WPD officer disciplined over bad check charges

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Wednesday, January 2. 2013

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The Winder police officer arrested in December for writing a bad check to a local grocery store still has a job as a certified police officer for the city, but no longer serves as the school resource officer at Winder-Barrow High School. Tracy Wild is now one of two full-time code enforcement officers responsible for enforcing city codes and ordinances.
Winder police chief Dennis Dorsey officially transferred her to the new position Dec. 17 following an internal investigation of her arrest and the handling of her case. He also placed her on 40 hours of unpaid suspension and one year’s probation, required her to serve another 14 hours of community service, and referred her to financial counseling. The sanctions are listed in a copy of the six-page report that the Barrow Journal obtained Monday.
For the full story, see the Jan. 2 issue of the Barrow Journal.

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#1 InDoggYears on 01/02/13 at 10:03 AM [Reply]

Tracey has written bad checks often in this town.She is always making excuses and is coming right in to take care of them, but never does. To be such a high profile person, she seems content to tarnish her reputation.Personally,I've held several of her bad checks at my business and had to take some extreme measures to collect our money.I'm surprised that someone finally took a warrant for her.I wonder which Grocery store it was?

#1.1 curious on 01/02/13 at 02:48 PM [Reply]

I heard rumors that she would always write the bad checks while in uniform.... any truth to this?

If this is true then why is she still on the city's payroll?

#1.2 Anon on 01/02/13 at 03:13 PM [Reply]

If she has written SO many "bad checks" why don't you look at one of those checks and learn how to spell her name.

#1.3 Nicole on 01/04/13 at 07:37 PM [Reply]

Obviously you are either lying or really stupid. If you have held several bad checks for her, then why would you accept more from her?

#2 Anonymous on 01/02/13 at 10:32 AM [Reply]

It's another case of "If you are a certain someone then nothing bad happens to you." Never seen a place like Barrow County/Winder where it happens this much.

#3 Reality on 01/02/13 at 10:36 AM [Reply]

A good defense attorney will use this against her in every case she makes. If she'll falsify a check, what else is she willing to flsify.

#4 Life Long in Barrow on 01/02/13 at 10:42 AM [Reply]

Barrow County sheriff's deputy don't make near the arrests that they could make for misdemeanor offenses. The deputies and our current sheriff are lenient with misdemeanors. As a result, many misdemeanor offenses go unreported in this county. I have not looked enough at the Winder PD to comment on their habits.

As a law enforcement employee working in a much larger county, I can make a clear distinguishment between the great leniency in my home county of Barrow and that in another.

#5 tax,tax,tax on 01/02/13 at 10:43 AM [Reply]

looks that they created a make do job out of fear of being sued if they fired her !!!

#6 sovrncitzn on 01/02/13 at 11:16 AM [Reply]

Man it is a "brotherhood" they really take care of each other. We all know that if any of us had done this we would have not been sent to financial counseling. HA,HA,HA these cops live in a different world than the rest of us. This system will not last much longer. Wait until they !!!TRY!!! to disarm us then the real evil will show its face. It is not a "BROTHERHOOD" its a gang just like a street gang but with badges and authority from the state.

#6.1 Anonymous on 01/12/13 at 06:51 PM [Reply]

just so you know thats statement is untrue thats exactly what they do is make you go to finace management classes and also community service.so you should recheck your info before making comments you know nothing about... everyone is human and stuff happens shes human and yes it was wrong but who are you to cast that stone

#7 bob on 01/02/13 at 11:28 AM [Reply]

Almost anyone can make a mistake and bounce a check or two along the way,but to bounce several over the course of time tends to show some intent to defraud. The transfer would have been a good idea for the lapse of judgment, but when showing intent to defraud I believe this action is not severe enough. This is how POST got caught up before overlooking police officers breaking the law. Its pretty simple; if a police officer breaks the law he or she should lose their certification if found guilty of any crime. Shame on both agencies!!

#8 U Must Not Know on 01/02/13 at 02:03 PM [Reply]

The Sheriff's Office had nothing to do with this action. The arrest was made by the PD. To the staement above about not arresting misdemeanors you apparently do not read this paper in print edition. The deputies arrest on average 50 to 60 weekly and most are for misd. charges. I would like to see proof of your statement the Sherriff and his deputies are soft on misd. or are you blowing smoke.

#9 Come on really, enough already.... on 01/02/13 at 02:22 PM [Reply]

She Messed up, she has been Punished at her Job and in public, Quit looking for a conspiracy under every rock. I am sure that She is Not Happy with her new assignment most likely, it is probably not the duty she wanted, but she will serve her time and still has a job. The Dept had no performance issues with her ON-DUTY I am aware of, BUT she messed up on her personal life responsibilities and now has been PUBLICLY Embarrassed. It was WRONG, shouldnt ever happen but How many of you make News HEADLINES for a bounced Check? Humans make mistakes, she failed to correct it quickly, I bet she wont do it again... But get Real about it. Come on, Move on.

