by: Jack Minor
Actor Andy Griffith’s TV character Andy Taylor became famous as the sheriff without a gun, who made arrests and enforced the peace through his courage and firm, but gentle, persuasion. But what would he have done if he hadn’t had the ability to make traffic stops or arrests at all?
That’s just about the situation that has developed in Delaware, where one sheriff is campaigning to restore the authority to his office he says was granted by the state’s constitution.
The battle now includes the state legislature, where lawmakers are trying to redefine sheriffs so they can serve papers and process administrative work but have no hand in actual law enforcement.
Law enforcement authority, say supporters of a state bill, belongs to state police and city police.
“We are very close to having a police state, because the state police does all of the policing except for the municipalities,” Sheriff Jeff Christopher of Sussex County told WND.
Unlike police chiefs, who are hired by government officials, sheriffs are elected by the people and historically have been recognized as a highest-ranking law enforcement officer in a county.
There have been several threats to the authority of sheriffs recently. In Montana, a proposal would have required all federal law enforcement officers to coordinate any activities in counties with the local sheriff. And in Maricopa County, Ariz., Sheriff Joe Arpaio continues to ruffle feathers in Washington with his investigation of whether Barack Obama is perpetrating a fraud on county voters by running for president without being an eligible candidate.
In Maryland, the office of sheriff is a constitutionally created position similar to the secretary of state or attorney general and demands, “The sheriffs shall be conservators of the peace within the counties . . . in which they reside.”
However, over the years the sheriffs in the three counties voluntarily turned over most of the arrest authority to state police.
That was the status quo Jeff Christopher found when he was elected sheriff of Sussex County in 2010. With the support of tea party members he set about to restore the office to its historic position of preeminence in the county.
He explained that prior to his election the departments passed off their duties to the state police, and that was causing concern.
read more: http://www.wnd.com/2012/04/police-state-fears-grow-in-delaware/
Actor Andy Griffith’s TV character Andy Taylor became famous as the sheriff without a gun, who made arrests and enforced the peace through his courage and firm, but gentle, persuasion. But what would he have done if he hadn’t had the ability to make traffic stops or arrests at all?
That’s just about the situation that has developed in Delaware, where one sheriff is campaigning to restore the authority to his office he says was granted by the state’s constitution.
The battle now includes the state legislature, where lawmakers are trying to redefine sheriffs so they can serve papers and process administrative work but have no hand in actual law enforcement.
Law enforcement authority, say supporters of a state bill, belongs to state police and city police.
“We are very close to having a police state, because the state police does all of the policing except for the municipalities,” Sheriff Jeff Christopher of Sussex County told WND.
Unlike police chiefs, who are hired by government officials, sheriffs are elected by the people and historically have been recognized as a highest-ranking law enforcement officer in a county.
There have been several threats to the authority of sheriffs recently. In Montana, a proposal would have required all federal law enforcement officers to coordinate any activities in counties with the local sheriff. And in Maricopa County, Ariz., Sheriff Joe Arpaio continues to ruffle feathers in Washington with his investigation of whether Barack Obama is perpetrating a fraud on county voters by running for president without being an eligible candidate.
In Maryland, the office of sheriff is a constitutionally created position similar to the secretary of state or attorney general and demands, “The sheriffs shall be conservators of the peace within the counties . . . in which they reside.”
However, over the years the sheriffs in the three counties voluntarily turned over most of the arrest authority to state police.
That was the status quo Jeff Christopher found when he was elected sheriff of Sussex County in 2010. With the support of tea party members he set about to restore the office to its historic position of preeminence in the county.
He explained that prior to his election the departments passed off their duties to the state police, and that was causing concern.
read more: http://www.wnd.com/2012/04/police-state-fears-grow-in-delaware/
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