Political Position

A little over a week ago, I had an interesting question posed to me via Facebook. In the interest of brevity, the main question was as follows: “Is there a reason why you list yourself as a Conservative Republican when running for The Office of Sheriff?  The reason why I ask this is because I don't believe it's the place of a Conservative-Republican, Democrat-Liberal or whatever to be Sheriff in this country. I personally believe a sheriffs character should be solely independent of political parties & should be based on what the law states a sheriff should pursue, not political parties. That should be a concern of anyone that votes.  My question expands on to ask: Does that mean that if one is a Republican that you will turn your head the other way and pursue Democrats who fall short? I Just thought I would throw that out there. I hope that is not the case. I would hope, as with every person that would come through your county they are treated not as a Democrat or Republican but rather as a human”.

As a result of the question, I thought maybe I should explain why I have identified myself with a particular political party and how I came to be conclusion that I reached.

In Oklahoma, the office of Sheriff is a constitutionally created office and is a partisan position. Currently the only non-partisan (does not require a political affiliation) positions that I am aware of are: Judges, school board members and city council/mayor positions. In the last legislative session there was an attempt (Senate Bill 327) to make the election of Sheriff non-partisan but it was unsuccessful. Therefore, as a candidate for Sheriff, I must announce a partisan position for the office.

In the 2008 election cycle, there were approximately 20,200 Democrats, 31,744 Republicans, 6,009 Independents with a total of 57,983 registered voters in the county.  In the election for Sheriff, the incumbent won by receiving 4,436 votes (61%) while the prior incumbent lost, receiving 2,790 votes (39%). That particular election was decided in the primary where approximately a third of the county’s population was eligible to vote with only approximately 23% of the Republicans exercising their right to vote. I also find it interesting that in the last election, approximately ten percent of the total county population actually voiced their opinions at the polls.

I sincerely expect based on historical elections in this county as well as the strength of the party in the county, our next Sheriff will also be decided in the primary election phase of the election cycle. So why I am running as a Republican candidate for the office?   

Initially, when I was old enough to register to vote, I immediately registered as a Democrat because in Custer County all the elected county offices were of the same party. I was told at the time, if I wished to have a vote in local elections then I would have to be a Democrat. At the time of my registration, President Ronald Reagan was in his second term in office and before his term was complete, I had changed my registration to Republican. An interesting side note here is, in Canadian County it is exactly the opposite with the county offices being held by Republicans.

I found as I researched the national party platforms, I supported more of the Republican values than the other party. I particularly liked President Reagan who portrayed strength, leadership, confidence and the ability to energize the population in order to provide our country with direction. Therefore, I became and remain a Reagan Republican believing that our national government often creates more problems than it solves especially in the terms of over regulation, over taxation and unnecessary government spending. President Reagan went against the main stream thought on many issues and employed common sense solutions which led us to increased prosperity and improved national pride among his other accomplishments.    

During President Reagan’s second term, he took a stronger approach on the War on Drugs. He said that “drugs were menacing our society” and promised to fight for drug-free schools and workplaces, expanded drug treatment, stronger law enforcement and drug interdiction efforts, and greater public awareness including his support of Red Ribbon week, which was started in his second term. Throughout my law enforcement career, I have seen the results of his increased war on drugs and have been a participant in those efforts that he spearheaded.  I have also seen the devastation and damage that illegal drugs create and know that as a society we must do something to address the menacing effects that illegal drugs have on our communities.  

In regards to conservatism, this too is rooted in Reagan Republican philosophies. According to a June 2010 Pew poll, 9% of Americans identify themselves as “very conservative”, 30% as “conservative”, 36% as “moderate”, 16%  as “liberal” and 6% as “very liberal”.  These percentages have been fairly constant since 1990. Although I believe this label is often overused and misunderstood, I also know there are also a number of variations to this title as well.

President Reagan said the basis of conservatism is a desire for less government interference or less centralized authority or more individual freedom.  “Freedom is not created by Government, nor is it a gift from those in political power.  It is, in fact, secured, more than anything else, by limitations placed on those in Government”.  I believe those of us that are students of the law are very vigilant about the protections afforded through the Constitution and we strive to ensure respect and adherence to those rights which are afforded every citizen. 

President Reagan solidified conservative values with tax cuts, deregulation, a policy of rolling back Communism (rather than just containing it), a greatly strengthened military, and appeals to family values. Other conservative issues are related to support for prayer in the public schools, support for the right to bear arms, securing the U.S. borders, and strict enforcement of the law. I agree with these principles and respect the rights of others related to these issues.

Having discussed my personal philosophies, I also agree that politics should not be a factor when delivering law enforcement services and discharging the duties of the office. I intend to treat each person equally with dignity as I have done throughout my life and do not plan to change once I am elected to office. I also do not support the use of “smoke and mirrors” in reporting information to the public in an effort to embellish, sway or manipulate public opinion.  As President Reagan demonstrated during his administration, provide the public with the honest facts and if it is an unfavorable event seek their help and/or understanding but above all else, tell the truth!!!!   

