Letter To The Editor: Looking For Feedback On Constables

11/27/2015

To The Edmonson Voice:
I would like to see a piece in the EV on Constables in our community. We have myself, Tim Skees in Dist.2, Brownsville, Rhoda Authur area. Joe Carl Daugherty in Dist3 Rocky Hill/Pig area Donnie Vincent in Segal area
Elvis Linsey in Bee Springs Dist 4 area.

Does the public support Constables in general?
Does any particular District support their Constable ?
Does the public see any good done by their Constable ?
Is your Constable active in your area/dist?
Finally, do you feel your Constable should resign as Constable in your particular Dist?

I personally would like to see a story on Constables, from the EV.

We either need fiscal court SUPPORT, or need to be abolished, or all need to resign.

You either use and support them, or they are not needed and should be done away with.

Magistrate Ed Rich feels we do not need any Constables, no matter who or what they have been previously.
Would like to have his opinion as magistrate along with ALL magistrates on this so people would be informed .

Would make very interesting piece of news !

Thanks much!
Tim Skees

2 Comments

Neal Lindsey link

1/14/2016 03:05:00 pm

I am writing in to support Mr. Rich, as I live in his district. First let me say that I support Law Officers 100%. My great grand father was killed in the line of duty, My uncle was a deputy and also constable, my step-father was a deputy sheriff and I currently have a brother in law enforcement, My opinion is that performing any law enforcement job is extremely important to get it right the first time. Each officer MUST be highly trained and has no room for error. Their life as well as others depends on it. Therefore, I believe it should be a full time job, with extensive training, bonded and insured, and compensated with hourly or salaried pay.

District 2 Constable

1/18/2016 10:43:04 am

As for District 2 Constable, I have been an appointed special peace officer (by the Governor's Office) beginning in 2005, and still hold that same Commission to the present day.
As for the training I have, Statute does not require the elected sheriff nor the constable to attend the academy at Richmond. We both are exempt by the statutes. I agree 100% that we need all the training we can get ! We have bills filed going to Frankfort as we speak, BEGGING for training, but t has always fallen on deaf ears, for one political reason or another. I have enough certifications in Fire, medical, hazmat, communications, firearms ,ect to choke a horse. Magistrates can not interfere with constables in the performance of their duties, they would be imprisoned for doing so, as this is not allowed by the statutes. The only authority magistrates have over constables is to allow blue lights or not. Constables still have arrest powers, still are REQUIRED by law, to enforce traffic codes and criminal codes of Kentucky, and have same jurisdiction and authority as the elected sheriff of the county.

My thing is, when someone turns down a FREE person, who costs taxpayers NOTHING, and that person is vetted and SUPPORTED by ALL and EVERY law enforcement officer in the county, then magistrates would have a hard time defending a decision to hamper that person from doing his job. As with ANY elected job, you have good and bad. That is the fault of the VOTERS, for not getting out and VOTING !! I have support of some magistrates and MANY citizens. We had one magistrate most recently, who was dead set against constables even being utilized period, regardless of prior experience. The VOTERS made sure he and his old ways no longer lead this county. If the VOTERS ELECT us, we should be ALLOWED to do our elected jobs. FREE help, along with PAYING OUT OF POCKET to volunteer to work for fiscal court, isn't gonna happen every day, and most people would not even want the constable job anymore. People don't care about helping one another anymore, let alone PAY to do it. Being a Constable is a PRIVILAGE because voters TRUSTED ME to do and BE better than what they have had in the past. I DO my job as a peace officer. I will CONTINUE to do that job with PRIDE, for the citizens of Brownsville and Dist.2 whom have elected me as their constable.

If it upsets magistrates, sorry. You do your job, and I'll do mine, both us until the voters say otherwise. It's called AMERICA, not a magistrate socialist system.

God Bless all !! and BE at the meeting on the 25th at 6pm !! We will see what THE LAW has to say about the Brownsville Constable.

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Letter To The Editor: Looking For Feedback On Constables

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