Watch Jefferson CountySheriff Candidate Questions - Jay Watson
- There has been a perception that cooperation between the Sheriff's office/local LE agencies, and WV State Police has not always been optimal. What steps will you take to improve both the perception as well as actual cooperation between these agencies?
- What are your funding priorities? If faced with budget cuts, what services would you target for reduction or elimination?
- What would the candidates plans be to better patrol smaller neighborhoods in the county such as Middleway, Summit Point, Leetown, Kabletown, etc. In particular, speeding through these smaller towns is rampant and although I know it's difficult to patrol, I'd like to see an increased effort.
- ATVs and trail bikes have become a significant problem in Jefferson County - ranging from noise nuisance at the bottom end, to nightmarish traffic hazards mid-range, to get-away vehicles from break-ins and drug delivery vehicles at the high end. The scofflaws who use these vehicles illegally
have learned from several years of experience that they will neither be apprehended nor prosecuted due to LE's inability to catch them, especially since all they have to do is go "off road" and the chase has to terminate. It is our understanding that money has been appropriated by the County
Commission for procuring and manning one or more ATVs whose main purpose is to catch these lawbreakers. Unfortunately, although the money has apparently been in hand for some time, nothing obvious has been done to stop this problem. What positive steps will you take to address and
hopefully stop (or at least lessen) this maddening problem? - Do you believe in the concept of Community Oriented Policing Services? If not, why not? If so, how would you ensure implementation throughout the County?
The need for total and complete cooperation between agencies is paramount for Jefferson County. If in fact there are concerns and issues between agencies I would do everything in my power to bring everyone to the table in the spirit of nothing less than total and complete cooperation. There will always be professional differences between departments, but this should in no way interfere with serving the public.
With the current budget cuts (2.5%) there will not be any noticeable differences in the services or overall operations taking place next year due to some latitude built into the budget. Therefore I don’t see the need to reduce or eliminate any of the services. This does however prevent the Department from advancing with additional deputies, much needed vehicles, and some new equipment. The deputies in our Department are a dedicated group who are willing and able to continue serving Jefferson County to the best of their abilities regardless of the budget.
As you state, unchecked speeding is a serious issue in these areas as well as others. I would propose regular patrolling and radar enforcement on a rotating basis throughout the County particularly on roads used by commuters for their daily runs to and from work. The issue here is safety nothing more, nothing less.
There have been four wheelers purchased by the County and it is my understanding that they will be unveiled at the opening of the mountain sub-station. In order to catch these individuals we must first think like they do. In addition to that we must be willing to take the lead and commit time and energy in doing whatever it takes to make them think twice before committing these crimes. If they are able to commit these crimes than we are able to stop them or at a minimum reduce it.
Absolutely. I have been promoting the Community Policing concept through my campaign. I believe in order for the public to get the best out of their Sheriff’s Department the community and the Department must become one. This can be accomplished in a multitude of ways. One way would be for the Department to become involved in community events on the neighborhood level. Another would be to work with trained citizen groups who would be able to provide useful assistance to the Department. This concept would be something I would start on at the beginning.