Spencer tells state to return local money, do their own jobs
By Bob Robinson

GREENVILLE – “They cut our feet out from under us – cut our money – bolstering their big ideas.” Darke County Sheriff Toby Spencer pulled no punches…

“They want to teach about drugs in our schools but they didn’t include us. They want to send State Troopers in,” he said. “Quite frankly, that p***es me off!”

He added in his opinion the state patrol has no authority on private property or going into local schools.

On Dec. 26, Spencer sent a letter to Director John Born of ODPS (Ohio Department of Public Safety) saying, in part, he was “extremely disappointed and becoming more disenchanted daily over the antics of the State of Ohio and the State Highway Patrol to be shoved down the throats of county and local police agencies.” He noted Ohio Gov. John Kasich and the State of Ohio have steadily ripped away the funding from local governments, only to boost the “antics” of state agencies, including the highway patrol’s recent initiative to infiltrate local school systems with a drug prevention program.”

Spencer said on Jan. 9 the initiative is good, but it needs to involve local agencies, such as city police and the sheriff’s department.

“It gets my blood boiling,” he added. In his letter, Spencer said school superintendents are not happy with this decision either.

Spencer told Born the job of the patrol is to make highways safer. “I cannot tell you the last time I saw a Trooper patrolling the highways of Darke County.” He said Troopers did show up from Columbus to make an arrest on local private property and deliver the arrestee to the jail for his staff to deal with.

“The action was highly inefficient and costly when a phone call… could have produced the same result.”

Spencer said the D.A.R.E. program of a few years ago had to be dropped because of lack of funds.

“I can’t judge its actual success rate,” he said. “I do know there are still kids who are now out of school, talk to our D.A.R.E. officers, thanking them. “You saved me,” they would say.

Spencer added this is a local issue, noting locals are the only ones who know what’s going on.

His letter concluded with “If there is anything that we could use from the State of Ohio, it would be a return of our local government funds.”

The following is Sheriff Spencer's Letter to Director John Born, Ohio Department of Public Safety:

Dear Director Born:

I sincerely hope that you had a great Christmas, and I wish you a Happy New Year.

Director, I must tell you that I am extremely disappointed and becoming more disenchanted daily over the antics of the State of Ohio and the State Highway Patrol to be shoved down the throats of county and local Police agencies. The State of Ohio and Governor Kasich have steadily ripped away the funding from local governments, only to boast and boost the antics of State agencies, such as your recent initiative to infiltrate our school systems with a drug prevention program.

There is NO State agency, or State employee that knows each of our local demographics, local criminal elements, and local drug trends better than the Police Departments and Sheriff Offices across this State.

I, for one, as well as the school Superintendents I have spoken with, are not at all happy about this initiative.

Instead of getting into a field where the State Highway Patrol has no authority, may I suggest that you get back into a field that was the initial intent of the HIGHWAY Patrol, and that is to make our highways safer. I cannot tell you the last time I saw a Trooper patrolling the highways of Darke County, or furthermore handling an accident that occurred on Darke County roadways. I can tell you that a week ago members of your Special Response team showed up in Darke County arrest a lone female on a warrant out of Noble County. I cannot imagine that it was very cost effective to have members of your team drive across the State and make an arrest, on private property I might add, then drive one mile and drop the arrestee off at my doorstep for my staff to deal with. Their action was highly inefficient and costly when a phone call to my agency or the local Police Department could have produced the same result.

It is my full intent to continue, as I have in the past, to work in my local school systems and support the wishes of my local Superintendents. If there is anything that we could use from the State of Ohio, it would be the return of our Local Government Funds.

I thank you for your time.

Toby L. Spencer

Sheriff of Darke County

Published courtesy of The Early Bird