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BadKarma42
Joined: 22 Oct 2007
Posts: 132
Location: Chambersburg aka Little Mexico
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 Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2008 7:33 am Post subject: Editor's view on Sheriff's Deputies |
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| Quote: | Our view: Sheriff's bill would benefit county law enforcement
Public Opinion Online
For about two years now, Pennsylvania sheriffs and their deputies have labored under a cloud of confusion regarding the scope of their law enforcement powers.
The confusion arose from two court rulings, according to the Pennsylvania Sheriff's Association:
-- In February 2006, the state Supreme Court ruled that sheriffs are not investigative or law enforcement officers under the Pennsylvania Wiretapping Act.
-- And in November, the high court restated that sheriffs' common law authority allows only for arrests for breaches of the peace and felonies committed in their presence.
Some sheriffs' offices, especially those in rural areas, subsequently wrestled with uncertainty over the extent of their law enforcement authority. According to Franklin County Sheriff Dane Anthony, questions arose over how to approach their duties. "It would be nice to really define the office of the sheriff," Anthony said.
We agree, and we think House Bill 466 -- which would confer upon similarly trained sheriff's officials the same law enforcement powers and immunities enjoyed by municipal police -- would boost law enforcement manpower and help county police agencies settle jurisdictional issues to ensure maximum coverage efficiency.
It makes sense to give deputies the ability to contribute to county law enforcement, and we doubt their traditional duties -- serving warrants and escorting prisoners, to name just two -- would suffer to the point the county might need additional personnel.
More likely, they would continue working as usual, but also have the power to assist state and local police in extraordinary circumstances.
That seems like an optimal balance to us, especially when you consider that sheriff's deputies undergo the same 19 weeks of training granted to municipal police officers.
-- By Matthew Major, on behalf of Public Opinion's editorial board |
1) I'm pretty sure sheriff's deputies DON'T go through the "same 19 weeks of training granted to municipal police officers." If they did they would be Act 120 certified and would be cops not sheriff's deputies!
That's why they go to Sheriff's training.
2) They allegedly don't have the manpower to transport prisoners currently, how are they going to have the manopwer to act in a police capacity?
3) They also serve as security at the courthouse. You may have noticed them standing in the courtrooms.
4) Public Opinion: Please do yourself a favor and actually look into what it is that you are supporting in your opinion. Sure, its the opinion of the newspaper, but it seems to me that you are looking at this issue without investigating it. Things aren't as rosy as they may seem. |
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me
Joined: 22 Oct 2007
Posts: 119
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| Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 9:35 am Post subject: Deputies |
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Bad K,
No, they do not attend the SAME training as LEO's because their jobs are not the same. The Sheriffs academy is about 20-22 weeks and MUCH of the training is similar to that of Act 120.
If you look at other SD's around the country, many of them have different divisions such as Civil that handles the duties like our SD, Law Enforcement and then Corrections and they're both self explanitory.
The Franklin Co SD is understaffed now and just does not have the resources to become involved in actual policing operations or any increased functions.
_________________
Certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man and those who have hunted armed men long enough and like it, never really care for anything else thereafter. |
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BadKarma42
Joined: 22 Oct 2007
Posts: 132
Location: Chambersburg aka Little Mexico
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| Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 11:51 am Post subject: |
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I agree with you that in other areas of the country the Sherrif is a "cop."
My issue was that the editorial appeared to jump on a bandwagon without much investigation into what it would take to make this a reality in Franklin County.
Here are some issues that would need worked out:
1) Manpower
2) Training
3) Money
4) Logistics
Let's face it, this PSP barracks always talks about how busy they are and they have what, 75 troopers? Imagine how much it would cost and how long it would take to transfer much of that to the F.C.S.D.
Wages for the deputies would have to be increased dramitically to complete with local police agencies. Benefits would have to be made competitive (the County would have to stop bilking retirment from its employees).
There is so much more behind this "pretty picture" that had been painted. |
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