"Fat belly flab" in Police Departments, a Sign of Corruption? By Investigative Reporter John Taft Updated 1-4-01 Ed/Doc © J. Taft, 2000

Josephine County, OR -- A recent Associated Press article was headlined, "Cops Climb Volcano to Lose Bellies, Save Jobs." The sub headline says, "Gut Targeted as Symbol of Corrupt Philippine Force." When local citizens see big bellies hanging out in the sheriff’s department in Grants Pass, they may also arrive at the same conclusion as have Filipinos, "Corruption." Pork bellies on police officers don’t inspire confidence in our public protectors. The hangover syndrome tends to show that the deputy may be physically unfit, have a poor psychological state of mind, and be a definite health risk on the insurance charts.

Climb a Mountain

Six inches over the belt is no laughing matter. There is no need for jokes like, "If that deputy chased someone, he would get whiplash from belly flop!" I wonder who ties his shoes? When was the last time he saw his feet? The sheriff’s department is issuing wheelbarrows to overweight deputies." The term six inches over the belt should be taken to heart by the sheriff and those employed as deputies. Vertical pancake tummies should be a way of life for all police department employees. The Filipino police have a banner they carry up Mount Pinatubo that reads, "Fat belly flab Mount Pinatubo will remove." We don’t have Mount Pinatubo in southern Oregon, but we do have Mt. McLaughlin. It’s a picturesque snow capped extinct volcano, about 7,000 feet high, you can see on sunny days when driving to Medford, from the north. One wag suggested a banner for the sheriff’s department that reads, "Fat belly flab on deputies who waddle, we don’t coddle."

No Physical Agility Testing for Deputies?

The sheriff’s department was going to soon require a physical agility test. Such a test could be as simple as bending over and tying a pair of shoes. If a recruit can do that he gets to put on a brown suit, wear a gun, pin on a badge, and is issued the keys to a high-powered police cruiser. At the present time, apparently this requirement isn’t in place. Seriously, the training requirements, educational background, and professionalism appear to leave a lot to be desired in the local sheriff’s department. If anything has change in the sheriff’s department they haven’t gone public with it.

Police Academy Training before Going on Patrol

Before a deputy is released to do patrols, he must have completed police academy schooling. At the present time the cart is before the horse. The requirement is go out and patrol as long as you get some schooling in that year. What happens if you have a rookie who has a lawsuit filed against him and quits? He could claim he wasn’t given sufficient training.

Are JoCo Deputies Second Best?

The Josephine County Sheriff’s Department does appear to have an open door policy of accepting the second best or should that be the third best? Part of the problem may lie in the fact so many family members are hired by the department. This could lead to the problem of nepotism in the sheriff’s department and the allegation of corruption. Unfortunately nepotism and corruption sometimes sleep in the same bed.

Was a Deputy Protected by Sheriff?

I have found some deputies arrogant and immature. I offer two examples: The first incident involves a JoCo sheriff’s deputy who drove into the patrol vehicle parking compound behind the courthouse at a high rate of speed, endangering and splashing water on a bystander. That was a childish action by this deputy. Why would he behave in such a manner? It seems that some folks were exercising their first amendment rights, by carrying picket signs critical of the sheriff’s department. This appears to have angered the deputy. A complaint regarding the deputy’s driving was brought to the attention of Corporal Darby, Lt. Brian Anderson, and Sheriff Dave Daniel. Corporal Darby said, "I don’t doubt what you say." Lt. Anderson did not respond to several polite voice-mail messages. Sheriff Daniel said, "I don’t believe you." As far as I know, the sheriff never did an investigation. If he did, he kept the results to himself. It would seem JoCo deputies can do no wrong, and, if they do, Daniel appears willing to protect them from the consequences. The result is that the sheriff stonewalls his critics and thus attempts to keep the public from seeing what really goes on behind the black curtains surrounding the JoCo Sheriff’s Department.

The second story is about a Newsboarder who was holding a picket sign while sitting on the tailgate of a pickup in front of the county courthouse. A deputy drove by in a taxpayer funded patrol car with a police dog inside. The deputy sicced Rover on the Newsboarder and the dog went nuts barking inside the vehicle. Another example of a juvenile mentality carrying a gun and badge and driving a high-powered patrol vehicle. How stable are these men? These two examples are excellent reasons for psychological testing of the men in brown.

Proud to be the Best

Sheriff Daniel claims he has a fine department. The facts appear to speak otherwise. When an applicant can’t qualify for the state police or city police but can get a job with the JoCo sheriff’s department, wouldn’t that cause an eyebrow to be lifted? It does appear Daniel should lead the parade to higher standards in recruiting for the sheriff’s department. Then the department can be an example for the county’s motto, "Proud to be the best."

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