Make the right choice for sheriff
By
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To the editor:
Highland County citizens will be voting in 2012 to elect someone to be their sheriff.
Considering the amount of direct dealing Highland County’s citizens must have with their sheriff’s office (for various reasons), the selection of their sheriff is likely the most important vote we will make in 2012. That makes it mandatory for citizens to closely monitor their current sheriff to learn if they should keep him, or get rid of him.
The quality and value of any sheriff’s department (or any other law enforcement agency) always comes directly from the sheriff himself. The sheriff is the one person who completely controls the service and attitudes and behavior of all the other sheriff’s department employees. That makes monitoring the current sheriff fairly easy.
All Highland County residents have to do is pay very close attention to the attitudes and behavior of the sheriff’s deputies and staffers. How the deputies and staffers act is guaranteed to be a direct product of the sheriff they work for. In order to make an informed and valuable vote for sheriff next autumn, Highland’s citizens should begin closely monitoring sheriff’s deputies now. The citizens should begin watching every communication, every arrest, every investigation, every confrontation, and every attitude and behavior demonstrated by the deputies and sheriff.
If what they see in the sheriff’s crew is an attitude of arrogance and disdain toward citizens – that’s bad, and dangerous (and remember, even lawbreakers have protections and rights to decent treatment).
If what residents see is the deputies responding to scrutiny or criticism with holier-than-thou belligerence or self-righteousness; or if what Highlanders see is a lot of windbag bravado, and attempts at intimidation – that’s worse, and more dangerous.
If what they see is deputies defying the laws and the Constitution by often hiding behind “internal investigations,” “creative” judges, union protection, and giving misleading or incomplete information to the newspapers, that’s dangerous to Highland’s citizens that is out of control and a crystal clear signal that they need a different sheriff, and soon.
On the other hand… if Highlanders see deputies who: demonstrate respect for the Constitution (especially the Fourth Amendment), who know and obey the requirement for warrants and their limitations, who conduct themselves and their work without slamming people around, and who understand the term “peace officer,” that’s very good. And it’s a clear and reliable sign that Highland County residents have a sheriff who they should re-elect.
The point is that Highland County’s citizens need to start monitoring and investigating the behavior and attitudes of Highland’s deputies now so when Election Day comes, the citizens can make a choice for sheriff that is based on solid information. That’s how Highlanders can be sure to elect a sheriff whose department truly increases the safety of people living in Highland County and thus avoid electing one whose deputies actually make it dangerous to live here.
Let’s all make every effort we can to elect, or re-elect, the right person to our sheriff’s office.
Sincerely,
Jim Moore
Jackson Township[[In-content Ad]]
Highland County citizens will be voting in 2012 to elect someone to be their sheriff.
Considering the amount of direct dealing Highland County’s citizens must have with their sheriff’s office (for various reasons), the selection of their sheriff is likely the most important vote we will make in 2012. That makes it mandatory for citizens to closely monitor their current sheriff to learn if they should keep him, or get rid of him.
The quality and value of any sheriff’s department (or any other law enforcement agency) always comes directly from the sheriff himself. The sheriff is the one person who completely controls the service and attitudes and behavior of all the other sheriff’s department employees. That makes monitoring the current sheriff fairly easy.
All Highland County residents have to do is pay very close attention to the attitudes and behavior of the sheriff’s deputies and staffers. How the deputies and staffers act is guaranteed to be a direct product of the sheriff they work for. In order to make an informed and valuable vote for sheriff next autumn, Highland’s citizens should begin closely monitoring sheriff’s deputies now. The citizens should begin watching every communication, every arrest, every investigation, every confrontation, and every attitude and behavior demonstrated by the deputies and sheriff.
If what they see in the sheriff’s crew is an attitude of arrogance and disdain toward citizens – that’s bad, and dangerous (and remember, even lawbreakers have protections and rights to decent treatment).
If what residents see is the deputies responding to scrutiny or criticism with holier-than-thou belligerence or self-righteousness; or if what Highlanders see is a lot of windbag bravado, and attempts at intimidation – that’s worse, and more dangerous.
If what they see is deputies defying the laws and the Constitution by often hiding behind “internal investigations,” “creative” judges, union protection, and giving misleading or incomplete information to the newspapers, that’s dangerous to Highland’s citizens that is out of control and a crystal clear signal that they need a different sheriff, and soon.
On the other hand… if Highlanders see deputies who: demonstrate respect for the Constitution (especially the Fourth Amendment), who know and obey the requirement for warrants and their limitations, who conduct themselves and their work without slamming people around, and who understand the term “peace officer,” that’s very good. And it’s a clear and reliable sign that Highland County residents have a sheriff who they should re-elect.
The point is that Highland County’s citizens need to start monitoring and investigating the behavior and attitudes of Highland’s deputies now so when Election Day comes, the citizens can make a choice for sheriff that is based on solid information. That’s how Highlanders can be sure to elect a sheriff whose department truly increases the safety of people living in Highland County and thus avoid electing one whose deputies actually make it dangerous to live here.
Let’s all make every effort we can to elect, or re-elect, the right person to our sheriff’s office.
Sincerely,
Jim Moore
Jackson Township[[In-content Ad]]