#10 gravy and bisquits on 01/02/13 at 02:34 PM [Reply]

wow i guess they do take care of sorry folks, yet hold the General public in disdain from their high seats of the Tahoes!!!
I hope I stay out of town, then again town is moving toward me!!!!!
and folks wonder why Police aren't worshiped by the general working folks!!!!

#11 Odins Eye on 01/02/13 at 02:41 PM [Reply]

Police corruption is a nation-wide epidemic.
Not surprised that LEO Tracy Wild was given a slap on the wrist.....gangbangers always going to cut slack for their homies.
Total lack of integrity from Law Enforcement.
Why as a citizen should I submit to any so called authority that is corrupt.
Chief Dennis Dorsey should be fired and
Tracy Wild should be jailed.
Neither of these folks should have any authority over any other citizen.

Bet the corruption runs alot deeper than this story.

Be aware and Beware.

-Othinn

#12 anon on 01/02/13 at 02:49 PM [Reply]

This type of thing is the VERY epitome of why police officers are treated with such disdain. Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone. But when you take that oath, you are VOLUNTARILY holding yourself to a higher standard.....to uphold the law, not circumvent it. There are plenty of law-abiding, decent, honest officers out there. But because of situations such as this, they are overlooked. How can this officer be expected to hold others accountable in a system that she, herself, has manipulated to her advantage? Talk about a tarnished reputation. How does she warrant any credibility in ANY law enforcement position? WPD, you really dropped the ball on this. You have taken a giant step backward, off a cliff, when it comes to public perception of your officers and department.

#13 Come on really, enough already.... on 01/02/13 at 03:34 PM [Reply]

READ THAT AGAIN: Assigned to Code Enforcement, a somewhat younger Cop who wants to be out on the streets, not on Trash Duty.

40 hours of unpaid suspension and one year’s probation, required her to serve another 14 hours of community service, and referred her to financial counseling. --THAT IS ALOT. If it happens AGAIN, then we can Discuss Firing Her.

Why dont we sentence People to LIFE for First time DUI or Drug offences or Littering? Yes, SHE, THEY Should be held to a HIGHER STANDARD, They Should, but as a Human, they need a graduated Discipline too, One mistake should permanently erase her livelihood and career? Is this the Standard on YOUR JOB? This IS pretty HARSH, I would not make by house pymt missing 40 hours of pay...

And I say this as a very mad local consumer, You barely can write a check in Barrow County these days due to so many bad checks around in this economy, WHO even takes checks anymore!

#13.1 anon on 01/02/13 at 06:29 PM [Reply]

An even better question is: who WRITES checks anymore??? I'll tell you who writes them. "Older" people (sorry mom) and people who deliberately KNOW there is not enough money in their account to cover the check. Otherwise, she would have used a debit card, which would have been declined. Hmmm...shows intent to defraud if you ask me. For those of you who haven't read the article in the print copy of the Barrow Journal, it's worth a quick drive to the store to grab a copy. In my opinion, it sheds a whole new light on several things.

#14 Beauregard on 01/02/13 at 07:15 PM [Reply]

"For those of you who haven't read the article in the print copy of the Barrow Journal, it's worth a quick drive to the store to grab a copy."
Dont kid yourself, there has never been a single article printed in this gossip newspaper that was worth a quick drive to a store to grab a copy.This article is just one more example in a long line of "enquirer" type journalism,
Im just waiting for them to follow that new york paper that had the audacity to print the names and addresses of gun owners.

#14.1 Vox Populi on 01/02/13 at 11:01 PM [Reply]

That newspaper printed material from PUBLIC records. Not saying I agree with what they did, but they were well within their rights. I know this offends a gun-nut who thinks he's a second-rate Confederate general, but, well, you thought a raving plutocrat should be POTUS, so virtually anything you "think" is, to put it mildly, zany. More often, it's outright fascist drivel.

#15 WBHS parent for Barrow on 01/02/13 at 07:29 PM [Reply]

It's sad that the paper publishes this based on her job. Police are people too. Her job & personal finances are 2 totally separate issues. She is a great SRO & should not be punished at work for her finances, maybe the city should be paying more and she wouldn't write bad checks. This case did not say if it were only one or more and the person who claims she has done it several times has no proof and isn't even using his/her name so it more than likely not true. Sadly I will miss her being a SRO and feel that Dennis Dorsey should rethink this change, is it in the students best interest???

#15.1 anonymous on 01/02/13 at 08:40 PM [Reply]

WBHS parent: Under which rock have you been living? Your comment "This case did not say if it were only one or more" shows that you did not read the article in this week's print edition,"The chief said he found the evidence “overwhelming” that Wild had committed conduct unbecoming an officer in violation of departmental policy. The report shows she wrote two bad checks totaling about $207 to local grocery stores in 2012 and that she did not pay restitution in either case until after arrest warrants had been issued months later. She wrote the second bad check, in fact, two days after the first arrest warrant was issued." This was also stated in a previous article by the Barrow Journal. Please know the facts before you spout off. To your point that "her job and her personal finances are 2 totally separate issues"....... well, that much is true....until your personal finances involve KNOWINGLY BREAKING THE LAW. And finally, to your point,"maybe the city should be paying more and she wouldn't write bad checks"........Seriously??? That is utterly ridiculous. Not the part about the city paying them more - Lord knows they don't make enough for putting up with ignorant people everyday, but to suggest that she is somehow not responsible for her actions is simply absurd. I know quite a few WPD officers who do a fine job of scraping by on their meager paychecks. This whole situation, including the part about the falsified community service, is a slap in the face to law-abiding LEO everywhere.