The personal philosophies, I do intend to apply to discharging my duties is common sense, leadership as well as strong fiscal responsibility and discipline. During the period the incumbent has been in office, I personally believe the incumbent has not spent money in a disciplined or at the least a strategic manner. These are tax dollars entrusted to our elected officials and I do not believe in wasteful spending. I also believe with issues confronting us especially related to our continued growth, we need to build alliances and work together in a respectful manner to address the problems. These alliances will also include the availability of social media, so we can communicate more directly and quickly to the public in order to educate and inform the citizens of the county.  By utilizing the knowledge and skills of a street cop not a politician, we can see improvements in the areas that must be addressed and rest assured, I know what is broken and what needs to be fixed.   

Gypsy Paving Company

http://www.news9.com/story/16149167/el-reno-couple-turns-tables-on-scammers

As the election season rapidly approaches, I have noticed more news stories regarding activities of the Sheriff’s Office. I watched one such story last night on KWTV (News 9) (story linked at tope of page) and immediately recognized it as an incident which had occurred several weeks ago. Although I have no idea why the delay in getting this bit of news to the media, I could not help but once again be amazed at the claims of the incumbent.

As mentioned previously, my hat is continually off to the men and women doing the job and once again they did what was expected of them. I am also glad the offending party was caught and more victims were not created. However, I can’t help but see the absurdity in the statement made by the incumbent in the news story.   

The telling statement was:

Edwards and his deputy found numerous violations with Professional Asphalt's equipment and vehicles. They wrote them over $2500 in fines and impounded their equipment. The Sheriff also gave the crew a strong message to take home.

 "I told the contractor that if I was to ever catch him working here in Canadian County again, I would do more than just impound his equipment," Edwards said. "He'd got to jail for defrauding the elderly. He assured me he would never work in Canadian County again."


According to the video, the victim learned from two other neighbors they too had also fell victim to the company’s alleged fraudulent behavior. Therefore, considering you have three possible victims in the scam, the answer is not to do the easiest thing possible, write the company traffic tickets. Under the Home Repair Fraud Act, found in Title 15, Section 765.2 of the Oklahoma State Statues, the described behavior is actually a crime, specifically a felony crime punishable by up to ten years in prison.

I know all too well the frequency and havoc that these con-artists, often referred to as travelers or gypsies cause to unsuspecting people, particularly the elderly. In one particular case I worked several years ago, I am certain felony arrest warrants are still outstanding for these scam artists. Self-imposed banishment or merely threatening, this highly mobile group of individuals does nothing in the terms of deterrence of these people. This statement may make a good sound bite on television but reality is definitely not on the incumbent’s side. Finally, I would be interested in seeing what actually happens to this group through the court system on the action which was actually taken. The seizure and impoundment of the equipment in this matter is highly suspect but time shall tell the legalities and necessities of such action.    

I found some good warning signs for these types of con-artists that people should keep in mind in the event they ever have these too good to be true bargains offered to them:

Here are 7 asphalt paving warning signs:

1. Selling door-to-door: Reputable asphalt contractors will sometimes offer their services if they are doing a legitimate job in the immediate area. Always ask for references.
2. Claiming they have leftover asphalt from another job: Professional asphalt contractors will know, with great accuracy, how much paving material is needed to complete a project. Rarely will they have leftover material. Some of the reasons a contractor might have left over material are due to weather, equipment problems, cancellations and etc.
3. Push you to make a quick decision: Reputable contractors will provide a written estimate that will be valid for weeks or months. If the great deal they are offering you today is not available tomorrow or next week it may be a scam.
4. No contract offered: Insist upon a written contract specifying in detail, the work to be performed and the agreed upon price.
5. Cash only sales: Most reputable contractors take checks or credit cards and don’t require cash-only terms.
6. Deals that seem to be good to be true: If the quoted price seems very low, chances are the quality of the work will also be quite low.
7. Unmarked truck: Often the trucks they travel in are unmarked or they have an out of town address and phone number. A little research will reveal that they have no permanent address and the phone number is often an answering machine.

A professionally designed and properly constructed asphalt pavement will last for many years and most reputable contractors will stand behind their work. Know who you are doing business with. Consumers are safer dealing with a contractor who has roots in the community.

 

County Crime Statistics

Recently the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation released the 2010 Uniform Crime Report (UCR) statistics for the State of Oklahoma (to view the crime reports visit this page: OSBI UCR Data). From this information, below you will find a compilation of the Canadian County Sheriff’s Office reported crimes for the past decade. Also noted is the crime rate per 1,000 people for the Sheriff’s Office, the entire county (including all law enforcement agencies in the county) and the entire State of Oklahoma. As anticipated, the crimes reported for the Canadian County Sheriff's Office has increased again particularly in the areas of breaking and entering (B&E), larcenies and vehicle thefts.

In reviewing the data, Edwards first year as Sheriff was 2009, breaking and entering went from 39 (2008) to 58 (2009) reported crimes which represents at 67% increase. 2010 nearly mirrored the breaking and entering crimes with 57 reported. When comparing larcenies in 2008, 26 crimes were reported while in 2009 the number went to 28 and in 2010 the number jumped to 58, an increase of 45% from 2008.  Finally, vehicle thefts went from 11 in 2008, to 18 in 2009, and 25 in 2010, an increase of 44% from 2008.

Looking at the Sheriff’s Office crime rate per 1,000 people versus the average crime rate for all the law enforcement agencies in the county, the Sheriff’s Office has always enjoyed a much lower rate than the entire county. This continued until 2010, when the Sheriff’s Office crime rate was slightly higher than the entire counties average. While some may believe this increase is due to the downturn in our economy, a look at the state crime rate actually shows the rate decreased, following a statewide decline over the past several years.      

