Several stories in Tenn., have been published about the pressure on police to earn their salaries by making arrests and letting the judges assess fines. We can’t rule this out in Catoosa county. The new Cloud Springs Road has undoubtly become a cash cow for, not only Fort Oglethorpe Police but also for County and sometimes for State Police.

  Sometimes this gets started with the state law makers and the local folks see an opportunity to cash in under the cover, that it’s the law. It is this kind of thinking that causes the citizen to loose respect for the law.

   Of course we all appreciate a good Police force and yes they do cost money; but do we want them to have to pay their way by harressing the people who may be driving safe but may be over the limit a few miles per hour?

Not realy have you looked at the population of the county? Did you also know that that the officers in this county have not received a raise in five years, now I am not talking about a raise for bump in pay it’s a cost of living raise. The budget in this county has cut cars each year most of the cars your see are not new. Seeing that ford stopped production on the police cruiser that everyone sees the crown victoria. I think this stopped two years ago in production. For the most part the new toys so to say are either bought by a grant that the agency has applied for. Most of the budget goes toward building cost and up keep. The budget is put in with a lot of things in placed to upgrade equipment or to counter the cost of living. The budget each year is cut in half by the board of commissioners, who mind you still get the cost of living raise and then some. I also beleive that there are some departments in the county that use to cut back on somethings. Now this county has come through a terrible time and has oppurtunity to build toward econimical standard.

   Just today I watched as a very poor guy came in to pay for two traffic violations.

Both were violations that only recently became law. He explained to the clerk that he had to make a decision whether to pay his insurance or to pay his rent. Next he said that he was still in the Wal-Mart parking lot and had his hand on the seat belt to hook it up as he was moving when the cop gave him a ticket. The clerk listening impatiently and said that will be $95 for the one and $25 for the other.

   As he left, I heard him say to the person that was with him; " well it will be tators and beans till next payday."

   The long arm of the law now has an iron fist.

YOU MIGHT AS WELL GIVE UP YOU CANNOT BRING ABOUT CHANGE TO OUR LOCAL INSTITUTIONS. TAKE IT FROM SOMEONE WHO HAS TRIED. CATOOSA COUNTY WILL GO ON DOING WHAT IT HAS DONE FOR GENERATIONS.

DON’T BE FOOLED BY ALL THE MODERN TECHNOLOGY; IT’S THE PEOPLE WHO HAVEN’T CHANGED AND THEY ARE JUST USING THE NEW HIGH TECH TO MAKE THEIR SYSTEM WORK BETTER.

THE POOR ARE BEING ROUNDED UP LIKE FISH ARE FROM A HIGH TECH FISHING BOAT.

THEY ARE IN EFFECT BEING MADE TO PAY FOR ALL THE NEW TECH STUFF THAT CAPTURES THEM. MOST OF THE COUNTY’S VERY POOR DON’T STAND A CHANCE OF BREAKING FREE BECAUSE THE PENAL SYSTEM COULDN’T SURVIVE WITHOUT THE FINES THEY PAY IN.

I agree with your comment.  I called to complain to the Sheriff’s dept about the traffic officer they sent to my child’s school on Monday.  He was sitting in his car.  He was NOT directing traffic.  It was raining.  So what!!!  They are issued rain gear.  What is the point of sending an officer out to direct traffic in a school zone if all he does is sit in the car?  Did anyone take my call or complaint serious?  No.  The Sheriff’s office said call a different number.  I did.  That lady just automatically sent to someone else’s voicemail.  She didn’t say hold on, one moment please, or let me get someone to help you.  I thought she hung up on me until the voicemail box started talking.  

At my child’s school, we are lucky if we get a traffic officer 2 out of the 5 school days.  But yesterday it was raining, and it was during dismissal.  I was extremely irate.  And then for me to get treated so rudely by the Sheriff’s dept only made me even more upset.

I think we have too much local police, with an awful work ethic, and a downright disregard to the public and for what they call their duty.

  Although the police department probably thinks that it is doing just what it is supposed to do, it stills leaves the under class poorly served. The south has always had large numbers of the very poor who have had to make do with rattle trap old cars and some how we have always tolerated them but now the state legislature has made so many new laws, it is almost impossible for those on the low end of the totem pole to comply with all of the regulations because each regulation costs money.

  The deeper issue may well be, individual liberty and equally and diginity.

  Or it might be what can be done to help our very cope with modern comlicated life.

When I visit my friend who lives in F.O.,I see a lot of police cars often with one or more cars pulled over. He and I went to a recent parade in the city and there must have been 15 or more police cars in the parade. That shocked me and I wondered how a small town like F.O.could afford so much enforcement. The county jail is hugh and the courts are filled with mostly the poor who I presume must foot the bill for all this enforcement. To answer your question; I would say yes, we are paying for more police oversight than we need just as we often pay for more doctoring than we need. What to do? That’s the problem,it’s nearly impossible to reduce any system that pulling in lots of money when jobs and income are at stake. But you raised agood point.