Guns-layoffs link not appropriate

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2:55 PM Wednesday, October 28, 2009

We sympathize with Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones and agree with his concern over a rash of shootings that occurred in Butler County over the past several days.

However, Jones’ prepared statement Monday, Oct. 26 — linking the shootings to possible layoffs in the sheriff’s department — was inappropriate. Had the sheriff cited the shootings as evidence that gun violence in Butler County is escalating and that there are too many guns in the hands of people who do not handle them responsibly, we would have applauded him.

Instead, Jones crassly used the gun violence to send a message to county commissioners and other local elected officials, who are struggling to balance 2010 budgets. The message? These cases strain law enforcement agencies that have lost personnel in layoffs and/or may lose officers next year. For the sheriff’s office, a significant number of deputies could be laid off next year as county commissioners try to balance the 2010 budget. Unquestionably, these are tough economic times and no government agency is immune to cutbacks.

In his prepared statement, Jones referred to a BP gas station robbery in Fairfield late Oct. 24, in which one person was shot; the shooting of a man in Hamilton, also on Oct. 24, which required the Hamilton-Fairfield SWAT team’s intervention; and the shooting of a man in Wayne Twp. on Oct. 23.

More gun violence occurred early Monday with the apparent murder-suicide of a man and woman whose bodies were found inside an SUV at a Fairfield day care center.

“Whenever a situation as severe as a shooting takes place, it takes many law enforcement resources to respond, investigate and hopefully criminally charge the suspect(s) responsible,” he said in his full prepared remarks. “Having three shootings in this county in one weekend does concern me. It concerns me not only for the victims but for the citizens of this county who may have to depend on a depleted law enforcement agency for help — when it’s needed most. I urge all those council members, township trustees, commissioners and other elected officials to use extreme discretion when considering the safety of those citizens we are all sworn to protect.”

We appreciate the sheriff’s concern about having sufficient manpower to investigate these crimes after they’ve been committed. Jones’ ability to investigate the shootings may be slowed by future layoffs, but it’s wrong and opportunistic to suggest that these shootings and possible layoffs are linked in some other manner. And we trust that elected officials are using “extreme discretion” and are well aware of their responsibilities for public safety when they are considering future budgets.

But we do believe that Sheriff Jones is right on this point: He and all Butler County residents should be concerned when the lives of five area residents have been touched — or ended — by gun violence in such a short period of time. Unfortunately, maintaining police staffing or hiring more officers does little to address the proliferation of guns in our society — and the violence that often follows.

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