Our view: Sheriff's bill would benefit county law enforcement

Agree with the editorial board's view entirely. Agree with Sheriff Anthony Dane's view that the duties of the office of sheriff must be clearly defined. The public should support and press for enactment of House Bill 466.

"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."

If the PO Editor is correct. It would seem that they don't have enough work to to now, if they are able to take on additional duties without an increase in personel.

The additional "duties" appear to be additional power. I would hope that there would be additional training before Sheriffs & deputies are given more authority. Not all deputies and sheriffs are former police officers.

Barney Fife would be excited. Does he get more bullets? Can they tase us too. Beware jaywalkers and litterers. If we are going to be a police state, this is just what we need. We will be entertained reading about the mistakes and abuses of power.

The fact that the P.O. tries to justify this nonsense by implying that the sheriffs department members receive the same training or are held to the same professional standards as the municipal or state police officers shows how naive they are about the situation. Sheriff's department members don't even come close in professional training or conduct. Try again!

Yeah you may want to take a little time and look at this a little more closely. Before carefull what you ask for you just may get it

I agree with Sheriff Dane Anthony and believe they should be given the same authorities as the local police to a point. It would make this area safer.

I say "pish-posh" to the Nattering Nabobs of Negativity who don't see the benefit of empowering the Sheriff and his deputies. It's a plus and adds to the protection of the public. Support Sheriff Dane and his deputies. An explicit delineation of their duties can benefit them and consequently the Franklin County taxpayers.

You idiots over there who don't want more police protection, should get more crime then.

I'll be happy to send over some of the riff-raff from York County.

You'll really like these guys - they're real criminals. Not a bunch of tracrtor thieves either.

I pay a lot of tax money to Pennsylvania for police services that are provided by the PA State Police. The problem is that Rendell and company authorizes an increase in trooper levels, then sends them to Philadelphia to patrol that mess. I have no desire for my county real-estate taxes to increase just because someone wants deputies to have more authority, and I'm sure in the future, more responsibility.

I am all for a more defined delineation of the sheriff's powers, but NOT for increasing the power they currently hold. Look at our the state's Sheriffs' departments. From what understand brand new applicants (i.e., not ex-law enforcement) are allowed to carry guns and "protect" court rooms before they have ever passed the "sheriff course." As far as I know the gun toting newbies can even fail and still pack heat.

How does giving more power to a pretty face & his followers make our county more safe? Did the P.O. even read the case the Pennsylvania State Police filed against the PA sheriffs? Equivalent training... yeah right. Equivalent hiring standards? A fired Greencastle Officer, former troopers and officers and a former minor league baseball player. Yeah, lets let them tap our phones. That makes a whole lot of sense.

Vincente wrote:

I say "pish-posh" to the Nattering Nabobs of Negativity who don't see the benefit of empowering the Sheriff and his deputies. It's a plus and adds to the protection of the public. Support Sheriff Dane and his deputies. An explicit delineation of their duties can benefit them and consequently the Franklin County taxpayers.

`

Annyone who paraphrases Spiro T. Agnew in this post should be SHOT BY the sheriff.

I think that Sheriffs Deputies and Police should be the same powers acrossed the board. The other states don't seem to have a problem why just Pennsylvania. People in Pa want more Law Enforcement they don't care if there wearing a Police uniform or a Sheriffs uniform. If Law makers want Pa to be safer there pass House Bill 466 and put 2,300 more Law Enforcement Officers on the streets and make Pennsylvania safer.

As soon as you increase their responsibilities they will all be whining, in perfect harmony, for more money, mo money, mo money.

Paul Rock wrote:

I think that Sheriffs Deputies and Police should be the same powers acrossed the board. The other states don't seem to have a problem why just Pennsylvania. People in Pa want more Law Enforcement they don't care if there wearing a Police uniform or a Sheriffs uniform. If Law makers want Pa to be safer there pass House Bill 466 and put 2,300 more Law Enforcement Officers on the streets and make Pennsylvania safer.

Tell us again how many.

Are they going to quit their day jobs as DS'S. They have enough to do now , how are they going to roam the streets at the same time?

PENNSYLVANIA REQUIRES DEPUTY SHERIFF'S TO HAVE
14-19 MANDATED WEEKS OF TRAINING WHEN THEY ARE HIRED.
THE TRAINING IS EXTENSIVE IN ALL AREAS. WHY GET THE TRAINING IF YOUR HANDS ARE GOING TO BE TIED AND YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO APPLY HALF OF IT TO YOUR JOB DUTIES ?
I WANT TO LIVE IN A COMMUNITY WHERE I KNOW I AM PROTECTED, BUT WITH THE RISING CRIME RATE IN PA,
THE LOCAL POLICE FORCE CAN NO LONGER DO THAT ALONE. THEY NEED HELP.
OUR DEPUTY SHERIFF'S ARE IN THE RIGHT POSITION TO DO THAT.
LOCAL GEVERNMENT AND LOCAL POLICE NEED TO GET OUT OF THE MIND SET "THIS IS MY TOWN" AND START SAYING "THIS IS OUR TOWN AND WE NEED TO PROTECT IT WITH EVERYTHING THAT IS AVAILABLE TO US."
IT'S TIME ALL FORMS OF THE LAW START WORKING TOGETHER TOWORD A COMMON GOAL.
MY HUSBAND IS A DEPUTY SHERIFF AND I SUPPORT HIM AND OUR SHERIFF'S DEPT and BILL 466 100 %.

Back to school biker. You have no idea what paraphrase means. Using the term, "Nattering Nabobs of Negativity" is not paraphrasing. Just so you understand, paraphrase is to restate a text or passage in another form or other words, often to clarify meaning.

I'm afraid you are naive about the situation.
The training hours for a Deputy Sheriff is 760 hours,training for Police is 754 hours. The training is equivalent, and Deputies attend updates just like the Police. Also many states consider the Deputy training equal to the Police. Regarding the professional conduct,that can very since I have met many officers that are also lacking in that area.