Sussex sheriff has cooperative option

Sussex County Sheriff Jeff Christopher continues to push for and encourage full arrest powers for his department despite serious pushback from the state’s Attorney General’s Office, Sussex County Council, police chiefs throughout Sussex, and the sheriffs of both Kent and New Castle counties.

A piece of legislation awaiting action in the General Assembly, House Bill 290, would make clear the state’s lawmakers do not intend sheriff’s departments to have full arrest powers. That legislation is in full keeping with the largest majority of Delaware tradition and practice, and deserves action sooner as opposed to later.

In the meantime, however, Sheriff Christopher  - if he is truly interested in having his department properly trained and protected for their long-recognized duties in support of the courts - should be taking advantage of Sussex Council’s offer to consider training and equipment proposals.

Regardless of whether the vehicles of the sheriff’s department have emergency lights associated with stopping vehicles, or whether the sheriff and deputies have full arrest powers, the vehicles and uniformed officers in them still operate as a visible deterrent to crime.

That’s not a bad thing in a county approaching 200,000 residents.

In addition, this nation continues to recognize the legitimacy of citizen’s arrest, which gives any citizen the right to arrest a person believed to be committing a felony-level crime. People who do take it upon themselves to act in the face of crime are often elevated to hero status.

With government budgets under increasing cutback pressure, our police departments need all the help they can get from a citizenry committed to the rule of law. The sheriff and his deputies certainly fall within the category of citizens and can make arrests for crimes they see in progress.

Given the often-adversarial atmosphere resulting from delivering court papers, having a certain level of training and equipment would better enable them to deter and, if necessary, respond to threatening situations.

There is a constructive path forward, but the sheriff’s department will find it easier by adopting a cooperative spirit rather than an attitude of fight.