this is a crock of bubbling doo doo!
Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2004 5:41 am
Here is the story:Traffic laws a bit stricter for all of us non-sheriffsBy KERRY DOUGHERTY, The Virginian-Pilot © January 29, 2004 It’s time Portsmouth invested in a few new signs. The city definitely needs to post a fresh one next to that silly speed-limit marker on George Washington Highway. The one that reads: “35 MPH.†There ought to be another one out there: “Sheriff’s speed limit: 57 MPH.†After all, Portsmouth’s commonwealth’s attorney and police officials say the cops clocked Sheriff Gary Waters zipping along at that speed last month. But he wasn’t charged with reckless driving. Or even speeding. After all, he’s the sheriff. For those who missed it, this is what news reports and officials say happened: In the wee hours of Dec. 27, the sheriff sped down George Washington Highway at 57 mph. Did I mention that the speed limit there – for non-sheriffs – is 35? The cop who pulled the sheriff over noticed that Waters’ eyes were bloodshot and he smelled of something stronger than water. The sheriff allegedly admitted to drinking four or five beers. No biggie. After all, he’s the sheriff. Of course, non-sheriffs who are pulled over at 2:30 a.m. driving 22 mph over the speed limit with booze on their breath are usually asked to take a sobriety test. The sheriff was, too. But he refused. After all, he’s the sheriff. If a non-sheriff refused that pesky test, he’d most likely be arrested for DUI and taken into custody. Once there, the non-sheriff would probably be asked to submit to a blood alcohol test. If the non-sheriff resisted, he’d probably be charged with “refusal.†That particular charge can lead to all sorts of unpleasantness. Cars can be confiscated. Driving privileges suspended. But a sheriff stopped for speeding – in Portsmouth, anyway – can admit that he’s swilled beer without getting arrested. That might be because the sheriff pulled rank and tried to call the cop’s boss. When the sheriff couldn’t reach the police chief, he settled for an assistant. The matter ended after Waters arranged his own ride home. Appalling, isn’t it? Well, no. Not if you’re the sheriff. It’s tempting to blame the cop on the street for not arresting the supercilious sheriff and hauling him in. But think about it for a minute: Who in Portsmouth is more powerful than the sheriff? Not only does he control that political fiefdom down at the jail, but Gary Waters also happens to chair the city’s Democratic Party. Book this sheriff? Not bloody likely. You’d think the sheriff would apologize. He did. Finally. More than a month after the incident, five days after The Virginian-Pilot ran a big story on it and – in a remarkable stroke of serendipity – on the same day local television aired that disturbing police video of his traffic stop. Too little, too late, I’m afraid. Waters’ astonishing display of arrogance came at a terrible time. The sheriff’s traffic stop capped off a year of unspeakable carnage across the region caused by drunks at the wheel. A disgusted public is screaming for stiffer penalties for those who drink and drive. And in Richmond, the reappointment of a judge is being held up while lawmakers consider whether he’s been too soft on DUIs. We don’t know if the sheriff was intoxicated on Dec. 27 or if exhaustion was a contributing factor, as he claimed yesterday. I phoned the sheriff to find out, but he isn’t talking. Not to me, not to anybody. The suddenly reclusive lawman, who isn’t returning phone messages, issued a statement late Wednesday. He’s sorry. He was tired. The police are terrific. If that’s the way he wants to handle it, fine. Here’s a message for Portsmouth voters: Mark your calendars for Nov. 1, 2005. That’s Election Day. Your next chance to tell the sheriff what you think of him.