Police system needs changed
I have had enough of lawlessness in Henry Clay Township. A couple of weeks ago we had a homicide at the intersection of Flat Rock and Clover Top roads. A young man was stabbed and died. We have chronic violations of our highway laws with “quad gangs” tearing up and down the roads at all hours of the day and night. The other day three children, maybe 12 or 13 years old, raced behind my car as I traveled toward Route 40 on Route 281.
There have been several incidents where people have been robbed and their homes burglarized. None of this is going to stop under the current system of law enforcement.
Rural Pennsylvanians are being cheated of the best possible police and law enforcement services under the current centralization state police power.
The state police are huddled together under one barracks roof and have no real-time knowledge of what is transpiring out in the “boonies,” as I have heard our location referred to by several officers.
They are isolated miles away from the very people they are sworn to serve and protect from the criminal element who live in remote rural townships. Under this barracks mentality the state police cannot become more directly involved in local law-enforcement issues. The welfare is sacrificed for the convenience of the officers not required to work and live in the intimate surroundings of the people they are supposed to protect in our rural communities.
Each township, or in cases of efficiency, two or more townships could fall within a constable’s jurisdictional responsibility. His job would be to enforce the laws of the commonwealth, but with the advantage of being closer to the people he serves, getting to know about us and care about his communities future progress and peaceful life. He would be better able to keep a watch on the movement of criminal elements and help to prevent crime.
A constable’s tenure should be more permanent than the frequent transfers taking place in the state police barracks system and would stay mostly within county lines, providing his community with a police officer who is intimately familiar with all persons arrest records or lawless activities.
This improved method is not new, but a reformed model of the constable system that has been in practice in rural parts of England for hundreds of years.
Primarily, it will help to build a base of friendship and trust between the police and the people which does not exist now under the current “barracks mentality” which encourages and rewards ambitious officers to look after the more spectacular cases and ignore the everyday nuisance crimes that agitate a rural community where there is no police presence except the “on-call” state cop.
We need our own man on the job with a badge and a gun to run the rats back into their holes or ship them off to serve time for their crimes. And we need them today.
Jim Lilley
Markleysburg
Faith of the parents
Everyone knows all about Colby, the 5-year-old boy with leukemia with his endless smile, but many readers may not know about his parents, Jack and Laura. This is my story about these exceptional people.
I met them through Colby about a year ago. They are an inspiration to me, as I’m sure they have inspired many people.
When you have a child diagnosed with a terminal illness such as leukemia, there are many ways of handling it. You could be bitter, selfish, cruel, rude, unkind.
The Cole’s, Jack and Laura, are the exception to the rule. They are unselfish, appreciative, strong, kind, pleasant, hopeful, and above all, faithful to God.
I attended the funeral, “A Service of Witness to the Resurrection of Colby James Cole” and was amazed when Colby’s dad, Jack, got up to speak. He read a poem that Colby wrote for his mother and also spoke about his son Colby. I don’t know how he did this so effortlessly except to say that Colby and God were with him when he spoke.
Both of Colby’s parents are strong people. When you would think they should be overcome by grief, they would surprise you.
Laura told me that Colby didn’t want any crying so we are trying to follow his wishes and they did. When I went to see Colby at the funeral home, Laura said some kind words to my mother about me. Once again, instead of being overcome by grief, Laura showed me her strength and appreciation.
They are amazing and inspirational people.
As a nurse at the Uniontown Hospital taking care of Colby, I found Jack and Laura were polite, kind, supportive and understanding toward our staff. You could not ask for better people to deal with.
Through Colby we saw a miracle in the making while he was alive. Colby is “In The Lord’s Army” now. Jack and Laura have grown wings of angels and now they are just waiting for God to take them to Colby when it is their time.
They never lost their faith, but seemed to grow stronger in their faith, in spite of everything.
Jack and Laura are like disciples of God and we all should strive to be more like these exceptional, inspirational people.
Mary Jane McCahill
McClellandtown
Yet another scandal
The Herald-Standard headlines once again are on our housing authority “hiding under dirt.” I thought Fayette County finally had found a solution for a little honesty. Remember the stoves and refrigerators under the old leadership?
Thank goodness for a couple of good watchdogs, Angela Zimmerlink and Beverly Beal. Others seem to play the “cover your eye” game. Is there any wonder there is such little trust in the system? Why not make the “other” leader pay back all the loot?
What a mess – a total disgrace to hard working, tax-paying people of Fayette County. A repeat performance. Nothing will be done. The leadership sucks.
Mary Burns
New Salem