Dear Friends & Readers,
Presented to you is a string of emails addressed to the Medford Sheriff’s department in response to their non-and irresponsible responses in Toby’s hit and run incident. It is time to share what normally what I’d consider private conversations—openly.
For all who know me personally, most certainly you would acknowledge these traits about my character:
1) That the teacher in me is extremely patient and tolerate for those who desire- and seek to learn; BUT
2) There also comes a point when my good nature runs out for people and/or organizations who do not take responsibility for their actions which leads to UN-accountability.
More and more our society is permitting violators (from indecent individuals to big brother agencies) to dictate our lives through their rules and protocols. Often these strong holds come by way of inherited societal position based on nonsensical policies and regulations; or even intimidation and other diminishing techniques.
Taking a stance—asking others to be accountable for their actions that affects us is not only necessary, but essential. We must speak up and SHOUT OUT NO MORE. And, such is the case for Toby’s fortuitous event.
Somehow I am of the opinion that Toby may be orchestrating events from behind the veil to enable others to learn lessons long forgotten—or that have not been acquired, yet. From my serious first letter to my (seriously) ridiculous rebuttal, after visiting these notes, you may come to understand my belief behind this declaration.
If you are compelled to voice your opinion and stake a claim for accountability, please email each contact below in BLUE and simply state in the subject line: FIND TOBY’S KILLER ~ Case #17-1036 My wish is that every voice > together we can bring awareness, and create a constructive “Teaching Moment”. (There is no time limit to respond. When the situation is resolved, an update will be posted.)
Feel free to forward these letters. And, thank YOU to everyone who reads and honors this message in whatever way that moves you. Even your positive prayers and thoughts are appreciated.
My Best,
Patty Ann
Please Note: Names and identities of all who contributed their great deeds towards this effort have been removed from these letters. All names connected to the Sheriff’s department and their emails are legitimate as of this letter written March 15, 2017. Public officials and their contact info are state-supported and therefore subject to scrutiny—and accountability.
From: Patty Ann
Sent: Tuesday, February 7, 2017 10:56 AM
To: SickleNJ@jacksoncounty.org; PenlanDL@jacksoncounty.org; SnaithTJ@jacksoncounty.org
Subject: PLEASE ASSIST DEPUTY BIDDLE in a HIT & RUN > PLEASE READ THIS LETTER
Dear Sheriff Nate Sickler, and respectively Captain Dan Penland & Captain Tim Snaith,
I am writing this letter on behalf of not only myself, but many others in my neighborhood, concerning a hit and run on Winnetka Road, Sam’s Valley, that Deputy Biddle is presiding over.
On January 15th, my dog “TOBY” was blatantly struck down and killed by a speeder in our neighborhood. While it is understood my dog should not be off my well fenced property, my RV guests initially left my gate open. Now while my dog’s death may seem unimportant, this letter is to inform you of a much larger—and prevailing situation. Please read this recount in its entirety.
As serendipity would intervene a string of events unfolded after Toby got hit and killed. Immediately I summoned law enforcement. Within a half hour Deputy Biddle arrived…even before we buried Toby. So Deputy Biddle got to view my forever sleeping Toby. My neighbors came over to help bury Toby. And, they said they had a surveillance camera pointed on the road. Deputy Biddle promptly left to view the footage.
And he got a positive ID on the hit and run SUV. Now, admittedly the camera was a few feet off the hit zone, but the SUV was only one of two vehicles on our dirt back road at 9:15am that Sunday morning. (The other vehicle had been cleared.) There were no other vehicles on the road that morning except the police cars. The SUV matched a set of tire tracks leading up to the point of impact and a scuff in the road, just a foot off my property that pointed to the eastbound travel direction.
Deputy Biddle took the SUV photos from the surveillance camera, and photos of the matching tire tracks leading to the road scuff where Toby died. The Deputy said a hit and run of any degree is serious, a misdemeanor that equals a year in jail. I believed that Deputy Biddle had the intent to immediately apprehend the driver from the expectations and obvious evidence that were set. Had the driver stopped and owned this right there it would have been no incident, just an apology accepted. But, this driver and his clan from the west end of Winnetka Road are not what one would classify as high caliber citizens.
In the week thereafter I saw the SUV come down Winnetka road again at mach speeds. I called Deputy Biddle thinking he had this case covered, and handled. One week later, he returned a message saying he had not located the vehicle yet! I did not understand why the vehicle had escaped Deputy Biddle when it had sped down our road!
Two weeks later I barraged Deputy Biddle with phone calls. Toby is gone, and that dog meant the world to me. BUT, this is about accountability. I asked Deputy Biddle for a picture taken off the neighbors security camera because it was no longer available. People were asking for the SUV photo to help locate the vehicle. Deputy Biddle said he could not- would not- share the shared picture due to policy.
