Posted with permission of Potter Leader-Enterprise
As a concerned citizen I was alarmed when I found out the
county commissioners hired a county detective. What’s shocking is how little
this hiring has been justified to the public. The public, for instance, has
been provided with no evidence confirming that this hiring will actually lead
to a substantive decrease in a drug abuse or drug dealing in Potter County.
Nor has any evidence been provided to suggest this hiring
won’t actually endanger public safety. Public safety can be endangered by an
increased police presence because such measures can lead to more convictions
and longer sentences. And more convictions and longer sentences endanger public
safety by entrapping the poor in a cycle alternating between being free and
unemployed or imprisoned and unhirable. Thus if you’re poor, an increased
police presence could actually endanger your safety and ability to be employed.
With this being said, the point here isn’t to criticize the
commissioners for this hiring. But it’s clear the consequences of adding a
county detective needs to be more thoughtfully considered by our political
leadership. Although adding a county detective might make us feel good about
what’s being done for our county, good feelings don’t always make for good
policy decisions.
In short, I respectfully ask that the county commissioners
reconsider the hiring of a county detective. Until more information is provided
to ensure the position will actually lead to a decrease in drug abuse and not
further endanger the poor, the position should not be reauthorized come
December.
Zigmund Reichenbach, Roulette
COUDERSPORT — A new position in the Potter County District
Attorney’s office has goals of continuing to keep the community safe and make a
larger dent in the county’s drug problem. Jake Rothermel was hired as a county
detective in July, after a proposal from Andy Watson, district attorney, was
approved by the county commissioners. Rothermel, a retired state trooper, will
work to help combat the growing drug problem in Potter County and help with the
caseloads of borough and township police departments. Watson made the proposal
to the commissioners a few weeks ago. Potter was one of 10 counties in the
state that didn’t have a detective. After talking with other counties that had
one, Watson determined it was an important position to bring back in Potter
County. Bryan Phelps, current Sweden Township police chief, was the detective
when Dawn Fink was the DA, but Watson said they lost grant funding for it
before he took office in 2010. It is a 40-hour/week contractual position
through December. In October, Watson will seek re-approval for the next fiscal
year. Half of Rothermel’s time will be dedicated to drug enforcement,
investigation, conducting surveillance, among several other tactics, and
assisting the East Drug Task Force. The East Drug Task Force was created in
2010 when “the drugs were rampant and out of control,” Watson said. He and many
local police officers completed training to be on the drug task force. Since
then, they’ve conducted several drug busts and have helped addicts get clean. Several
signs have popped up throughout the county encouraging anyone with drug
information to anonymously share it with the DA’s office to help “push out the
pusher.” Watson said in the past, that info would be sent to drug task force
members and state police. But because of lack of staff, it might not be
followed up on as promptly as needed. In the county detective position,
Rothermel will follow up on every lead and conduct surveillance, among other
tactics, to make sure the tip is credible before developing a plan for arrest. “A
lot of our calls are credible,” Rothermel said. “The layperson has learned they
do know what they’re seeing and are reporting it. We’re very thankful for the
tips we’ve been given.” Additionally, Watson hopes the county detective will be
able to assist the borough police officers with their caseloads and more in-depth
investigations. “In my humble opinion, our county-wide borough and township
departments are a bit understaffed. There’s a lot going on,” Watson said.
“Whereas the state police have 20 plus troopers who are available.” Rothermel
hopes to make a positive impact on the people of the county. “I’ve always felt
very drawn to law enforcement and since I moved here back in 1997, I made this
my home and what happens in Potter County affects me. It means something to
me,” Rothermel said. “I would love to be able to make more of a dent in a drug
problem.” Watson said now was a good time to bring the position to the county
because they had the right person. Rothermel recently retired after being a
state trooper for 23 years.
“I’ve worked with him on hundreds of cases,” Watson said. “I
know Jake’s integrity, his hard work ethic, he’s a Christian and a family man —
which is important to me — and I know I can trust him.”