Although as a county, we still enjoy relatively low crime rates the increase in the property crimes does not come as a surprise to those that have followed the staffing patterns, workload and direction of personnel at the Canadian County Sheriff’s Office. As noted on our webpage, we intend to implement directed criminal patrol as well as have the patrol division actually patrol in an effort to deter, detect and apprehend criminals. Having our patrol division handling other functions particularly the service of civil processes takes them away from their primary responsibilities of protecting the peace, property and dignity of the citizens of the county. Although a variety of factors could be involved, we believe the recent crime statistics indicates a decreased or absent criminal patrol which enables criminal activity. We believe having visible and active patrols will have tangible results that lead to not only decreased numbers but more importantly, less victimization and less losses of property.            

The Clandestine Chemist Story

http://www.mustangpaper.com/v2/content.aspx?module=ContentItem&ID=225971&MemberID=1586



In the event the link above does not work, here is the story as published by the Mustang Times on October 26th, 2011:

Based on intelligence information gathered by Canadian County Sheriff Randall Edwards from a confidential informant, Deputies of the Canadian County Sheriff’s Office and Agents from the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics busted “one of the largest meth labs seen in recent years in Canadian County” said Captain Kevin Ward, Chief Investigator for Canadian County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff’s Deputies allege Methamphetamine was being manufactured at the time of the bust, in a garage west of Calumet on Wednesday, Sept. 28. at 10 p.m. located on the property of Dustin Stokes.

Three suspects were arrested on the Stokes property located at 19917 West Highway 270. Alisha Stokes, 34, of Calumet, Lonnie Craighead, 36, and Karri Craighead, 41, both of Geary were arrested for their involvement in the meth lab.

Alisha Stokes was arrested for manufacturing drugs, child endangerment, use of a firearm while in the commission of a felony, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. The Craigheads were both charged with manufacturing drugs.

A fourth suspect, Dustin Wade Stokes, 36, who lives on the property and is the husband of Alisha Stokes, was not present at the time of the arrests, however he surrendered to the Sheriff’s Office on Oct. 17 after an arrest warrant was issued for his role in the alleged methamphetamine production.

Dustin Stokes and Lonnie Craighead both have previously spent time in prison for charges involving the manufacturing of methamphetamine drugs.

Canadian County Sheriff’s Deputy Sgt. Doug Gerten was called to the scene when it was learned that there were five children residing in the house where methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia was found.

Deputy Gerten was recently assigned to DHS by Sheriff Edwards as a Investigator to assist DHS in the investigations of neglected and abused children in Canadian County.

“That position is entirely paid for by the Canadian County Juvenile Justice Center” Edwards said. “Deputy Gerten removed all five children from the home and turned them over to DHS, they are still in DHS custody. The youngest of the five was only 20 months of age. The chemicals involved in the manufacturing of methamphetamine are extremely toxic and deadly and this is Mr. Stokes second time to be charged with child endangerment.”

Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics assisted Canadian County in the dismantling and disposing of the lab.

“I believe this is going to dry up a lot of the Meth supply that is being sold in Canadian County to our youth,” Edwards said.

Our Thoughts and Opinions on the Story:

First off, congratulations to the guys doing the job and working the long hours necessary to gather the facts to conduct strong criminal investigations. Knowing some of the details of this case, the people involved and their background, then reading the news article left me amazed for a lack of better description. From the perspective of one involved in gathering the facts, why is it necessary to take a good piece of investigative work and embellish it. Therefore, I would like to share some information and facts I found related to the published article. 

The article began with the following paragraph: “Based on intelligence information gathered by Canadian County Sheriff Randall Edwards from a confidential informant, Deputies of the Canadian County Sheriff’s Office and Agents from the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics busted “one of the largest meth labs seen in recent years in Canadian County” said Captain Kevin Ward, Chief Investigator for Canadian County Sheriff’s Office”.

I went to the Oklahoma Supreme Court Network and looked at the arrest warrant affidavit filed on Dustin Stokes, under case number CF-2011-456 (charged with eight counts of Unlawful purchase of pseudoephedrine and one count of conspiracy to manufacture a controlled dangerous substance-Methamphetamine). The affidavit actually listed the “confidential informant” as an “anonymous source” along with the details the source provided. While to some this may be splitting hairs, the truthfulness or veracity of the information can be and is often weighed differently in our court system based on the proven reliability of the source of information. The listed details provided insufficient information for obtaining a search warrant but would be a useful tip to investigate further. No details were provided as to the “intelligence information gathered” other than a general tip that I have heard not even being employed at the Sheriff’s Office.    

As I have explained over the years to a number of people, just because someone provides us (law enforcement) information, often it is insufficient in order to arrest a person or search a particular location. Most competent law enforcement personnel can tell you persons engaged in criminal activity in their communities but with our system of justice specific facts are almost always necessary. This requirement is a cornerstone of criminal investigation which is grounded by our United States Constitution and particularly in our Bill of Rights.  