What was- and is- disconcerting to me and many who live in this neighborhood was the seeming lack of followup for an incident that violated our road, and our neighborhood once again. Initially Deputy Biddle indicated he had plenty of ‘evidence’ to apprehend this driver. He had clear pictures of the SUV and tire tracks, AND the residence from which it came because my neighbors told him who the car belong too….just two doors down.
However two weeks later I am calling for followup again. Deputy Biddle visited my home. We chatted for a bit. His responses pointed towards a reluctance, as he asked for more help, more leads, namely a license plate number. So I put out a plea on our neighborhood forum asking for a license to this SUV. Once again serendipity handed back a license number. A forum neighbor just happened to be sitting at the the right time and in the right place. Of course I forwarded the plate # to Deputy Biddle.
He said he ran the plate and said it belonged to an F150 in Medford which no one had reported it missing. I said that it could be a switched plate…these vagrants have a dozen disabled cars in their yard.
And I reconfirmed with the informant who again texted me this exact note: #####X is the plate number I saw. I was sitting at the XXX in XXXXX and they pulled right past the window and for some reason, your post jogged my memory and I immediately read the plate number, wrote it on my phone and messaged you. Perhaps the gas XXXXX in XXXXX has surveillance video but that was the plate number. It was light silvery blue bronco and not an F-150.
The amazing timing of these fate-handed leads, I believe are significant opportunities to make a correction, but these excellent leads fell to the wayside. I followed up again during the third week. Deputy Biddle asked for more leads??? So now I am wondering, how many leads does he need? AND, why does a citizen need to do a cops job?
Now you need to understand why I am so persistent. Toby’s death has see off alarm within this community because it echos the continued unaccountably to violations in our area that have gone ignored by Law Enforcement. Our neighborhood in the last year has been under siege and held hostage to a few homes who carry on without regard to the law, much less our neighborhood. These violators have no boundaries.
Our pleas for help to curtail activities just fall on deaf ears. In fact there are horrendous first-hand stories given to me of police enabling and abetting! I personally have never called 911 in my life until I came to live here. But now, I cannot tell you how many times I have called. I have pleaded to just have a cop car drive our roads a few times a week – show a presence here. None came that I am aware of. I should also mention many people will not call the cops for fear of retaliation.
Stuff that happens on our street has held all of us prisoners because of the lack of police presence. Meth houses carry on business buys as usual. A neighbor gets mauled by meth house dogs because the police left an unmonitored situation go sour…even after many of us called prior. The dogs had to pay the price with their lives. There are routine drug buys on Del Rio Road. Druggies scale our back fence lines to where another neighbor put up a surveillance camera. But, why bother if what you find on camera does not matter? The infringement upon our properties and constant thefts and casing of homes is out of control. I can even view the neighborhood meth cooking operations many nights from my kitchen window!
My intent is not to discredit Deputy Biddle for his service in any way. It is clear he is stretched too far, and needs more support. This appears to be a systemic issue that is problematic of the non-existent police coverage as evidenced on our hill top. I am asking you to give full support to Deputy Biddle so he can resolve this case and/or assign others to this case as well. The Sheriff’s department not only needs to be accountable, but they need to send a clear message that people who violate others will not be tolerated.
People here are mad, but they are moved by what happened to Toby. I just received another tip last night that I forwarded to Deputy Biddle. It came anonymously from a former neighborhood resident who has exited this area for their own safety. Their text indicates the location of the suspected vehicle now hidden. I have forwarded it to Deputy Biddle, but I want him supported.
I, as others, appreciate your consideration in this matter. Toby may have had 4 legs, but he was a contributing member to our society; a certified therapy canine among other accomplishments. Please read Toby’s story online at: http://pattyann.net/tribute-to-a-river-dog/
Sincerely,
Patty Ann
Patty Ann
http://PattyAnn.net/
Home of Patty Ann’s Pet Project
From: James Kocina <KocinaJH@jacksoncounty.org>
Sent: Sunday, February 12, 2017 12:09 PM
To: Patty Ann
Subject: Case Number
Patty,
The case number is 17-1036.
Respectfully Submitted,
Sergeant J. H. Kocina
Patrol Division
5179 Crater Lake Highway
Central Point Oregon 97502
Phone: 541-774-6838
Phone: 541-890-8764
Email: Kocinajh@jacksoncounty.org
From: Patty Ann
Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2017 10:50 AM
To: SickleNJ@jacksoncounty.org; PenlanDL@jacksoncounty.org; SnaithTJ@jacksoncounty.org
Subject: Case #17-1036 Followup
Dear Sheriff Nate Sickler, and respectively Captain Dan Penland, Captain Tim Snaith, et all,
I’d like to thank your department for the pro-activity on my case 17-1036. I applaud the open lines of communication regarding all aspects of this detective work. The stellar investigative procedures displayed during case number 17-1036 were outstanding. It has now been 2 months.