#15.2 get over it on 01/03/13 at 07:09 AM [Reply]

a lot of employers have clauses that state of you are ever arrested you can lose your job. It has nothing to do with the job and personal finances being two seperate issues. Your actions reflect back on your employer and they do not have to tolerate it. She is very lucky to have a job. Where I work, I would be out of a job...

#16 The actual reality on 01/02/13 at 08:27 PM [Reply]

Please educate yourself. For a peace officer to arrest on misdemeanor charges without a warrant the offense must occur in his presence or immediate knowledge. I would suspect the one above "life long in barrow" is one of those officers who were terminated from the larger agency he speaks of due to his ignorant comment. Larger agencies typically refer victims of misdemeanor crimes excluding family violence to magistrate court. Could you imagine Atlanta p.d. Investigating every misdemeanor?

#16.1 Life-Long in Barrow on 01/06/13 at 09:16 PM [Reply]

I am quite aware of how the process works. After having read the full article, my comment is a little out-of-place concerning the article's topic. I am not commenting on what resources it may or may not take to investigate certain offenses nor am I questioning what they do or do not investigate. I know that the deputies certainly do respond to just about any call.

As a resident that neither works for the Barrow Sheriff's Department nor has any connections with it, it is simply my opinion that the sheriff's department of this county is lenient on making arrests for misdemeanor offenses. From what I have seen, it is my opinion that deputies use their discretion to let some offenders go, without arrest or citation, when there is clearly probable cause to make the arrest or obtain a warrant for the arrest. From my experience, some other counties' agencies make more arrests for crimes where the deputies respond, identify an offender, and ascertain probable cause. Then there are also other counties in Georgia with law enforcement agencies that are lenient or more lenient than Barrow. Each county and agency has to fall somewhere on the spectrum. Barrow is more on the lenient side on making arrests where they could.

No, I have not obtained the statistics. I do not have time for that. I am not a reporter. I wish someone would collect that information and publish it. This is not something a common citizen would have enough knowledge about to comment on unless they are employee or relative of an employee of that department. In that case, such an opinion may be biased. They would need other information from other counties and agencies to make a comparison. I simply have glimpsed enough to comment.

I am speaking from my first-hand observations of incidents and polices with the Barrow Sheriff's department. I have also reviewed dozens of incident reports from this county that are made available by the department without an open records request.

#17 sovrncitzn on 01/04/13 at 07:23 AM [Reply]

History ALWAYS repeats.

1911 – Government in Turkey disarmed it’s citizens, and between 1915 – 1917 murdered 1.5 million Armenians.

1929 – Government in Russia disarmed it’s citizens, and between 1929 – 1953 murdered 20 million Russians.

1935 – Government in China disarmed it’s citizens, and between 1948 – 1952 murdered 20 million Chinese.

1938 – Government in Germany disarmed it’s citizens, and between 1939 – 1945 murdered 16 million Jews, Hungarian Gypsies, Mentally disabled, physically disabled,...

1956 – Government in Cambodia disarmed it’s citizens, and between 1975 – 1977 murdered 1 million Educated people, identified as those wearing glasses.

1964 – Government in Guatamala disarmed it’s citizens, and between 1964 – 1981 and murdered 100,000 Mayan Indians.

1970 – Government in Uganda disarmed it’s citizens, and between 1971 – 1979 and murdered 300,000 Christians.

Over 2000 Australians were swat-teamed since their government hijacked the country and took their guns. Didnt Barrow county just start a SWAT team just a couple of years ago? Dont think for one minute they wont kick in your door and TRY to take your firearms. They cant wait to get dressed out.

#17.1 Those who dont learn from History are destined to repeat it.. on 01/04/13 at 09:14 AM [Reply]

The Australian government has be quite dismayed by the fact that Homicides went UP, yes, Went UP after they disarmed their citizens. You WONT see that reported in the Media.

Laws are for LAW ABIDING CITIZENS, the "outlaws" among us aren't following the Laws now and will have free reign after we are disarmed and/or strong harrassed by the efforts of the new order federal government soon.

Remember: Hitler started out very popular at first, a progressive hero among the majority of Germans...

#17.1.1 sovrncitzn on 01/05/13 at 07:15 AM [Reply]

But the big danger is government. Government has murdered more people than all the gang bangers, serial killers,drug dealers,bank robbers etc... combined. The government and their enforcers are the biggest killers. Obama has murdered more children with predator drones than all the school shooters.

#17.1.1.1 Anonymous on 01/07/13 at 08:02 AM [Reply]

Good point.

The corporate media never tells us how many school children get annihilated by U.S. predator drones each and every day, in countries we aren't even at war with.

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WPD officer disciplined over bad check charges

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WPD officer disciplined over bad check charges

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