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Surveys reveal many unhappy with shakeup
CUMBERLAND - A random telephone survey of Allegany County residents concerning the county's takeover of the sheriff's patrol showed a majority of citizens unhappy with the situation.
The sentiments expressed Monday by citizens throughout the county fell in line with a Times-News Internet poll that showed 86.2 percent favoring the sheriff and 13.8 percent backing the county commissioners. Nearly 1,400 people registered their vote in the poll from Friday to late Monday evening.
The telephone survey indicated most, but not all, residents support the sheriff.
Cumberland resident Donald Lantz is not happy about the county taking over the sheriff's patrol.
"I think the county commissioners are working their way out of office. They should leave the sheriff alone and run their own office.
"I think it's a personal vendetta against the sheriff. They won't give him enough money to run his department," said Lantz.
Retired truck driver and factory worker David Yates said, "We have to get the sheriff under control somehow. He's spending too much money. The state and the county are spending too much money.
"As long as it doesn't cost an arm and a leg to take over the patrol function. The sheriff has been out of control since he's been in office.
"As far as I am concerned, it helped Maryland State Police by bringing in some troopers as the county takes over the patrol function.
"We have to get the sheriff under control. You just can't keep spending," said the Frostburg resident.
Oldtown resident Gail P. Thompson said, "I think it stinks. It should be the people's choice. I don't favor the county commissioners anyway.
"We have too much trouble in the county with crime and I think the patrol function should stay with the sheriff.
"And I think the sheriff knows more about law enforcement than the county commissioners."
Ruby Beckman of McCoole said she is "against it."
"We elected the sheriff and he should be allowed to do his job. And our also elected county commissioners should be doing their jobs.
"I'm wondering about the legality of this whole thing. It just doesn't seem right."
Ellerslie resident Sheri Corley thinks the county assuming the patrol function is "a good idea."
"There's been a lot of issues with the sheriff's department I just think at this point in time it may be better for the residents for the county to operate the patrols.
"There's always stuff going on back and forth between the county commissioners and the sheriff.
"I also feel like there's not enough patrols in Ellerslie. If the county takes it over, we might have more officers in our community and have better protection."
Slabtown resident Jack Skidmore said, "That's bull. I think that's wrong. I think it's a dictatorship. I think they (commissioners) think they own this county.
"You got two retired police officers working for the county getting a high salary and pension. I think this is going to cost the county more money.
"I think Sheriff Goad is doing a good job. I just don't like it. The commissioners have it in for Sheriff Goad because he doesn't back down from them."
Barton resident Shirley Vinci said, "I think it's a fight between the sheriff and the county commission. I don't know if it's for the good of the county or not. It's going to cost a lot of money.
"I don't know where the county will get their trained people. We don't know what they will be paid.
"My view is to let the sheriff run the sheriff's department and let the commissioners run their office.
"I don't know why they are after the sheriff now. Evidently, he's done a good job. He was re-elected."
JoAnn Spiker of Lonaconing compared the county's Bureau of Police to the Gestapo, the German state secret police during Nazi regime. "This it what it looks like," she said.
"We're against this new Bureau of Police. We're with David Goad 100 percent. Two of the county commissioners are from this area. Shame on them for doing this."
Harold Simpson of Westernport thinks the situation is "ludicrous."
"The commissioners ought to leave the sheriff alone and give him enough money to run his department. And the county commissioners ought to grow up.
"We don't need a county police force. We have a sheriff's department and the sheriff has been doing a good job on a limited budget."
Contact Jeffrey Alderton at jlalderton@times-news.com.
To vote in our online poll, please click here and then scroll down until you find the "Section Poll".
