| Sheriff’s View #19 for May 3 to 7, 2010 |
By: Sheriff J.B. King
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Posted: Saturday, May 1, 2010 7:46 pm
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Sheriff J.B. King
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Welcome aboard one more time for another column of thrills and chills from the Office of the Pulaski County Sheriff. We had an extremely busy week this past week but that was to be expected as we enter into the busy summer months. We are in our usual summer frantic mode as we take in more calls than we can handle.
I know I have said this before, but two or three deputies on per shift is simply not enough to take care of this county during the summer. We have been pushed to the wall and the cuts in deputy manpower over the past two years did nothing to help the growing problem. It will get worse and there is very little I can do about this problem because it comes down to funding issues.
This weekend, we are once again hosting the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) training at the old Waynesville Technical Academy. This weekend our reserve deputies are there along with officers from other agencies and the military police from Fort Leonard Wood. The training is fast-paced and covers a lot of ground.
I realize that many people will not like or understand what I will say next but I will write the words anyway. There will come a time when another terror strike by Muslim extremists will hit the United States. They will not use airplanes this time; they will use foot soldiers attacking soft targets on American soil.
Under our current federal law the United States military cannot help us in such a terror strike against our schools, hospitals, or other targets that they attack. The job of stopping the armed attack will fall to American law enforcement officers. The 9/11 attack demonstrated that they do know how to plan and execute the plan for the maximum results. The 9/11 attack produced sheer horror for our citizens and so will the next attack. The “holy war against the west” will sooner or later be fought on American soil. I believe that it was last week that the Pulaski County Mirror from Richland quoted Capt. Bill Anderson of our department as saying that it was not a question of if but a question of when the attack will occur. I fully agree with Bill on this issue. I have devoted as much time and training to this issue as I can manage.
The ALERRT training was brought to us free of charge as the result of a grant partnership with Texas State University-San Marcos, and two Texas law enforcement agencies, the San Marcos Police Department and the Hays County Sheriff’s Office. Additional funding was provided by the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Criminal Justice Division of the Texas Governor’s Office. The instructors they have given us for both weekends have been top notch people. All of the instructors teaching this class have clearly been there, done that, and bought the tee shirt.
I had one question from a reader this past week who wanted to know why I was spending time on this terror topic. I could give a long answer but in some respects I already have done that, so I will tell you to use your computer and surf the web for information about the terror attack in Beslan, Russia, on Sept. 1, 2004. You will not like what you read and if you have the reaction that it could not happen here, then I will remind you that there used to be twin towers standing in New York City. I am the guy who will be held responsible in the aftermath of any such attack and I am doing what I can to prepare for the problem.
I would once again like to say thank you to Dr. Judene Blackburn and the Waynesville R-VI School District for the use of the old academy building. I would also like to thank the Hampton Inn for their excellent care of the ALERRT instructors during their stay in Pulaski County.
We are moving ahead on several grant issues. I hope to order two state-of-the-art car camera systems for our fleet this next week. That will mean we will have two cars equipped and 10 to go, but actually I can order three more camera systems on a second grant in the very near future. The end result will be that five of our 12 road deputies will have a camera equipped vehicle. I might add that these camera systems are fully funded by the grants. I do not remember if I mentioned that I have already applied for the 2010-2011 MoDOT traffic grant. There is another grant on the horizon for some $13,000 that may be one that we can apply for but I do not have all the details about this grant yet.
The Miller County Jail dumped a bill for almost $33,000 on us for inmate board last week. The bill covered the first three months of this year. Needless to say this late bill destroyed the slightly favorable balance we had in the inmate board bill section of the budget so far this year. I have expressed my displeasure over the late bill with Miller County.
At this point I cannot think of another topic to write about so I will once again ask that you drive with care and keep your actions legal. We definitely do not need your jail business but if you just have to visit the jail you will enjoy the lights.
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