don't show any overtime payments to Robinson-Taylor in fiscal 2007-08 or the final six months of fiscal 2006-07.

She claimed 1,837 hours of overtime work from July 1, 2008, forward.

Robinson-Taylor has been a city employee since October 1997.
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comments (13)
« R M wrote on Monday, Sep 28 at 06:19 AM »
City officials need to be aware that citizens are watching this situation very carefully. A whitewash, although expected,is not going to be acceptable.
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« flatop wrote on Sunday, Sep 27 at 09:21 AM »
Moving the debate beyond the investigation...City and Police officials should consider changing the taxi cab enforcement and monitoring overtime for police officers to a civilian position....Combine the two positions and design a job description which would meet objectives of enforcement for both....In my opinion there are no reasons these positions can't be supervised by a civilian which would reduce cost drastically.... Ms Joan Apple a civilian and not a sworn police officer supervised taxi cab enforcement.... She did an outstanding job. Ms Apple administering enforcement of the taxi cab division for years should take away the arguement this position must be a sworn....The 32.40 per hour in overtime now being paid to supervise these two functions may be lest than Ms Apple was paid during her tenure. A civilian handling these positions would reduce the element of fraud if the employee work out of City Hall and not the police department. The same case would apply as the City Manager did by investigating this case with City Auditors rather than Police officials. The police officer position would be left to perform duties associated with a sworn job decription.
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« darylnc1 wrote on Sunday, Sep 27 at 06:22 AM »
There is no $57 (Rumsfield math). There were two different pay rates 24 regular hours and $32 ot hours. The hours are not added together to make $57. I agree that people would line up for $16 an hour jobs, bet the line would be long for a $10 (where does the line start?). The City, the County and businesses all over spend money to research and apply fair and competitive salaries to their employees to maintain them. I haven't judged anyone actions as suggested. Im Just clearing up the picture. The issue is not the pay rate, is whether or not there was fraud, abuse, or mismanagement. Everyone with a full time job has worked beyond the 40 hour work week and been compensated. That's federal law. Tough economics times or if we were swimming in treasure we as citizens should question how our money is spent by all levels of gov-mint.. In that you and I, Flattop, are in perfect agreement.
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« anonymous wrote on Friday, Sep 25 at 03:14 PM »
Does anyone really believe the city manager did not know about this. Dig deep. Certain amounts have to be advised by him.
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« flatop wrote on Thursday, Sep 24 at 02:56 PM »
darylnc1 for the debate we will use your numbers of 57 dollars an hour. Better yet I will use the 32.40 an hour you quoted....How many people standing in line at the unemployment office in Durham would line up for this job for 16 dollars an hour? The city reducing its workforce due to enconomy yet can pay an officer time and half for hours which could be done by someone else at a cheaper rate is not as you outlined Rumfields fudging numbers. Respectfully, your judgement appears to be the same as adiminstrators who signed off on this overtime. At this rate Durham's tax payers will go broke over this kind of mismanagement. I am anxiously waiting to see how the City manager and/or Police Chief explain to tax payers how this incident occurred. Thanks for your comment
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« rachel3030 wrote on Wednesday, Sep 23 at 07:32 PM »
Rachel Kindred says...it's pretty hilarious that people who stand up for the rule of law and the Constitution are called crazy by people who post anonymously. You're welcome. Stay tuned to this bat(ty) channel.
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« darylnc1 wrote on Wednesday, Sep 23 at 05:00 PM »
Although I agree, that is a lot. Intolerable.. but lets not get all Rumsfield and fudge the numbers... there is no $65 and hour you must be using that new math..... she made about $24.60 on the regular clock then about $32.40 overtime hours.. misinformation often breeds resentment. lets all wait for the audit before we judge!

oh yeah there isnt any strange formula.. 12 month salary divided by hours worked in 12 months equals hourly rate.. salary and ot must be done separate they are different rates..
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« easydoesit wrote on Wednesday, Sep 23 at 04:52 PM »
This does not reflect well on management. No explanation is good enough for this to go on as last as it did.
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« SOUNDSCRAZY wrote on Wednesday, Sep 23 at 04:17 PM »
IF RACHAEL3030 THINKS THAT THE POLICE CHIEF IS GOING TO HONOR HER WISHES, SHE REALLY IS AS CRAZY AS SHE SOUNDS. ANYWAY, SHE NEEDS TO STICK TO POSTING A COMMENT ON THE ISSUE AT HAND. CRAZY!
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« flatop wrote on Wednesday, Sep 23 at 04:03 PM »
There is no way this overtime can be justified in that someone committed fraud or administrators used poor judgement in allowing taxpayers monies to be paid out in such a manner. Based on adding numbers this officer was paid approximately 35 dollars an hour (overtime) to oversee off duty employment and taxi cab enforcement. She was paid an additional 25 dollars an hour base salary as a police officer. This amounts to 65 dollars an hour at taxpayers expense. The question that need to be answered is how much work was being done on base salary time however added to overtime which could lead to fraud. Why didn't a supervisor signing off on these documents question these hours as being to much work for one human being and/or investigate for fraud? Over a fourteen month period this incident occurred is not acceptable. Administrators are paid big bucks to oversee work of subordinates for taxpayers and they failed in their duties.
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« darylnc1 wrote on Wednesday, Sep 23 at 02:33 PM »
Kanye West stop using that fake name "rachel".... I hope that the city either gets that officer some assistance because although well compensated she has to be overworked.. or take punitive action if there is fraud or blatant abuse. I myself dont think there is a citywide conspiracy to pay one police officer.
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« gayle0227 wrote on Wednesday, Sep 23 at 12:40 PM »
just wondering if rachel3030 is off his meds.
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« rachel3030 wrote on Wednesday, Sep 23 at 09:43 AM »
FBI 233 7301 Velasco wrote on Wednesday, Sep 23 at 09:40 AM »

Rachel Kindred says...Lest you think that the PD acted alone, let me tell you that each and every member of the City Council, including Clement, McFadden, Woodward, Stith, Ali, Brown, Bell, and Catotti (not to mention Patrick Baker), and City Attorneys Sindelair and Blinder knew how Hodge denied me a permit and that he came down to confront me at the front of the PD. Because I cc:d them on every email too. They themselves refused to tell me about permit and use of force procedures. In fact, just a year ago, I finally received an email from Patrick Baker saying there were never any picket permit requirements at all. Shocking, huh? These people are thugs who hide behind lawyers paid for the citizens of Durham who argue "government immunity" to shield themselves from consequences without being out of pocket one dime. VOTE ALL THE CRONIES OUT OF OFFICE! CLEAN SWEEP AND LET THE FEDS COME IN AND CLEAN UP DURHAM.

I have not heard back from Hodge and Lopez about when would be a convenient time to go to the PD and do a citizen detention (see $59K OT article), so I just called the agent in charge of public corruption at the Raleigh office of the FBI at 233 - 7701, Lou Velasco. If the FBI won't come, I'm going in myself. Lopez and Hodge, I'll give you until Friday at noon to turn yourself and whoever else is responsible in to the FBI. Anybody who has info they would like to share with the Officer Velasco, please do call him.

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