Lapse In Support Must Be Addressed

First District Judge Gary Haman ruled reasonably Monday in dismissing a lawsuit brought by the Sheriff’s Guild against Bonner County. Under the separation-of-powers doctrine the courts have no authority - or business - ordering counties to spend more on law enforcement personnel and safety equipment.

Haman, however, was sympathetic to the plight of the Bonner County sheriff’s deputies - and for good reason.

After years of tight budgets and antagonistic county government, the sheriff’s department is poorly equipped, and, according to national standards, has half the needed patrol deputies. Adding to the problem, this situation exists in a county with the highest rate in the nation of shootings per capita during law enforcement action.

Basically, the sheriff’s deputies are playing Russian roulette for $10 per hour every time they go out on patrol. With or without a court ruling, Bonner County commissioners should provide adequate funding to properly staff, equip and train the sheriff’s department. Any elected official who advocates less - or who is willing to risk the lives of officers to make an ideological point, like Commissioner Bud Mueller - deserves to be voted out of office.

Throughout his tumultuous, four-year term, Mueller has antagonized sheriff’s deputies with his penny-wise, pound-foolish ways.

In 1997, he suggested that Sheriff Skip Roos’ department use old bulletproof vests and hand-me-down wetsuits for the dive team to save a few bucks. One deputy was willing to try that - if a commissioner would volunteer to be a test dummy to ensure that the vests would work in the field. Earlier this year, Mueller refused to vote to provide matching money for 26 bullet- and stab-proof vests, unless the Sheriff’s Guild dropped its lawsuit.

Ultimately, the deputies got their vests.

How important are bulletproof vests and good equipment, such as vehicles, weapons and radios? Ask John Givens. In November 1995, Givens and other sheriff’s deputies were involved in a shootout with two brothers. Givens was wounded. His vest was credited with saving his life. Afterward, he filed suit against Bonner County, claiming it failed to hire enough deputies or buy the needed equipment to protect on-duty officers.

As recently as last fall, a drunken boater opened fire on a Priest Lake marine deputy.

Preserving the peace in vast Bonner County is dangerous, difficult business. Those who protect others deserve a reasonable degree of protection for themselves, too.