Opinion Desmonds Idea of Speed Enforcement

The three-way Sheriff's race has me geared up and ready to go, evaluating each candidate's strengths and weaknesses, their proposals and experience, and how they would behave as Schoharie County's top law enforcement official.



For one of them, incumbent Sheriff Tony Desmond, we already have an idea of what to expect in another term - and one in particular - turns me sour to his reelection bid.

His department's "speed enforcement" mobile radar device, which I happened to see on a recent drive through the Village of Richmondville - placed in front of the fire house - is not only one of the stupidest police enforcement tools I have seen but a stark indicator of Desmond's view of effective road patrol.

Sure, maybe I'm being unreasonable - after all, his campaign website pledges to seek two new road patrol officers in his new term, but as an old article from news 10 ABC reported last year: "The Schoharie County Sheriff's Department has increased their overtime budget for one month, allowing them to increase the frequency and area-coverage of patrols. This budget increase has been implemented in order to deter not only the slew of burglaries encircling the town's rebuilding efforts, but also to deter an increase they have seen in general crime," perhaps he should have sought two new deputies sooner.

Between this and the department's hideous "mobile incident command" vehicle, it begs the  question of what the budgetary needs and goals are at this point and time, and maybe it's just me, but effect road patrol doesn't seem to be one of them.

Unless one considers posting a giant radar gun in the various villages main squares to be an effective tool... I, for one, would like to grab bucket of balls and see how much my pop my fastball has these days, but I digress.