The arrest warrant affidavit also indicates Edwards provided the information on September 6^th and the visit to the residence was made on September 28, 2011. Edwards is not even endorsed by the State of Oklahoma as a prosecution witness (four listed) in the criminal case against Stokes. If he had served such an important role in the investigation, I can assure you, he would be listed as a witness for the State of Oklahoma. The affidavit also shows interviews of the suspects were conducted by a law enforcement person from Elk City, not someone working in Canadian County. In reality, the actual reason for the visit was related to an investigation by the Elk City investigator and not the alleged anonymous tip. Hence, the criminal charge filed for eight counts of unlawfully purchasing pseudoephedrine.

In regards to the second portion of the paragraph and the claim it was “one of the largest meth labs seen in recent years” at face value this is a true statement. However, over the last several years, we have seen a significant decline in the number of clandestine methamphetamine laboratories statewide. I was actively working in drug enforcement, when we began experiencing the first clandestine laboratories in this county in the late 1990’s. I participated in the investigation in a number of these cases and saw them go from more elaborate processes down to soda pop bottles. Having seen fewer and fewer the last few years, discovering the evidence of clandestine manufacturing makes this the largest lab by default for the last year or so, but not necessarily by significance. 

This type of clandestine laboratory is often referred to as a “Beavis and Butthead” laboratory where the production is for the persons own use and is usually in small amounts. Based on guidelines adopted by the U.S. Sentencing Commission (mentioned in USA v. Graham, Sixth Circuit, 05-5004), a two-to-one ratio of pseudoephedrine to methamphetamine is recognized in the Federal Court system. Therefore, one box of 2.40mg pseudoephedrine would yield approximately 1.4 grams of methamphetamine. To understand how much one gram is, consider the Sweet and Low packets seen in most restaurants, the total amount of powdered material inside is one gram. The most common dosage unit is ¼ gram so therefore in general terms, one box would equal four doses of finished methamphetamine in a perfect drug manufacturing endeavor. In the court filing (CF-2011-456), Stokes was charged with conspiracy to manufacture and not for manufacturing a controlled dangerous substance. Conspiracy is a deliberate act in furtherance of committing the illegal act not the actual crime itself although the criminal penalties are the same.

In regards to the suspects of the crime, I know both the male suspects well having spoken with, interviewed, questioned and arresting the pair in the past. In fact, on December 12, 2002, I prepared and served a search warrant at the exact same residence for doing the exact same thing. When we entered the residence that particular night, a fog hung in the air of the home from the active production of methamphetamine inside the residence. Several small children were in the home at that time as well and they too were turned over to the custody of DHS. We did not have a specific person to handle the DHS matter but the results proved to be the same. 

On December 23^rd, 2002 the Canadian County District Attorney’s Office filed the criminal charges against Stokes which were and resulted in the following:

CF-2002-570 Child Endangerment, in which he pled to 4 years in the custody of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections (DOC) which ran concurrent with his other charges;

CF-2002-571 Unlawful Manufacture of CDS (Meth.), in which he pled to 12 years with DOC, that ran concurrent to his other charges;

CF-2002-572  Unlawful Possession of CDS (Meth), in which he pled to 10 years with DOC, that ran concurrent with his other charges;

CF-2002-573  Unlawful Possession of CDS (Marijuana), in which he pled to 10 years with DOC, that ran concurrent with his other charges;

CM-2002-1042  Possession of drug paraphernalia, in which he pled to 1 year in the county jail, that ran concurrent with his other charges;

Knowing these men as well as being involved in their past imprisonments along with my drug enforcement experience in this county, I am extremely happy this group was caught once again and will be facing criminal charges. I spoke with Stokes shortly after his return from prison and he expressed his thanks for putting him in prison and for the ability to change his life. As many in the community and law enforcement knew, I was aware he was back to his old ways of life and would eventually be facing criminal charges once again. 

I am not attempting to minimize this great investigation but to claim this arrest will “dry up a lot of the Meth supply that is being sold in Canadian County to our youth” is nothing short of ridiculous. Knowing and investigating this group over the years, tells me they do nothing more than produce enough methamphetamine for themselves. It has always been the same circle of people that we handle doing the same criminal activity. In fact after reviewing the arrest affidavit, there is no evidence provided to indicate the group was even selling methamphetamine to anyone, much less children. 

At the time of the recent incident, Stokes was at work in the oilfield and was hardly enjoying the luxury of profits from manufacturing methamphetamine. In fact, the majority of methamphetamine that we currently see is “crystal methamphetamine” which has no known domestic production and is often most frequently imported from areas south of the United States. These people are not the Pablo Escobar’s of the world, they were as their lab suggests, Beavis and Butthead along with the apparent financial abilities of the famous pair. 

I have no idea whether the interviewer or the interviewee was the embellisher to this story but facts are what we deal with and search for. I have been in the crack houses and the methamphetamine laboratories of this county and intend to wage a strong campaign against crime and particularly illegal drugs. This aggressive enforcement approach will be grounded on extensive knowledge of techniques and applying the necessary available resources in order to address our problems. The public has always been a strong partner in keeping our communities safe and in our efforts to properly enforce the laws. Having to rely strongly on the public for their help, I believe the public (as well as the courts) should know the truth and I do not intend to stretch the truth in order to shape the opinion of the public.

Jail-Needs, Comparisons and Statistics



On 09/06/2011 the Mustang Times Newspaper reported on progress regarding addressing our inadequate jail facility.  According to the Mustang Times article, we are now considering a 120 bed dormitory built onto the 72 bed jail facility as part of building a jail “one step at a time”.  The immediate plan also calls for a new laundry and kitchen area with a price tag “around 4.7 million dollars”.  As previously noted, I highly question whether a dormitory facility can address our current needs for a variety of reasons including: safety of the inmates and staff as well as the state jail standards requirement that we could only house minimum security inmates in the dormitory facility. 

