Then sit back and see what boils in the beaker.
Posted on 12/10/2008 4:27:38 PM PST by Jet Jaguar
Sumter County Sheriff Anthony Dennis declared war on drug dealers, gangs and other law breakers on Tuesday night during a community meeting at the South HOPE Center.
Maj. Hampton Gardner told the audience of about 100 people that it’s no secret that Sumter has had its share of problems, and is seeking the community’s help in combating crime to find a “common solution.”
More than a dozen members of the sheriff’s office were on hand for the forum, representing all the divisions under Dennis’ auspice.
“We’re being victimized by a small, small, small minority of criminals. But we are the majority,” Dennis said, noting he was sick and tired of gangs, drug dealers and thieves.
“I know you are, also,” he told the attentive crowd.
He also said that he, as the chief law enforcer for the county, was embarrassed that Sumter was recently ranked fifth in the nation among metropolitan areas for crime rates in 2007, noting the jail is “overflowing.”
“We need to work together,” he said, asking the crowd to keep an eye out for suspicious activity and to not be afraid to call 911.
Dennis also referred to perpetrators of recent home invasions and murders as “animals,” and will be treated as such.
“The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office is declaring war on drug dealers, gangs and abandoned homes. Zero tolerance. I promise you we’re declaring war on these individuals,” he said, as he refuses to allow gang members “to parade up and down (the street), flashing gang signs,” or drug dealers to populate street corners.
He said saturation of problem areas and “more driver’s license checkpoints than you’ve ever seen before,” are part of his strategy.
“Aggressive law enforcement — that’s what you’re going to see,” he said. “That’s what’s coming.”
Abandoned homes, he said, are breeding grounds for criminal activity, and will be dealt with accordingly. He also said he will ask County Council for help and ask for some laws to be changed allowing absentee home owners to let their homes fall into disrepair and for lots to become overgrown with weeds.
A 68-year-old man asked Dennis why the city police department was not represented at the forum, and Dennis said he extended an open invitation to his city counterparts. The man’s 65-year-old wife said she personally called Sumter Police Chief Patty Patterson, “and her answer was, she didn’t have an invitation.”
A 68-year-old woman said the Boulevard Road area has seen “a lot of crimes lately,” and is much worse than when she moved there 16 years ago. She said an 89-year-old man was robbed recently and a woman who had lived in her home for more than 50 years moved recently because of the crime, and the fear that elderly people were being targeted. She also said it was a shame that people have to be prisoners in their own home.
A 66-year-old man asked Dennis what program might be in place to get guns off the streets, noting he was unhappy with a recent change in the law allowing 18-year-olds to buy guns.
“At one time, you could approach a young person,” the man said, “but now, there’s a lot of fear. You don’t know who might pull out a weapon.”
Dennis replied he has a great relationship with both school district superintendents, and was impressed with a program he saw recently in Gainesville, Fla. for at-risk youth whereby they would be in a halfway house of sorts instead of the Department of Juvenile Justice, and would receive mentoring and attention. Dennis also said he is trying to get grant funding.
A 36-year-old man said it’s important to be more pro-active than reactive.
“There’s more wrong in Sumter than just crime. If anybody pays attention, STD’s (sexually transmitted diseases), domestic violence — across the board, there’s some major issues that are consistently; we’re either at the bottom of the good list or the top of the bad list. I think what we need to be looking at is what fundamentally is wrong ... the bottom line is resources.”
-A 68-year-old man asked Dennis why the city police department was not represented at the forum, and Dennis said he extended an open invitation to his city counterparts. The man’s 65-year-old wife said she personally called Sumter Police Chief Patty Patterson, “and her answer was, she didn’t have an invitation.”-
Patterson is part of the problem.
Git ‘em, Sheriff!
Glad he was able to figure out his job description.
This is where the child was shot to death after knocking on a door while trick or treating.
Then sit back and see what boils in the beaker.
> Then sit back and see what boils in the beaker.
I think that’s an excellent idea. It originates in the Magna Carta, and is called “Posse Comitatus” (not to be confused with your law of a similar name).
If the Magna Carta still forms part of US Law, it is possible that this concept might still be active, and be implemented with little difficulty...
“Sheriff declares war on crime’’. Well, that begs a question: Whats he been doing up to now?
I was thinking along the same lines being WAR the default defcon against crime.
They do indeed — a friend of mine is a Swiss immigrant to NZ (nine kids!) and according to him all Swiss are members of their military reserve, and they have to, by law, have a semiautomatic rifle each, plus ammunition, in their homes and ready to go.
The nett effect is that their entire adult population could be called up to military service in a matter of hours, if not minutes.
I don’t see why every country doesn’t do that — it makes good sense.
Obama voted AGAINST increased penalties for Gang members because it was discriminatory, more gang members are minorities so saying it another way, laws that target gangs are racist.
Since the sheriff is obviously racist, Obama won’t like this tactic (I didn’t use the sarcasm slash because I’m NOT kidding).
Sumter is a very small town, for non-South Carolina FReepers. It's the only place where I was visiting at someone's house and someone drove by and shot at us, and the many children playing in the yard. Called the cops, they came and said we pretty much asked for it since our host was flying a Confederate flag in her front yard. Then the cops drove off into the sunset.
That was maybe 6-7 years ago. Haven't been back to Sumter since. Something is really wrong over there.
I can do you one better. Issue every one of them a smaller caliber handgun(*), shoulder holster, CC permit, and a quick dial cellphone specifically for emergency services.(**)
South Carolina is a “shall issue” state, so the Sheriff would be in the catbird’s seat.
(*) Smaller caliber has some advantages, but if they own a larger caliber and prefer it, no problem.
(**) I always recommend including an “incompetence clause”, because there are adults either medically or psychologically unable to carry, or who are unsafe with a gun. Ironically, the largest group of psychologically unable are the “stumble bums”. I will give them the benefit of the doubt. If they think they shouldn’t, then they probably shouldn’t.
Methinks Vikings know a thing or two about matters martial...
We need to do that here, but the liberals won't allow it. Eeek those terrible guns! /sarc
I'm a grandma now, but if the service would train me at my age, I'd gladly serve.
This is not typical small-town America.
South Carolina is one of 18 states that has a 'castle law'; the right to use deadly force to protect ones self and/or ones property so, even though it's not the same as being deputized, it still gives individuals a broad base for the use of deadly force against thugs.
(See Article 6 for definitions of Dwelling and Vehicle and the conditions for use of deadly force.)
I keep these by my bed instead of a phone:
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