A report from the Guilford County Internal Audit Department has found no evidence that Sheriff BJ Barnes or his staff inappropriately destroyed documents or removed computers before the arrival of incoming Sheriff Danny Rogers in early December of last year.
The investigation was conducted after Rogers, in a closed session with the Guilford County Board of Commissioners, requested that the county investigate what Rogers believed were instances of Barnes and his staff destroying documents and removing computers before leaving office. This week, Rogers publically accused Barnes and his staff of doing so to sabotage his, Rogers’, transition into office.
According to the report obtained by the Rhino Times on Wednesday, March 13, “Internal Audit substantiated that documents were shredded; however, it appears that these documents were personal in nature (e.g., applications for Sheriff Association membership) or duplicates of official County documents held elsewhere (e.g., PA52 forms held in HR).”
The report noted that the shredding of documents was a “common occurrence” in the department and stated, “The volume of shredded documents appears to have not significantly increased during the transition per cleaning staff. “
It added, “Outdated annual texts (e.g., NC Sheriffs’ Association Annual book) were disposed of and appear to have caused the initial concern.”
The report also states that Internal Audit requested permission to inquire of current personnel and administrative staff if vital documents were missing, but stated that no response to that request had been received by the auditors.
Rogers also made claims that computers were removed from the Sheriff’s Department. The report states that computers were moved but not removed.
“Internal Audit confirmed that computers for the new Administration’s Command Staff were removed; these computers were secured within the Sheriff’s Offices,” it stated. “These computers were removed to facilitate the installation of new/updated machines, per standard Sheriff’s Office computer usage practices.”
Rogers was given a copy of the report last week and, since he made his public comments about the previous administration on Tuesday, March 12, it appears evident that he does not agree with the findings.
Max Benbassat, the public information officer for the Guilford County Sheriff’s Department, said there was some miscommunication between the Sheriff’s Department and Internal Audit that resulted in a failure of the auditors to completely explore the situation. He said that, for instance, the auditors didn’t come out to the department and look at the actual files. Benbassat said the Sheriff’s Department is currently working to clear up the miscommunication issue and provide the audit department with the facts it needs to properly investigate further.
It’s obvious Rogers got ahead of his skis on this one. Rogers was so embarrassed by Barnes accurate Facebook posts regarding his backwards decisions and Ms. Netter firing and running officers away, that he felt the need to go to the Summerfield town hall meeting, where Barnes wife sits on the board, and poke a jab at Barnes in retaliation. It backfired! Rogers, take this advice: STOP IT! You were elected to run the Sheriffs office, not run your mouth! Stop taking these high ranking officers with you everywhere you go! Don’t they have work to do? Can you not attend one function without a posse? Focus on the job at the Sheriffs office, and public opinion about you may change. Lastly, stop threatening your officers about firing them if you discover they said anything about you. You seem to have some real self esteem and security issues. I voted for Danny Rogers. You’re not the Danny Rogers I voted for. You’re well on your way to being a “one term” Sheriff! … and it’s only been 3 months.
No, Adam he cannot go to any function where someone could ask him a law enforcement question without a “posse”. He needs someone who has some idea what cops do there to answer for him (and he thinks it makes him look important).
Unfortunately for whoever asks the question, none of his sycophants know much about the running of law enforcement agencies either. He surrounds himself with has been corporals and sergeants who are out of their league.
Sounds about right, make a false accusation, be proven wrong through an internal audit/investigation, then double down on your lies. Wonder where he learned that from? Probably from being a defendant all those years…
Because Sheriff Rogers has no idea what documents or equipment should be in a law enforcement agency he is highly susceptible to his C. Netter telling him that everything falling apart is not her fault and presenting a false narrative (everyone loves to have their shortcomings be someone else’s fault).
The vast majority of documents are stored electronically and are automatically backed up but you have to have some idea what documents are needed and where they are.
The issue they are having stems from c. Netter firing or running off the specialists who handled the computer programs (termination letters for many administrative personnel were signed by Netter not Rogers… ). Her hand picked successors didn’t have any idea how to work the program(s). Don’t believe this? Both specialists I speak of were transferred elsewhere in the county because their value was recognized.
The new public information officer will try to spin this long enough for it to go away. Whether it goes away or not, we have Danny Rogers (and C. Netter apparently as Rogers sided with her over E. Melvin repeatedly until he left) for four years.
Expect more fireworks because Rogers ego won’t let him admit he has no idea what he is doing and he will take no input from the shell shocked senior staff still left.
“Never let the facts get in the way of damning your political opponent.” (Sheriff Danny Rogers)