The Newscaster - Nature Coast News
PAGE 13 - March 7, 2012
Silence Isn t Golden, when it costs “A Year of YOUR life”
TIMES in Crystal River (his Chief once and CRPD TWICE), because He felt HIS 1st Amendment RIGHT
ONE YEAR ago, TODAY, I was silenced by Inglis Police Department; Specifically Chief
was being violated,22 23 24yet Mine (AND YOURS) is expendable? Ballard filed ALL those suits before
Dixon, & Lt. Ballard. They arrested & charged me with ‘threatening public officials, FSS 838.021,
Chief Dixon hired him here, and promoted him! Should YOU Live in FEAR of Mack Ballard? I do.
(a felony), 3 counts.1 The charges are still “pending”, for an editorial news article.2 Are You next? IS
CHIEF Dixon responded to a bogus call & walked in on my friend, Josh “W” in his living room, telling
YOUR First Amendment Important?
Josh that he wasn’t ALLOWED to defend his family, on His Own Property, INSIDE HIS OWN
THIS Arrest cost me my job, several businesses, took away any chance to keep any business
HOUSE & proceeded to arrest Josh (who later was found not guilty by a JURY; a Rare Situation for
or professional license in Florida; It s forced my wife to move, us to prepare to lose our house, damaged
IPD…where 1 of their arrests ACTUALLY Made it to Court).25 Did You know that they can t get it
our reputations beyond repair for likely years to come, left me restoring boats for income and we live
RIGHT 10% of the time for arrests to become CONVICTIONS?26
in constant fear….of IPD.
DIXON ignores criminal conduct, depending on who You are. If You aren t a friend, You could
I WAS dragged out of my house in socks & hauled off to Bronson; because they knew ‘this
be me, bound for Bronson w/a free ride, no shoes & that kewl new stainless set of joined bracelets,
was coming, A YEAR AGO. They shut me up and cost You nearly a half million dollars while doing
because You wanted to stop corruption.
so!
WHEN Officer Tim Swiggett was stabbed by a bank robber with outstanding warrants on the
TIM Swiggett (supervised by Dixon) was my arresting officer.3 I kept my mouth shut aside
far side of Yankeetown less than 3 years ago; did YOU ask: “What was HE Doing Over There? Did
asking if handcuffs could be loosened, three times. I arrived in Bronson with blue hands, while LCSO
You know he wasn t dispatched outside Inglis to take on this criminal without backup?27 Was HE ever
jailers looked at each other, shaking their heads over my obvious abuse.4 I m a Citizen, not a TERROR-
written up for violating procedure & being in the wrong place, at the wrong time, without permission,
IST.
while getting stabbed?
WHY D they do this? I was Beginning a revealing of IPD, exposing corruption (& Incom-
CHIEF Dixon when formally asked, answered via public record response, that Officer Tim
petence) through public records with planned articles, week after week convincing You to insist on
Letson last year was allowed to resign for improper conduct with a confidential informant(CI), & other
SHUTTING THEM DOWN. Chief Dixon & Lt. Ballard knew & By Arresting Me, Stopped the Truth
issues involving that CI.28
dead in it s tracks. Problem is; what they did Is Illegal.5
IPD Officers (and Chiefs, Since what WAS ALLOWED TO happen with Mitch Billups) should
THEY cost us uncounted nights living in FEAR, my wife having to live in an ‘undisclosed
Never have access to a Property/Evidence Room; 2 in, 2 out, (keeps them BOTH honest) as drugs, cash,
location , my driving to Dunnellon by way of Lebanon Station, Crystal River by going UP 40A then S.
guns, & other valuable property, are what s IN that Property/Evidence room! It s common sense, but
on 19 (praying to not be noticed), SNEAKING around day & NIGHT in FEAR for my LIFE, swapping
not at IPD. The RULES were supposedly changed after Mitch robbed Your property room, but Dixon
vehicles w/friends & neighbors; always heading the most direct route to Town Limits.
shouted what he did in a Restaurant where plenty of people heard him. So, EITHER Chief Dixon didn t
THAT Article, last year showed Commission Chair Bob Webb telling me to ‘shut up & sit
answer a public records request honestly (to me), or he misrepresented facts to a local business owner,
down at town meetings (10,11&12/10) as I was trying to show illegal actions of IPD, Inglis Commis-
publicly. Either way, this issue should have been (& still should be) investigated by FDLE! Is this
sion & their unwillingness to hear the truth.6 I showed Mayor Lake along w/Chief Dixon likely caused
“Leadership”?
