Sheriff Election

[Wilma]

This is one where we need Janet's expertise.  I do know that there are situations where the KBI has to be called in but I think that the local sheriff still has jurisdiction.  It is simply the law that for certain things, the KBI takes over.  Mike, what can you tell us about this?

[srkruzich]

       I may be wrong, but it my understanding that the Highway Patrol is the top of the ladder as far as law enforcement. Perhaps Mr Cordell can elaborate on this. It is the troopers that generally set up check points with cooperation from county and city officers. I know of at least one time that they were stopping people in downtown Howard and I think we had a trooper living here then. So, it isn't coming soon, it has already been here.

No sir, the only constitutionally authorized law enforcement officer is a sheriff. The sheriff is the one who carries out the business of the courts.  They are the one who get the warrants and serve them. They are locally elected and chosen by the people not the powers.  They have ultimate authority in their county. NO OTHER law enforcement agency can dictate what goes on in his county not even homeland, fbi, cia, or nsa. 

Mr Cordell has responded to questions in a manner that makes me feel he would not be waging any campaign to glean money from enforcement of the law. I know several areas do. Take a look at Leon's speed trap for one. Before that it was the same thing in Andover.

I don't think he would be one that would lets call it for what it is, steal money from people through coercion or through decption.  Speed traps are easily solved by enacting a 10mph buffer.  most people won't go more than 10mph over a speed limit.  Some will but if they do then they get nailed and pay for it.

I have issues with young kids riding their hopped up ATV's around town well over the speed limit.

Your not the only one who has issues with it.  Time to fine the parents of those kids, if they have to pay some cash out for their childs actions then they'll make sure to correct the situation when it costs them dearly.

[Wilma]

Steve, I should have said that the KBI can do nothing without the sheriff's permission.  I am pretty sure that the sheriff has absolute authority over his county.  No one or organization is above him.

[srkruzich]

Steve, I should have said that the KBI can do nothing without the sheriff's permission.  I am pretty sure that the sheriff has absolute authority over his county.  No one or organization is above him.

I agree i think its that way all over the US since they are the only consititutional law office.  It was setup that way from the beginning.

[Ross]

     I have issues with young kids riding their hopped up ATV's around town well over the speed limit. I have no problem with someone riding one safely. That is where an officer has to make the call as to to danger present. With the whole countryside to ride as fast as they want and endanger themselves, speeding around town is simply irresponsible.

It's not just kids driving ATV on the streets and highways.
An employee of Moline drives on one the highway through Moline and that is illegal by state law.
And there are other adults doing the same thing. Speeding or not it is illegal.
What an example to provide to the kids and then condemn them for doing the same thing.

Just saying.

As far as fining the parents I don't believe a LEO has that privilege but he can ticket the person
violating the law. Isn't that correct Mr. Cordell? And will you ticket these adults that drive vehicles
that are not licensed for the roads?

Thank you.

[Mcordell]

Hello!  Apparently today was a busy day on the forum while I wasn't reading it.  I'll try to address each question as best I can.

Quickly as possible is the key word.   How quick do you think you can respond to a situation 15 miles away from howard down ELK COUNTY roads?

As quickly as possible.  I suppose I don't understand the question.  Regardless of the road conditions at the time and in the location of the call, I would expect law enforcement to respond as quickly as possible.  I can't give you a set time over the internet for a hypothetical call in a general area of the county.

These roads are barely maintained and passable in dry weather much less wet weather like we have had the last month. 

That is definitely a concern for the county commissioners and I do agree there are problems with the roads in Elk County.  I don't know the solution to that but I imagine there is one.  Perhaps it comes down to funding.  I don't know.

Seriously folks live out here because they want isolation and its not to make drugs and do illegal activities either, and don't care about the conveniences of having a sheriff show up 5 min after your call to 911.

In my defense I never said people live here to make drugs or do illegal activities.  I said rural areas are often the victim of these activities.  I was suggesting rural residents of Elk County were more likely to be the victims of property crimes as a result of rural drug use and manufacturing than in the past.  This is through my own observation as a deputy working a rural area where property crime is not uncommon and often these cases are linked back to suspects who are involved in the use and distribution of drugs. 

I come from a area of the US where the LEO's are the problem and I don't trust cops.  OF the handful i do, Hanks is one i would trust.  Why?  I've seen him personally in action responding to the death of my friends baby on memorial day a few years ago.   While i was performing cpr on her, he was assisting me when he arrived and that man must have drove like a bat out of hell to get there because the ambulance was 1 hour getting there he was there in 15 min.

This is not meant to be adversarial so please don't take it that way, but I find irony in the fact you state you don't trust law enforcement and you don't care about how quickly law enforcement responds to calls for assistance in the county, but you do trust Doug Hanks because he responded quickly to your call for assistance.  I'm truly sorry you had to go through what you did and I'm certain any officer in his position would have done everything they could to assist in the same way he did.  I'm glad he was there when you needed him, but that alone does not set him apart from all the other officers I have worked with who would have done no different.

[Mcordell]

What crime rate?  Seriously is Elk County the new chicago?

I don't think my general statement about crime rate and law enforcement staffing equates to me calling Elk County "the new Chicago".  I said nothing of the specific crime stats for Elk County.  My statement was about increased law enforcement staffing having an inverse correlative affect on crime rates in general.

[Mcordell]

In other words its a excellent money generating scam

My post specifically stated the funding was not to be used as a means to generate money for any other purpose other than to pay the wages to field officers for occupant safety enforcement for the duration of the campaign.  In no way is that generating money for the agency or the county. 

[Mcordell]

I think one of the biggest questions that redcliff, ross and others on here are wanting to know is, are you going to be a constitutional sheriff.  By that I mean, the sheriffs office is the highest position In a state. Feds have no authority over a Sheriff in his county whatsoever as he is elected by the people of the county not appointed by a central government.  The question i have are you going to STAND with the citizens if the feds come in and start enforcing obama executive orders and any law that violates the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 9th and 10th amendment.   As it is our country is falling apart due to the irresponsibility of our central government and it will be upon the sheriff's of each state to stand with and defend the states against a federal tyrannical overtake. 

I see you dismiss redcliffs beliefs easily about tyranny.  I don't.  I see your point but i also see his and see the tyranny growing every day.  Our freedom is PARAMOUNT over and above any law that may be passed and i personally will defend my freedom.

If you are asking if I would be a constitutional sheriff in the sense that I would support and defend the constitution then yes.  I would never allow anyone to violate the constitutional rights of the citizens of the county I am sworn to protect.  I didn't dismiss redcliff's beliefs about tyranny, I dismissed his accusation that I have no problem with tyranny because I don't have a problem with officers partaking in a campaign to enforce occupant safety laws for a short time each year. 

[Mcordell]

       I may be wrong, but it my understanding that the Highway Patrol is the top of the ladder as far as law enforcement.     

He is actually correct that the Sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer in the county, regardless of what other agency asserts jurisdiction in the county.  This is because the Sheriff is the only law enforcement officer elected by the people of the county.  Troopers and KBI agents are not elected and do not carry the same authority.  That being said (and I'm not going to quote it because I don't want to post 50 follow up posts at once) KBI does not have to ask permission from the sheriff in order to work within the county.  They have statewide jurisdiction.  They simply cannot override the Sheriff because they do not have the higher authority.