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Ashtabula County: Judge tells residents to "Arm themselves"

Jeff Maynor bullet1.gif Updated: 4/9/2010 10:19:33 AM Posted: 4/8/2010 6:24:43 PM

JEFFERSON -- In the ongoing financial crisis in Ashtabula County, the Sheriff's Department has been cut from 112 to 49 deputies. With deputies assigned to transport prisoners, serve warrants and other duties, only one patrol car is assigned to patrrol the entire county of 720 square miles.

"I did the best with what they (the county commissioners) gave me. If it wasn't enough, don't blame me, don't blame this department," said Sheriff Billy Johnson.

Johnson said he is suing the commissioners to get a determination of whether he should use his limited budget to carry out obligations defined by law or put more patrol cars on the streets.

"I just can't do it anymore," he said. "I have to have the court explain to the commissioners and to me what my statutory duties are."

The Ashtabula County Jail has confined as many as 140 prisoners. It now houses only 30 because of reductions in the staff of corrections officers.

All told, 700 accused criminals are on a waiting list to serve time in the jail.

Are there dangerous people free among the 700 who cannot be locked up?

"There probably are," Sheriff Johnson said, "but I'm telling you, any known violent criminal, we're housing them. We've got murderers in there."

Ashtabula County is the largest county in Ohio by land area.

Ashtabula County Common Pleas Judge Alfred Mackey was asked what residents should do to protect themselves and their families with the severe cutback in law enforcement.

"Arm themselves," the judge said. "Be very careful, be vigilant, get in touch with your neighbors, because we're going to have to look after each other."

Ashtabula County gun dealers and firearms instructors tell WKYC their business has really picked up since the Sheriff's Department cutbacks began some months ago.

"That's exactly why they are coming, so that they can protect themselves," says Tracy Williams, a certified firearms instructor in Jefferson. "They don't feel that they are protected. They want to be able to protect themselves."

Williams says interest in his classes has doubled recently, and many of those coming are people who he would not normally expect to have interest in obtaining a concealed carry permit.

"And as far as him (Judge Mackey) telling you to arm yourselves and protect yourselves, you don't have any other option," Williams told WKYC. "We don't have the law enforcement out here to handle it right now."

Ashtabula County, where unemployment is higher than the state average, is asking voters to approve a one half per cent sales tax increase in May.

The tax hike would raise the tax in the county to seven percent.

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to be fair, we have some of the lowest crime rates in the state anyway. Station avenue is considered a "high crime" area, and there are people on that road that leave their keys in the ignition.

One reason I really enjoy living here.

besides, this is the middle of redneck country, most everyone has an assortment of hunting rifles, shotguns and such already.

Edited by magley64
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Ranking of crime and dangerous cities varies a lot.

The 2009 Metropolitan Crime Rate Rankings doesn't list any Ohio metropolitan areas in the top 25 most dangerous or the top 25 most safest.

The 2009 City Crime Rankings lists no Ohio cities in the top 25 safest, and the 25 most dangerous cities, lists Cleveland at 8th, Cincinnati at 19th, and Dayton at 20th.

No Ohio city made it onto the Forbes list of top 15 most dangerous cities.

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Are there any good roads up in Ashtabula? sounds like the perfect time to go nuts on the bike with only one cop to worry about. :rolleyes:

no dice there, only 1 deputy car to worry about but there is still local PD's to worry about, not to mention highway patrol. deputies don't bother speeders much anyway.

and no, our roads pretty much suck

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