Another Walton deputy arrested, fired

[Matt J]

FF 2, while I normally agree with you. This could probably be solved very quickly with a mandatory drug test. If he doesn't have valid prescriptions for the drugs in his blood then it's all over with.

 

[wrobert]

Robert
I hope you are as "open minded" if called for jury duty. None of these guys have been found guilty of anything other than speeding. Although the situation of the deputy busted for drugs looks bad, he has yet been convicted of anything. Maybe he should have been suspended until his issue has been dealt with legally. The one in Alabama is even disappointing but again not been found guilty of anything. You must be one of them that you would sacrifice 100 innocent to prison to ensure the punishment of 1 guilty. I'll venture to guess you have never ever done anything wrong. Keep throwing the stones, watch out for the bounce, it may hit your glass house.

Bob,

First I have done plenty wrong.

Second I understand that the deputy in Geneva was fired not so much for the traffic stop but for the way he conducted himself according to a review of the audio/video tapes that were reviewed.

Third the other deputy was not fired, he was not reappointed. There is a difference believe it or not.

As for the last deputy. I do feel for him. I have several very close relatives within my own family that have had to deal with prescription drug addiction. But so far, none of them have doctor shopped, and none of them have been selling their medication that I am aware of. If he is truly addicted himself, that is a symptom of a societal problem and we have to find a way to deal with it. Rehabilitation into a productive member of society is much cheaper and better for all of us than the revolving judicial system. But I also think that even if it is an addiction, we have to find the guy some help and some other employment. It is not going to help him to work in the element that law enforcement is forced to work with and I just do not see a way that he could ever do that job effectively.

 

[30ashopper]

Andy
All I am attempting to impart is that there has to be a fair process. We are held accountable to what we do on the jobs also off the job. We as people are prone to failures within our personal lives, sometimes due to immaturity, sometimes stresses in our lives are at the root. When we don't look after those who work for us, whether in how we treat them with regards to failures in their lives and try to assist them with changing their direction and helping them to become a productive employee, then we have failed. We see this in society as a whole. We place people in jail for non violent crimes for the punishment and hope that the time will make them rethink their path in life. Then we find we are sending them back to prison multiple times for ever increasing crimes. I take a look at what these former deputies have been accused of and I am not happy about it, but it is a symptom of a larger problem or just the 3 bad eggs within the department?

e.g. - none of these problems would surface if the unions insured these guys were making 100K a year?

 

[Bob Wells]

30a,
There is no way you can believe that, even in your most fantastic dreams. We look at people who make much more than that who have the respect of their communties. MADOFF who made and lost millions if not billions, the rich and famous who are in the spotlight that get busted for DUI/ drugs. Although I believe in Unions, and I believe I have a responsibility to the public I serve, both on and off duty, money is not the only thing that does that. Or does this mean only public employees are not allowed to have lapses in judgement. Although House Speaker Sansom, admits no wrong doing, taking $110,000 part time job is a lapse in judgement whether he did anything illegal, now there will be a legal investigation to find out. So when we have younger employee who make mistakes in life, on or off duty that harm the public image of a certain group as a whole, and when we terminate that employee rather than see if we can salvage that employee. Also the bad egg statement was inappropriate and ask forgiveness for my lapse. Thanks for bringing that to my attention.

 

[NightAngel]

Robert
I hope you are as "open minded" if called for jury duty. None of these guys have been found guilty of anything other than speeding. Although the situation of the deputy busted for drugs looks bad, he has yet been convicted of anything. Maybe he should have been suspended until his issue has been dealt with legally. The one in Alabama is even disappointing but again not been found guilty of anything. You must be one of them that you would sacrifice 100 innocent to prison to ensure the punishment of 1 guilty. I'll venture to guess you have never ever done anything wrong. Keep throwing the stones, watch out for the bounce, it may hit your glass house.

Oh please. Cops toss any charge they can find on a person when they arrest them and let them sort it out in court, and even if most of the charges wind up being dropped, it remains on the persons record and therefore they are judged by it for years to come even if not found guilty of the offenses and we are supposed to have compassion for the cops when they get themselves in a situation that a regular citizen would be sent up the river for, I don't think so.

 

[Bob Wells]

Night Angel,
Maybe I believe in a fairer system and utopia if you must. I want people to be treated fairly. Those who have the power should not be treated any differently than those without the power. As for those added charges, maybe it is the leadership and lack of training that has to be addressed to rid the mentality to get something to stick. I don't thinks it fair, and using your logic gives me the impression you been abused by the system.

 

[sunspotbaby]

It's one thing to have a job.
It's another thing when that job is to uphold the law.

Those who choose that profession need to hold themselves to a higher standard.

If you are breaking the law, you don't need to be enforcing it.

 

[Matt J]

Bob,

First I have done plenty wrong.

Second I understand that the deputy in Geneva was fired not so much for the traffic stop but for the way he conducted himself according to a review of the audio/video tapes that were reviewed.

Third the other deputy was not fired, he was not reappointed. There is a difference believe it or not.

As for the last deputy. I do feel for him. I have several very close relatives within my own family that have had to deal with prescription drug addiction. But so far, none of them have doctor shopped, and none of them have been selling their medication that I am aware of. If he is truly addicted himself, that is a symptom of a societal problem and we have to find a way to deal with it. Rehabilitation into a productive member of society is much cheaper and better for all of us than the revolving judicial system. But I also think that even if it is an addiction, we have to find the guy some help and some other employment. It is not going to help him to work in the element that law enforcement is forced to work with and I just do not see a way that he could ever do that job effectively.

What happened to personal responsibility? Let him get his own rehab right?

 

[scooterbug44]

I am really getting pissed off that expecting someone to NOT break the law is somehow holding them to a higher standard and that when you get caught doing something illegal and lose your job or rank as a result you are being unfairly persecuted.

It IS worse when the person breaking the law is someone who has specifically sworn to uphold that law AND who sees firsthand what drunken driving and drug dealing can do to people.

I am not holding them to an impossible standard, I am holding them to a lower standard than I do my friends and family or myself.

It has nothing to do with power or different standards, but with the minimal requirements for their GD chosen career!

 

[wrobert]

What happened to personal responsibility? Let him get his own rehab right?

The problem with that is the costs involved. It is much, much cheaper to rehab the offender than to incarcerate.