On 09/21/2011 the Mustang Times Newspaper reported that it was announced in a county commissioners meeting that our current capacity was 99 people in a 72 bed jail as well as 70 inmates housed out of the county.  The newspaper somewhat cited the national average, that four jail beds are needed for every one thousand people of population.  Considering the results of our last census, Canadian County  should need approximately 462 beds at the time of the census. 

I have also long questioned how much we can afford  to pay out to other counties to house our inmates.  Currently with 70 inmates housed out of our county the cost just for incarceration is $511,000.00 per year.  This cost does not include the frequent transportation between facilities and the other incidental expenses.  Based on the most current plan coupled with spending nearly five million dollars, we would end up with 22 additional beds.  This however is a best case scenario assuming that we could find 120 minimum security inmates to house in the dormitory. 

The attached photos show research that I have conducted regarding the 77 county jails within the State of Oklahoma.  The photos show an alphabetical listing of the counties as well as the 2010 census population along with the amount of growth from 2000 to 2010.  I have also shown the population density and the crime rate per 1,000 people based on 2009 Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) information from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (state average crime rate per 1,000 people is 40.51).  Finally, I have shown each counties jail capacity as well as the amount of jail beds per 1,000 people per county. 

The numbers found on the right side of the table is Canadian County’s crime rate per 1,000 people in 2007 as well as 2008.  Also found in the right side of the table is project populations for three county jails under construction and the number of beds per 1,000 people.

Looking at the data, Canadian County is the fifth most populous county in the State and also ranks fifth in terms of population density per square mile.  The Canadian County Jail currently with 72 beds has .67 beds per 1,000 people while the State average (includes the three facilities under construction) is 4.32 beds per 1,000 inhabitants.  We will rank 44^th out 77 counties in terms of capacity holding the same position with Garvin County which only has a population of 27,576 people (2.61 beds per 1,000 people) (our census population was 115,541 people).  When comparing beds per 1,000 people, we currently rank LAST (#77) in the State of Oklahoma with this ratio.  If the dormitory plan is successful, we would have a capacity of 192 beds with 1.66 beds per 1,000 people (this would move us to 74th in the state when looking at beds per 1,000).  As far as the crime rate per 1,000 people, we rank twenty-fifth out of the 77 counties in the State of Oklahoma based on the 2009 UCR statistics. 

While I applaud our current elected leaders for attempting to be frugal in their spending, I hardly believe this current dormitory plan is the answer to our continued problems.  I do think the pay as you go has merits but our long term plan should be one in which we can expand a facility instead of addressing the needs of a nearly thirty year old inadequate facility. Throwing good money after bad does nothing to address problems with a facility which has nearly reached the end of usefulness and is ultimately landlocked for any future expansion.  I do believe there are solutions to this jail issue and it involves an adequate facility with the ability to expand as our population continues to dramatically increase. 

Considering the census data showing an approximate 32% increase in population in the past decade, I have no doubt we are continuing on this track when looking at the continued development and construction in this county.  Having this rapid continued growth in mind, we are considering numbers that are nearly two years old for this county when reviewing this data.

While talking to members of the public on occasion it has been brought up that El Reno, Mustang and Yukon Police Departments all have their own jails.  While this is true, these agencies do not house inmates long term especially for more serious crimes.  These agencies as well as others in the county all bring their prisoners to the county jail where people either bond from jail or await their day in court. 

For some of these people (especially the Murder cases) this can be quite a significant amount of time.  One particular individual, I arrested prior to the current Sheriff’s term in office, on June 19^th, 2008 regarding a charge on a Murder case, has remained in jail since his arrest.  Another individual (Durcho) was arrested in mid-January of 2009 and is still awaiting trial. I do not believe these types of cases will go away and with populations increasing crime usually increases as well which will do nothing but necessitate an adequate facility. 

Finally, although I have not seen anything publicly on this, I wonder how the dormitory and the current facility will be connected. I have previously mentioned that if new construction occurs, the current facility will have to meet current fire codes and not those that were in effect thirty years ago. If we are required to be compliant with the current fire code requirements then you can only imagine the increase in construction cost. At one point, they were going to have separate buildings, which would not necessitate the compliance with current building/fire codes but this would then impact the ability to quickly get into the dormitory building in the event of an emergency. Also under current Jail Standards, two personnel would be required to be in the facility which again increases the cost to the taxpayer.   Again, this does not look the most effective use of our taxdollars when we expect sound fiscal responsibility from our elected officials.

I have additional information regarding the status of the jail in the issues section of my webpage: www.beaty4sheriff.com if you would like to read more.   I do have an excel version of this data available, if needed, in the event you would like to do your own comparisons. 

The map listed below gives a somewhat graphical idea of the capacity throughout the State although some of the numbers are not current.  However, it is a pretty decent representation as to what the statewide situation is.

Update to International Drivers License Driver Performance

Well yet another report has surfaced that our current Sheriff's unlicensed licensed, non-resident resident alien is back making acquaintances with local law enforcement personnel. The latest event was a traffic stop for following too closely (tailgating) while having unrestrained children in the vehicle. Our alien was able to provide his "International Driver's License" and the business card "Sheriff's Driving Permit" supplied by our current Sheriff, which has previously been posted. Our aliens vehicle was impounded because he had no insurance for the vehicle and our driver was released.