Since you may not recall my case, my original letter is attached.
Additionally, I would like to express gratitude for my last contact with your department. Specifically, a communication which was prolifically provided by your not-so-polite Sergeant Kocina (SK). (His email stating my case number is also included for reference.) Apparently, SK got elected to perform this token department call (to me) to procure some sort of closure for YOU. Really, another should have been appointed to make the call, because SK could use corrective coaching on proper conversation etiquette.
Allow me to explain. SK began our dialogue by immediately implying that I had a problem.
He asked me: “What’s the problem?” This indicated he did NOT actually read my original letter thoroughly—or perhaps not at all. I politely said my issue was stated in my letter. SK then went on to rampage:“What’s the problem?” To which I continued to reply: “My issue is stated in my letter.” This stalemate went on for several rounds.
Then SK escalated his compulsive non-stop pugilist voice to where I was not allowed to explain what he asked for, let alone get a word in edgewise! Thereafter a most taunting rebuttal battle ensued, to which I will spare you the details.
To assign SK for this procedural follow up call was a testament to more folly within your department. Doesn’t Sergeant Kucina know that being a verbal bully to his constituents is not only offensive, but conduct unbecoming of the position he represents? Thank you to whoever directed Sergeant Bully to (try-to) back off this citizen’s inquiry. Way to go. It didn’t work. I do not scare easy.
Despite our verbal challenges, there was one item SK and I agreed on. That more communication from Deputy Biddle and the Medford Sheriff’s department on this case should have been forthcoming.
It is NOT an-out-of-line request to ask for accountability for Toby’s hit and run incident. Providing respectful and knowledgeable followup should be a common courtesy offered by the Sheriffs department. BUT, here it was again, and case-in-point > NO further contact has resulted from this discussion where SK agreed- then stated that communication in this matter would have been prudent.
As for communication from Deputy Biddle: I have not heard one peep from him as well, since giving him that last vital lead he asked for on February 7th. Perhaps Deputy Biddle has resigned? Again, due to his silence, I have no idea.
So, allow me to recap, once again, the events to which no one seems to be responsible for…
(1) The suspect hit and run vehicle description with full photo- including tire tracks- was obtained by Deputy Biddle within the very hour of Toby’s demise, to which he indicated was enough evidence to apprehend the delinquent driver.
(2) After 2 weeks of my inquiring phone calls pleading follow up, Biddle actually paid me a visit. Thank you! He then asked me to obtain the license plate number to a vehicle that was long gone. However, this miracle manifested by way of my forum neighbor who had just read my pleading post within the hour I posted. This string of events was amazing in itself!
(3) Oh, and the residence location was already established from where the vehicle had descended (that would be within THIS state- like down my block- two doors away. So one would think a simple stake out, or a knock-their-door-down-approach might have actually revealed the driver and/or his/her/their whereabouts.
(4) AND, gee whiz, the real slam dunk opportunity came when the street and residence was revealed where the vehicle was being hidden! Again, another fate-handed anonymous courtesy call provided by a former neighbor advocating for Toby—and someone who had fled this area for fear of their own personal safety!
Serendipity intervened and miraculously handed down all this almost impossible to procure info, and not just once—BUT several times almost concurrently! So, at that point, I might have actually been able to drive the damn suspect vehicle right up and park it on the front steps of the Sheriff’s station myself!
With all this help from my wonderful neighbors fueled by Toby’s blatant case mismanagement, you’d think the suspect driver would be easily sitting behind bars! Maybe he-she-they-it already is-are. BUT, how would I know this since NO BODY has bothered to inform moi of anything to date?
So again I would like to THANK YOU ALL for your UN-relentless, non-apprehension efforts regarding our neighborhood’s not so recent, put-on-the-back-burner crisis. And, THANK YOU ALL for your empathy and sincere care taking of my-our community concerns.
I can almost appreciate how difficult, dangerous, and tiring this entire search must have been for the few—or perhaps the many, in your division. Especially since every clue and opportunity had been generously provided to elevate the Sheriff’s reputation to the potential of being a real hero on our hilltop.
As a former Instructional Designer/Training Developer for Customer Service Relations in Fortune 500 companies, this is what we fondly called a “Teaching Moment”. In simple layman terms: An opportunity for growth. A time to make adjustments and implement improvements.
I am happy to have Case #17-1036 lend a whole new perspective on mindful communication to the Sheriff’s department. And, you have my permission to forward this email. Use it as inter-office coaching for your staff.
By the way, I do not have anything personal against any one of you; just your practices of prescribed procedural followup, extreme apathy, and non-accountability over an illegal violation.
And, PLEASE NO more harassing contact from your department. The ONLY words I want to hear now is “WE APPREHENDED TOBY’S KILLER”.
Namaste.
Patty
Patty Ann
http://PattyAnn.net/
Home of Patty Ann’s Pet Project