Ashtabula County: Judge tells residents to "Arm themselves"

[bkb0000]

http://www.wkyc.com/news/local/news_...133951&catid=3

JEFFERSON -- In the ongoing financial crisis in Ashtabula County, the Sheriff's Department has been cut from 112 to 49 deputies. With deputies assigned to transport prisoners, serve warrants and other duties, only one patrol car is assigned to patrol the entire county of 720 square miles.

"I did the best with what they (the county commissioners) gave me. If it wasn't enough, don't blame me, don't blame this department," said Sheriff Billy Johnson.

Johnson said he is suing the commissioners to get a determination of whether he should use his limited budget to carry out obligations defined by law or put more patrol cars on the streets.

"I just can't do it anymore," he said. "I have to have the court explain to the commissioners and to me what my statutory duties are."

The Ashtabula County Jail has confined as many as 140 prisoners. It now houses only 30 because of reductions in the staff of corrections officers.

All told, 700 accused criminals are on a waiting list to serve time in the jail.

Are there dangerous people free among the 700 who cannot be locked up?

"There probably are," Sheriff Johnson said, "but I'm telling you, any known violent criminal, we're housing them. We've got murderers in there."

Ashtabula County is the largest county in Ohio by land area.

Ashtabula County Common Pleas Judge Alfred Mackey was asked what residents should do to protect themselves and their families with the severe cutback in law enforcement.

"Arm themselves," the judge said. "Be very careful, be vigilant, get in touch with your neighbors, because we're going to have to look after each other."

Ashtabula County gun dealers and firearms instructors tell WKYC their business has really picked up since the Sheriff's Department cutbacks began some months ago.

"That's exactly why they are coming, so that they can protect themselves," says Tracy Williams, a certified firearms instructor in Jefferson. "They don't feel that they are protected. They want to be able to protect themselves."

Williams says interest in his classes has doubled recently, and many of those coming are people who he would not normally expect to have interest in obtaining a concealed carry permit.

"And as far as him (Judge Mackey) telling you to arm yourselves and protect yourselves, you don't have any other option," Williams told WKYC. "We don't have the law enforcement out here to handle it right now."

Ashtabula County, where unemployment is higher than the state average, is asking voters to approve a one half per cent sales tax increase in May.

The tax hike would raise the tax in the county to seven percent.



© 2010 WKYC-TV

hopefully the DA is as pro-gun and pro-self-defense as the judge and sheriff.

[An Undocumented Worker]

Watch the crime rate drop because the criminals are probably more scared of the people than the police.

[bkb0000]

Watch the crime rate drop because the criminals are probably more scared of the people than the police.

i'd REALLY like to see a good, honest social experiment.

[Irish]

I wonder if open carry will become more popular as a crime deterrent there?

[perna]

But I have to say it makes no sense to declare to the world that your county has no law enforcement.

[Selftest]

Here in Washington, I believe in the county Olympia resides in, a representative has started replying with this (maybe not word for word) quote;

"I believe a gun should be placed in the hand of every law abiding citizen.

Failing that, use both hands."




THAT man for president, with THIS Sheriff as V.P. See you in 2012.

[John_Wayne777]

But I have to say it makes no sense to declare to the world that your county has no law enforcement.

...it does if you are fighting for budget.

Now personally it wouldn't bother me much if the local constabulary was reduced to a skeleton staff and couldn't respond to many calls for service. I'm a pretty proactive guy and I've got no moral or psychological issues with prolifically perforating any bad guy stupid enough to target me. I'm willing to bet that most of my neighbors and fellow citizens don't feel quite the same way and would react to such an announcement with no small measure of trepidation.

"OMG!! Who is going to protect us!!"

Further, many find the idea of people arming themselves to protect against the criminals that the police cannot deal with to be somewhat distasteful and a sign of some sort of barbaric, backward society. Combine those two groups and you have a pretty large chunk of voters capable of putting pressure on the politicians to protect the PD budget.

It's basic politics. If your budget is on the chopping block, do some PR to acquaint everyone with the dire consequences to the personal safety of the public if the cuts go through while making sure to paint yourself as doing all within your power to protect everybody with the limited resources you've been given. Then hope that enough public pressure is generated to make the politicians blink and eviscerate the parks and recreation department instead.

[trappernana]

I'm a resident of Geauga county a stones throw from Ashtabula county.The comment was purely political. We, in geauga have a rifle behind every blade of grass. Our CCW count is out the roof. Our return on class 3 items is very fast.We are God fearin and Country lovin we don't fear hoodlums. We take care of each other, even though there is lots of acerage between us I know almost every neighbor North South East and West for at least a mile.Its only about 7 families. We take care of our own. You should too. Get to know your neighbors. Take care of yourself and all of those around you. WE are the United States!!!!!!!!!!!

[-gary]

PR or not, maybe things like this will help bring some real "change" to America by forcing us back to relying on ourselves, or at least thinking that we might have to. Most LE budgets are getting far too out of whack with the service they provide anyway.

[Safetyhit]

i'd REALLY like to see a good, honest social experiment.

This had me thinking about the last thread that was locked. It probably could work today in most small and even mid-sized towns. Possibly even in few select, non-infested cities. And certainly in the most rural areas, no doubt.

But in my personal opinion I see many/most larger cities as being turned into war zones. Without a stifling police presence, they would degenerate into unlivable shitholes that would only be able to support themselves via federal funding (if that was even there). This of course because the taxpaying base would have left some time ago.

So there could like be both good and bad outcomes. Again, in reference to the previous discussion, this specifically if anyone who is not incarcerated can obtain and carry almost any weapons they choose. Just too may maniacs in the city who don't care about themselves enough not to reign hell around them.

And what about the city-based industries lost? If they all evacuate because they can't afford the massive security costs, many now rural areas won't be rural for long. This if they don't just go overseas, of course.