Training is required
This is in regards to the hundreds of phone calls inquiring about jurisdiction and credential for certified humane police officers. As senior officer for Fayette County I would like to clear up some misconceptions. A person interested in obtaining a certification can do so by first working for an SPCA or Humane Society that is recognized in the commonwealth. Then you must attend two commonwealth-mandated courses. You must acquire a passing grade on both mandatory tests. You must attend continuing education every two years to keep your certification with no time lapse.
The next step is to file a petition in the county prothonotary’s office for the president judge to review. He will then make a decision to swear you in or not based on your information and the information from the federation.
If at anytime you leave the society from which you were employed and do not go to another or keep your credentials current with the federation your credentials are voided. You are no longer a humane police officer and cannot act in such capacity. You also down the road cannot return to a society and keep your appointed position. You must start all over again with level 1 and 2. You cannot enforce the animal cruelty laws found in the Crimes Code.
All police officers can enforce animal cruelty laws, but animal control officers cannot and are not permitted onto a citizen’s property concerning this act.
All past humane police officers in Fayette County before the year 2002 have had their names stricken from the courthouse records on a petition to the courts. According to information that can be obtained from the prothonotary office, Charles Crago, Kelli Wingard, Glenn McGregor and myself are the only names listed.
Anyone interested in obtaining more information can contact the Federation of Humane Societies. All humane polices officers have countywide jurisdiction. If someone is trying to pass themselves off as a humane police officer, this is a crime.
Do not let this happen. Ask questions and verify information. If you are in need of help please feel free to contact me. I hope this has cleared up questions about who is and who is not to be enforcing this law.
Robin Moore
senior humane police officer
Masontown
War is not justified
In August 1990 Iraq invaded Kuwait, justifying our invasion of Iraq in January 1991. We called Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait pure aggression, which it was, and we fought the aggressors off. Now, our own administration is calling for a sugarcoated form of aggression called pre-emption. How on Earth can this be justified? The internal affairs of other nations is their business. We’ve never taken this path since the U.S. was founded, and to make an exception to the rule is so blatant it defies belief. It sounds as though Bush belonged in the era of the Great Crusades, imposing his belief on others.
On March 7, I watched, taped and replayed the testimony of Hans Blix, appearing at the U.N. Security Council with a report on the progress of Iraq’s elimination of weapons of mass destruction, in which he testified that Iraq was disarming. Resolution 1441, passed last year by the U.N. on a 15-0 vote, never set the speed at which Iraq must disarm. Setting certain deadline requirements is futile. As of March 7 only three nations were pro-war, U.S., U.K. and Spain.
Many equate this with Neville Chamberlain’s appeasement treaty with Hitler in 1938. Bear in mind, prior to the Munich agreement Hitler had already annexed the Rhineland and Austria as part of Greater Germany. Very similar to what Hussein did to Kuwait in 1990. As it now stands, Iraq is not annexing any country. If it were, invasion would be justified.
A poll conducted recently by the Washington Post concluded that 47 percent of the people polled actually believe Iraq was involved in the 911disaster. Of the 19 terrorists 16 were Saudis. To imply that Iraq was partially responsible implies the Joe McCarthy axiom: “Guilt by association.” Talk about brainwashed.
Our blatant and futile pipe dream utopia of being world police, simply because we’re the world’s strongest military power, and wish to prove it, shows our lack of respect for the internal affairs of other nations.
Don’t be surprised if in 20 years our nation is called the United States of The World. Recall what happened when we imposed the shah on Iran?
Randy Warnick
Smock