A Senate Committee defeated legislation that would have saved Roanoke County Police hundreds of man hours. The bill’s defeat sparked a sharp response from the bill’s patron, Senator Ralph K. Smith.
“This bill’s defeat is representative of special interests being more concerned with protecting their turf than protecting Virginians,” said Smith.
Senate Bill 637 would have allowed jail officers with the same training as sheriff deputies to perform some of the same legal functions.
Smith introduced the bill at the request of the Western Virginia Regional Jail after learning that Roanoke County Police spent 344 man hours, a significant amount of unnecessary fuel, and thousands of tax dollars performing these functions in just the first eight months of the jail’s operation. This expense of Roanoke County Police man hours required officers to be taken off of the street and prompted Roanoke County Police Chief James Lavinder to ask for a legislative reform.
The Sheriffs of the four jurisdictions that participate in the regional jail all wrote letters in support of the reform.
Opposition to the bill came from lobbyists for the Virginia Sheriffs’ Association who typically oppose any legislation that might erode sheriff authority.
“Our sheriffs supported this bill that gave away a little bit of authority because they are more concerned with protecting our citizens than protecting their turf, unfortunately the state sheriffs association feels differently,” said Smith.