This is the front side of the drivers permit (with some alterations to protect the privacy of the involved, I will never pass for a police sketch artist but never the less).

The above pictures are a sample "International Drivers License" that a person can buy over the internet (http://www.iadc-club.com/pr2/index.html) for forty dollars plus six dollars shipping, which looks curiously similar, both front and back.

Whether this is a valid International Drivers Permit or not, on the back side (as shown above) is the statement; "this card is a translation of the specified's original license and must be accompanied at all times by a foreign drivers license".  (I did alter the telephone number listed so that people will not be calling for their own licenses). I have no idea why a public official of any degree would prepare such a silly request and ask that the law be ignored. If this is ignorance on the part of the public official, I would seem to believe the small sentence on the back of the permit would be sufficient notice of the requirements of the permit.

After further investigation into this situation, we have learned this was purchased on the southside of Oklahoma City for one hundred fifty dollars (pretty good mark up from the $40.00 plus shipping and handling).  If there are any other doubts you may wish to look at a website by Americans for Legal Immigration which discusses the permits further (http://www.alipac.us/article4387.html). I am considering going over and getting my private pilots license and official President of the United States identification card next week if anyone is interested.

When this issue continues to come to mind, I can not help but think about Barney Fife giving Otis Campbell a driving test at the Mayberry Courthouse in the episode: Otis Sunday Driver.  I am half a mind to provide our Sheriff with the plastic cars and chalk because with the frequency of contacts this non-resident, resident alien is having with law enforcement, this guy needs a refresher on traffic laws at the least. I do believe it is time we get Barney Fife out as Sheriff and put in a person with the knowledge and demeanor of Andy.

Discouragement of Job Seekers

This past week saw a posting within the office for the position of Canine Handler for the Canadian County Sheriff’s Office (as shown above, will have better photo later). This opening was necessitated by the handler applying for a Police Officer position with a metro area municipal police department. The situation is the second such incident to occur within the past six months with a canine handler working for the Sheriff’s Office.  

Regarding both incidents, the current Sheriff became aware that a canine handler had applied to another law enforcement agency. On both occasions, the Deputy was called into his office and relieved of their canine responsibilities. During the two incidents, each Deputy had only applied and had not been hired by the perspective municipal law enforcement agencies.  Both Deputies were immediately removed from the duties, as punishment, for strictly applying with another law enforcement agency which is unacceptable to me.   

Reasons cited for the applications have always been better pay as well as a twenty year retirement. Nearly all municipal law enforcement agencies of any significant size offer much better pay especially in terms of long term employment. In regards to retirement, for a county employee (Deputy) to retire their age plus years of service must equal 90. Therefore in general, a person starting employment at age 30 would have to have 30 years of service and be 60 years old to be eligible for retirement. While if the person was employed by municipal or state law enforcement agency, the person could retire at 50 years of age.  Not only have we had this incident, but this week the Sheriff’s Office lost a dispatcher with several years of experience due to better working conditions and opportunities for advancement. 

I would challenge the current administration to not penalize personnel who are attempting to better themselves or their families. I would however encourage the current administration to look at the reasons for the high level of employee dissatisfaction and resulting resignations. I believe an honest exit interview process could be implemented, but no matter the answer, the continual loss of key personnel is a telling statement. 

I recommend you look at my platform listed on our www.beaty4sheriff.com website. I believe the employees are one of the key components of the Sheriff’s Office and they are a factor in my seeking election as Sheriff of Canadian County.  The current administration has continued to hire personnel but experience with the people of the county and relationships that are forged are not something that is created overnight.  I will strive to attract quality personnel and work to retain them based on a positive work environment in which they will have pride in being a part of.

Although we may not be able to match the pay and retirement, personnel that know they have the backing of their administration will be much less inclined to seek employment elsewhere.  The continued revolving door of hiring personnel and losing them cost us money, by focused retention of qualified personnel we will be practicing Fiscal Responsibility which is needed with our tax dollars. This issue is another example of the Common Sense Leadership that I would like to implement if given the opportunity to be your Sheriff of Canadian County. 

International Drivers License (Permit)

Now that I have came out and am in opposition against the incumbent Sheriff, I have had a number of people informing me of various items of interest. I received one such item this week that is amusing and something you can not help but laugh and shake your head about. I am not trying to pick at the incumbent on this one, but I did find humor in the entire situation and thought I would share it with those that would enjoy it as well. 

The story goes along these lines: a young man was located earlier this week, doing doughnuts in his vehicle in a public area and became stuck.  As most of you know, these actions are usually inherently illegal or at least frowned upon by most in law enforcement. The young man was able to provide a form of identification (shown below) upon the arrival of the appropriate law enforcement authorities.

I highly doubt the incumbent has researched this issue and I can actually claim that I have.  So in order to assist him in the future, here is the deal on International Driver's Licenses.  Generally, an  International Driving Permit (IDP) allows an individual to drive a private motor vehicle in another nation when accompanied by a valid license from their home country. The document is slightly larger than a standard passport and is essentially a multiple language translation of one's own existing driver's license, complete with photograph and vital statistics. It is not a license to operate a motor vehicle on its own.