a Federal Criminal Firearm Conspiracy,7 Chief Dixon had accidentally put it all on paper, providing me
AFTER Letson resigned, he was replaced by Officer Brian Hilburer. Hilburer was dismissed
with serial numbers of firearm(s) & ammunition in public records requests.8 These acts, are likely ‘of-
from CCSO, for having an inappropriate sexual relationship, with the spouse of a fellow deputy,
ficial misconduct , a Florida Felony9. Like “Watergate”, Covering Up criminal mistakes IS worse than
BEFORE being hired by IPD30. Did You GET That? This same officer represented that he was a Full
those mistakes.10. Lying in arrest affidavits11 is considered lying to the Court, like Perjury; likely another
Time IPD Officer while a reserve/auxiliary officer31, had Checks for child safety seats last fall made out
Felony12. Your Chief & Lieutenant appear to have done EXACTLY that, just shutting me up, according
to HIMSELF rather than IPD,32 AND as a known ‘problem officer , was HIRED by Chief Dixon to take
to the Judge at my bond hearing. What I was doing is LEGAL, what they (Your IPD LEADERSHIP)
the place of a resigned IPD Officer, FOR BEING a ‘problem officer ? Then we have Officer Viaggio
Did ISN’T. Would YOU be scared, knowing what I ll prove for You now? BE the JUDGE.
most recently, who s his own separate train wreck story that went out the door just prior his front page
Should WE be scared for our LIVES, as whistle blowers? Should we lose jobs, homes, our
review in the Sarasota Herald Tribune, a real piece of work.3334
safety & future at the hands of those who are sworn to protect & serve US? I was told by Cpl. Jones
BACK to Officer Swiggett: did You know that he Tasered an arrestee, with hands behind back
that Night in JAIL, that I could have a $300,000.00 CASH Bond. We didn t have even CLOSE to 10%
in handcuffs, INSIDE an IPD VEHICLE, but the arrestee wouldn t be quiet, so Tim ‘Tazered him. Yep,
of that amount, ANYWHERE! Dixon & Ballard had done me good. I d NEVER been in Jail before in
that s probably illegal.35 Just Don t bump in to Swiggett on a ‘bad day ? Do YOU get that OPTION?
my life. I stared at the ceiling, worried about how my hearing in the morning would go, for my future,
IPD Officers once when responding to a violence call at a retail establishment walked in with
possibly the rest of my life worrying whether it d be in freedom or behind those bars, worrying about
tasers drawn & victim of a fight had his wife push him to the floor, covering to protect him, saying “please
my sick wife, my kids, even my dogs. Unless You ve been abused like this You CAN NOT Imagine
don t shoot him”, her husband. IPD did the ‘smart thing…they tasered them BOTH, & HER Twice!36
what our family s been through since that day and the longest night of my life.
Will YOU be their next case of ‘mistaken identity’?
JUDGE Browning gave my prosecutors 2 MINUTES to come up with more evidence to
IPD has many settled (& open) law suits over excessive force in apprehension & transporta-
hold me, but they couldn t (because I hadn t threatened ANY Public Official, least of all POLICE with
tion of arrestees; More “Dismissed Arrests” than Proper ones as well.37 Missing video tape of arrests;
Guns & Badges…I m NOT Stupid). So He ORDERED my release immediately, after 26 hours in jail,
It Should Make Any SANE Person BLUSH, yet we have this conversation, year after year?
because Telling the Truth Isn’t A CRIME.
Should YOU be CALLING LCSO when IPD is at YOUR FRONT DOOR, scared for Your
NONE of You should ever endure what we have for the last year at the hands of Chief Dixon
Life, of YOUR POLICE? I Was.
& IPD. Here s what was planned, the rest is in safe hands, so that no accident can ‘happen to me. This
I COULDN T Be allowed to share all this with You. WHY? You d want their “Stupid” to
was what You were supposed to be reading, AFTER our last election. Here Goes:
STOP. IPD Leadership has, while being accountable to no one, been STUPID for decades. YOU pay
IPD Leadership s been crooked, as long as there s been IPD. Nearly Every Inglis Chief has
for STUPID w/insurance rates, reputations going down, only the worst applying for jobs, the least of
been a problem. IPD IS home for 2 officer types: FIRST JOB, (Rookies) or LAST Stop prior retirement
those officers being hired. They made almost another HALF MILLION DOLLARS off of keeping
(or loss of certification). Leadership starts up top; With Corruption Topside & rookies below…see ANY
me silenced, from YOU for the last year! I couldn’t stop ‘stupid’, because they made sure I was
good in that model? It s easy to figure out what ll happen (& Did).
silenced..
