Glowing report not valid, says Ramsey County sheriff

Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher took aim this week at state Public Safety Commissioner Michael Campion, asking in a letter how he could justify the "excellent" rating that a Campion appointee gave the Metro Gang Strike Force in 2007.

Campion disbanded the Strike Force and a newly formed interim unit earlier this month, after several law enforcement agencies withdrew their personnel. The force has been plagued by a series of allegations of mismanagement, and of missing money and property it had seized.

Fletcher, who sent a copy of the letter to news media, said Tuesday, "Clearly there need to be some structural changes to assure that we can get accurate information, but I leave the decision as to what those are to the commissioner."

Campion and the official who gave the "excellent" rating, Bob Bushman, statewide coordinator for 22 drug and gang task forces, declined to comment.

But Doug Neville, a spokesman for Campion, said Bushman's rating was not based on an audit, but mostly on a series of "yes" and "no" questions asked of Strike Force Commander Ron Ryan, Assistant Commander Jim Heimerl and Office Manager Cindy Gehlsen.

If they answered "yes" to various questions, they got an "excellent" score, Neville said.

Fletcher, himself, came under some criticism for defending the Strike Force earlier this year and discouraging an investigation by the state Legislative Auditor's office. Before heading up the Strike Force, Ryan worked for Fletcher at the sheriff's department.

The FBI and a separate panel appointed by Campion are conducting additional investigations of the Strike Force.

Jim Nobles, the Legislative Auditor, said Tuesday that Fletcher raised legitimate questions that need to be addressed.

Regarding Bushman, Nobles said, "In my interviews and contacts with him, I was impressed by his experience and knowledge and his understanding of what standards should be followed by the Metro Gang Strike Force." Bushman recognized "there were issues, but he was attempting to be as supportive and positive as possible in encouraging improvements," Nobles said.

While Bushman wrote in his 2007 report card that the Strike Force "operates effectively," he also wrote that a random check of files revealed that some were incomplete and some empty. Further, he noted that a random check of records on confidential informants "revealed that files were missing some of the information required" by the Strike Force's guidelines manual.

While acknowledging the criticisms in the report, Fletcher called Bushman's summary a "glowing commendation." Fletcher suggested the state oversight council, of which Fletcher is a member, depended on accurate information from Bushman to ensure the Force complied with investigative protocols spelled out in state law.

The Legislative Auditor's report, issued May 20, focused on Bushman's criticisms and concluded that the state council and the Strike Force's advisory board "did not sufficiently oversee the Metro Gang Strike Force's financial operations."

Bushman issued a harsh report Jan. 20, ranking the Force "unsatisfactory" in correcting deficiencies and record keeping. His latest report followed a review begun by Campion's office in October after the Force deposited $340,000 in seized funds with the Ramsey County sheriff's office, fiscal agent for the Force. It was considered an unusually large amount.

Fletcher said the Legislative Auditor found no fault with the fiscal agent. Asked about that, Nobles said, "We had no findings as to the fiscal agent. There clearly was a breakdown in the administrative support at the Gang Strike Force."

Randy Furst • 612-673-7382