One of the key items for an International Driving Permit (IDP) is the person MUST have a valid drivers license in order for it to be valid. Oklahoma honors a valid foreign driver's license with an international driving permit. Once your foreign license expires, you must apply for an OK learners permit and pass all required testing to receive a driver's license.

There are a number of websites that sell IDP's with most of them being fraudulent.  IDP's are overseen by the U.S. State Department (website discussing them http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/safety/safety_1179.html) and can only be issued by two organizations for U.S. Citizens. These two organizations are the National Auto Club and the AAA (http://www.aaa.com/PPInternational/IDP_IADP.html). As far as, foreign visitors traveling in the United States, this is the page you should visit for more information:  http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Foreign_Visitors_Driving.shtml

Finally, I would also point out for anyone wondering, the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety is the only agency allowed in the State of Oklahoma to issue drivers licenses and state identification (ID) cards.  Any locally produced get out of jail free cards or extension of courtesy to this card holder request is generally not recognized in most areas, especially while doing doughnuts on public property. 

So without further delay here are the documents produced by Mr. Doughnut maker, I have attempted to block the incumbents cell phone number so that people are not calling asking for their own cards, other than that no alterations have been made to the cards:

The Buck Stops Here!

A few weeks ago, I had mentioned in one of our articles about responsibility and that the buck must stop somewhere. I later did some research and found the sign from President Truman's desk originated from the Federal Correctional Institute (FCI) (formerly the Federal Reformatory) in El Reno.

According to the President Truman library, Fred M. Canfil, then United States Marshal for the Western District of Missouri and a friend of Mr. Truman, saw a similar sign while visiting the Reformatory and asked the Warden if a sign like it could be made for President Truman. The sign was made and mailed to the President on October 2, 1945. You can follow the attached link to the library in order to see more information on the slogan: http://www.trumanlibrary.org/buckstop.htm

Comments about the blog name

Earlier today, I had a question about the name of the blog and if I may be misrepresenting which I think was a real good question. I have noted in the about me section that I am a candidate for the office of Sheriff for Canadian County. My thought behind the name of this blog is simple, if I am successfully elected, I will already have a recognized forum in which to share information with the citizens of the county. As with campaigning for an elected office, this is my first attempt at the blogosphere so I figured we may learn some of these things together. I hope once in office, I can share certain items of interest in an informal format or provide a platform for discussion of issues related to the Sheriff's Office.  I believe this forum will allow for better communications between the Sheriff's Office, the Sheriff, and the citizens which is something I expect will improve during my tenure in office. Thanks for the question and I welcome your comments.

Issues-Jail Issues-Ankle Monitoring & Drug Court

Ankle Monitoring

The incumbent has mentioned a number of times the need and desire to have his ankle monitoring program as an option for persons to be released from jail. The incumbent mentioned in a Yukon Review article on 07/13/2011 that only two people have been assigned to the program. The incumbent also claimed up to twenty inmates could possibly be utilized with the program instead of having them released on an OR (Own Recognizance) bond. As a side note, an OR bond is occasionally provided for lesser crimes with a promise from the person that they will re-appear for court as required. If they do not return an arrest warrant is issued for the person.      

When the program was first proposed, the reported cost was $3.00 to $10.00 per day depending on the unit. Considering the average cost is $6.50, then considering 20 inmates released that is $130.00 a day x 1 year=$47,450.00. In the Yukon Review article, he placed the daily amount at approximately five dollars a day, in a year’s time that is $36,500.00 that is received from these inmates. All of this money goes to a private company with the county receiving nothing. In early April of 2011, I recommended to the incumbent that if he wanted an ankle monitoring program so bad that we should do it ourselves. I have significant experience in this area and can guarantee you could buy a very significant number of units for that kind of money. 

My question is why would we have people who cannot afford to bond out of jail be released on an ankle monitor. If these people could afford the cost of the monitor they would either bond from jail or they would be paying the costs and fines which landed many in jail. The system we utilize for people to bond out of jail has worked for a significant number of years and the bondsman is responsible for ensuring these people return for court. 

We have received questions about the possibility of using the units once a person’s criminal case has been concluded and sentenced by the court. The thought was instead of serving time in jail, these units would serve as a form of house arrest. Historically, although supervision is good on post-conviction persons, swift and sure punishment for violations has not always been the case. We have seen multiple violations go for significant lengths of time before these people are held accountable and often they continue to commit additional criminal acts. In addition to this, if these people are not compliant and not accountable, how would we expect these people would pay for the units which do nothing but increase money these people already owe?          

The ankle monitor does not prevent any crime and depending on the unit, it may not even tell us where they were at merely where they were not at. From my perspective, the only person benefiting from this program is the private company who owns these units and it does nothing to realistically help the citizens of this county. 

Drug Court

The Drug Court has been instituted in a number of counties in Oklahoma, many through grant funding. Generally, an advantage of the program is there is usually significant monitoring of the offender, accountability for behaviors, substance abuse counseling, and expectations of gainful employment. These programs are usually open to first-time, non-violent simple drug possession cases which if the offender is successful then the criminal case is dismissed. During the period of supervision, if an offender fails to comply with the rules various sanctions are provided up to incarceration in the county jail.