IN 1979, we had a CONTRACT w/LCSO for Protection, so don t let anyone tell You that can t
BILL Bachschmidt in January s Inglis Meeting in my opinion extorted Inglis, offering sev-
happen; it already has.13 In 1980, Inglis Commission decided they could do better. Wackenhut Security
eral hundred thousand dollars worth of asphalt ‘millings for ‘free if ‘we could just keep IPD’; 38 then
was contracted, but that didn t make Inglis Commission happy. They created IPD by Ordinance in 1982.
threatening that IF IPD s dissolved he d move his operations to Ocala.39 Bill employs only a few folks
Chief Addison was the only employee & worked weekdays.14 Since him it s been the bad news bears,
from Inglis. He s spent big money on attorneys, Giant lighted (illegal) Signs, & funded “Supporters of
in charge of the cubbies.
IPD”. Even though we don t know WHO those “supporters of IPD” are?40 BE AFRAID, BE Very Afraid,
MITCH Billups Followed, Steve Dixon, then Mitch Billups again, then Tim Bible, then back
BECAUSE IPD Is patrolling Your streets tonight. You Aren t safer with IPD. But Mr. B. & D.A.B. think
to the current Chief, Steve Dixon. That s been the lineage of chiefs.15
they re ‘awesome? Wonder why that is?
DID You know Chief Dixon was ‘asked to resign’ back in the early ‘00 s as CHIEF of IPD
WE Voters of South Levy select our new sheriff this fall; we Southern electors, when combined,
for inappropriate conduct (Spending unauthorized funds without consulting Mayor or Commission…
hold a majority over northern population centers in Chiefland, Williston & Bronson, long catered to, in
on machine guns)?16 WELL YOU SHOULD HAVE…IT was HERE! I was going to share this, BEFORE
Levy while we re ignored, even though we CAN determine OUR Next Sheriff, working together instead
they ruined my life, last Year.
of divided, as IPD perfers US. PAY ATTENTION to the dividers, It IS all about KEEPING Bigger Gov.
MITCH Billups was Arrested AS Chief, for taking money, drugs & property from IPD
Org! (Not BETTER, Just BIGGER, because while YOU slept, they made it so)
Evidence room, he was found guilty in Court. He was Charged by FDLE after full investigation. He
WE deserve better, we already PAY for better, demand BETTER.
played on the good nature of town staff allowing them to donate their vacation & SICK PAY for his
DO You want Sheriff Andy responding to Your call? You re getting Barney & he shouldn t
‘absence & donating SICK PAY isn t normally Legal, but it happened, HERE, just a few years ago.
have even been given that ONE Bullet; IPD s LED BY CHIEFS that couldn t SHOOT STRAIGHT!
TIM Bible was a big Mess just becoming Chief, Following Mitch Billups, & Bible was
(& this AIN T Mayberry!) IF You had an employee who couldn t do their job 10% of the time, would
endorsed by (Under Sheriff) Major Mike Johnson17 of LCSO as he noted LCSO wouldn t rehire Bible;
YOU KEEP Them? You DO, they’re called IPD.
Johnson still felt that “he d do just fine by us as our Chief”. Johnson later resigned, over ethics issues
That s why I CALLED 911 & a NEWS REPORTER when IPD Came for ME. IF You wind up
with LCSO,18 & we (Citizens of Inglis) had to pay a hefty sum, ‘buying out Bible s Contract, even
where I was (or am), while IPD is being shut down, CALL 911, Ask for a DEPUTY present….for Your
though a parade of people (including me) HAD argued against Bible getting a Contact, as Bible had
Own SAFETY.“ALL that’s necessary for the triumph of evil is that
good men do nothing.”
filed a lawsuit against Town Commissioners & Private Citizens.19
DIXON was brought back (from Citrus County) as Tim Bible s replacement.20 What was Dixon
-Edmund Burke
doing? He was a CROSSING GUARD. For those who know nothing about law enforcement, crossing
guard duty is about as bad as it gets before invitation to resign. After 20+ yrs in L/E, he d obviously
THERE IS more, (of THIS Research), tons more. It s Your Town, want more? Or
messed up Again, but he d still be an excellent Chief for us?
not? VOTE in 6 days. You Don t Want to know the REST of this MESS called “IPD His-
LIEUTENANT Mack Ballard while trying to bury me in state prison, lied, in writing, in my
tory”. Save Inglis, Dissolve IPD.
arrest affidavit; That s probably perjury. Chief Dixon liked it so much that he signed that same docu-
Endnotes, references and links in this article can be accessed on The Newscaster
ment, making them likely equally guilty & co-conspirators.21 Ballard SUED his Employer THREE
Home page: http://thenewscaster.com search: endnotes
Paid political advertisement, paid for and endorsed by Michael “Mick” Peters, Inglis Citizen, Tax Payer and Voter