It is my understanding for people to attend the Canadian County Drug Court, it cost them $550.00 a month for the program along with ankle monitoring. Although I support realistic and effective programs, I would like to see the effectiveness of our particular program. In the course of my law enforcement career in this county, I have dealt with a significant number of drug offenders and found few that had any money to be provided to another expense. In addition, without adequate jail space Drug Court sanctions are significantly impacted.

Ultimately, the Sheriff has little interaction or responsibility for the Drug Court. Although this has been offered as an alternative to incarceration, I wonder if the Drug Court program would even have enough offenders to significantly impact our housing problems in the jail.

Issues-Jail Issues-What about a Tent City?

During the campaign, there have been questions about establishing a “Tent City” as popularized by Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Arizona. Upon researching the requirements for a tent facility, I found the provisions in which a facility could be established. According to the Oklahoma Administrative Code (310:670-5-11.C.), new facilities and substantial remodeling of facilities after January 1, 1992 must comply as follows:

The Department must approve the establishment and design of this type of facility. The State Fire Marshal must approve it. A county may erect a tent jail which is temporary in nature, to meet the needs of the county for confining minimum-security prisoners. A tent jail shall not detain juveniles and shall maintain continuous, physical and architectural separation of male and female prisoners. A tent jail shall not be required to meet minimum requirements for a jail facility but shall provide at least the following:

(1) Accommodations.

(A) Basic daily living needs;

(B) Medical needs;

(C) Shelter from inclement weather;

(D) Freedom from obvious safety hazards;

(E) Fire extinguishers as recommended by the Oklahoma State Fire Marshal; and

(F) General comfort consistent with security and control of prisoners. 

(2) Security

(A) Tents erected inside a fenced area suitable for guarding and controlling prisoners; and

(B) Permit prisoners to have visitors consistent with security requirements. 

Therefore, as far as tent cities go, under Oklahoma regulations they can only be temporary and for minimum security inmates. Considering our varied weather conditions, I question how we could adequately shelter inmates from inclement weather. Also as with the dormitory idea, I question whether we have a sufficient number of minimum security inmates to alleviate our problem. As a result, I do not believe this is a viable alternative for housing of our inmates.

Issues-Jail Issues-What about a Dormitory?

Upon researching the requirements for a dormitory facility, I found the provisions in which a dormitory facility could be established. According to the Oklahoma Administrative Code (310:670-5-11.7.), new facilities and substantial remodeling of facilities after January 1, 1992 must comply as follows:


A county may provide a dormitory-style jail to accommodate minimum security prisoners. A dormitory-style jail shall be equipped with washbasins, toilets and showers with hot and cold running water at a ratio of at least one (1) washbasin, one (1) toilet and one (1) shower to twenty (20) prisoners. A dormitory-style jail shall meet all requirements for jail facilities.


As far as employee staffing of the facility, we have had proposals placing the inmate population at approximately one hundred inmates, give or take depending on the proposal. According to the Oklahoma Administrative Code (310:670-5-3), “facilities which house more than twenty (20) prisoners shall have on site one (1) dispatcher or control center operator and a minimum of two (2) jailers on the premises”. Therefore, considering the staffing, we would be required to have a minimum of three personnel on site, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, etc. etc.


Therefore by reviewing the administrative rules, we could establish a dormitory to house minimum security prisoners while having a minimum of two to three employees depending on the facilities location. On an analysis of inmates housed at the county jail on 05/02/2011, we had the following inmates in custody for the listed crimes:


# Most Significant Crime of Inmates

4	Assault &Battery with Dangerous Weapon
1	Assault and Battery
2	Bogus Check
8	Burglary
3	Child Abuse/Neglect
5	Domestic Abuse
39	Fail to Appear/Fail to comply violations
2	Grand Larceny/Larc. From Retailer (Shoplifting)
6	Hold Other Agencies
11	Hold DOC-(Oklahoma Dept of Corrections)
2	Lewd Acts to Child (Child Molestation)
1	Manslaughter 1 (Death of Another)
1	Material Witness
1	Molest (Interfere or Vandalize) Motor Vehicle
4	Murder
2	On Writ (People in custody elsewhere in our Jail)
10	PCDS-Possess Illegal Drugs
2	Robbery
18	Serve Time
4	Traffic-DUI-Driving Under Influence
2	Traffic-DUS-Drive with Suspended DL
1	Traffic-Leave Scene of Veh Accident
10	Trafficking in Illegal Drugs (based on drug weight)
1	Use of Forged Credit Card
2	Uttering Forged Instruments
1	UUMV-(Possess Stolen Vehicle)
143	Total

After a review of the crimes in which people are incarcerated, I question if we could even adequately house a significant amount of minimum security level inmates in a facility to ease our situation with an inadequate jail (I would caution people that these numbers are ever changing but it should give us an idea of what crimes are being housed). As I have previously noted, I do not advocate a band-aid approach to our jail problem. Throwing money at the problem is not the desired result, fixing the problem should be our goal. A dormitory would be a great idea to minimize costs combined with an adequate facility but to build a dormitory to ease our problems will be a futile effort.


I am also concerned when considering the construction of a dormitory about the safety of the staff as well as the inmates. If inmates are not compliant or an active assault is occurring, the proper response is to request inmates to lay face down on their bunks until the situation is resolved. If inmates are not compliant it is very possible force would be necessary to ensure the safety of the staff and/or inmates. Beside the potential for injury or death, this option could quite possibly expose us to considerable civil liability.