FRANKFORT —
FRANKFORT — An office created before the invention of the automobile and telephone might soon be abolished in some communities if Rep. Adam Koenig, R-Erlanger, gets his way.
Koenig is sponsor of a proposed constitutional amendment which, if approved by voters, would allow local county governments to abolish the office of constable.
“Professional policing has evolved over the past century but this office has not evolved,” said John Bizzack, commissioner of the Department of Criminal Justice Training.
(Bizzack is a former Eastern Kentucky University regent, and the university’s Justice and Safety Complex is named for him.)
He testified before the House Committee on Elections, Constitutional Amendments and Intergovernmental Affairs on behalf of Koenig’s proposal.
He directed an extensive study of the office for J. Michael Brown, Secretary of the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet.
Brown, after reading Bizzack’s report, wrote Bizzack’s findings “demonstrate that the position of constable is outdated as an arm of law enforcement.”
The office, like jailer, is created by Kentucky’s constitution, but its duties are set by statute. Constables are elected but aren’t trained as law enforcement officers, and they have occasionally run afoul of the law themselves.
Bizzack said some convicted felons have been elected constable — at least one is currently serving — and last year, a Jefferson County constable shot an alleged shoplifter after she drove her car tire over his foot as he accosted her in a shopping center parking lot.
Many counties use constables as process servers but few delegate actual law enforcement authority.
There have been previous attempts to eliminate the office, but that’s not what Koenig’s amendment would do this time. Instead, it would amend the state constitution to allow the local “legislative body of a county to abolish the office of constable.”
Koenig said some counties may rely on constables for services which other counties don’t require or accomplish through other personnel. The local option would allow the decision to be made locally, based on local circumstances and needs, he said.
Bizzack said there are more than 500 constables currently serving in Kentucky with at least one in each of the 120 counties.
But they do not receive law enforcement training, creating safety and liability concerns for local governments, he said. All other law enforcement officers in Kentucky receive a minimum of 840 hours of training, paid for by the state.
“If you’re elected, you’re a constable,” observed committee Chairman Darryl Owens, D-Louisville. “There is no requirement for any training of any kind anywhere.”
Rep. Kevin Bratcher, R-Louisville, said Jefferson County has between 1,400 and 1,500 highly trained police officers and doesn’t need constables.
“But some counties may need constables, so this is nearly perfect legislation,” Bratcher said.
Part of Bizzack’s study included a survey of county judge/executives, county attorneys, chiefs of police, sheriffs and the Kentucky State Police.
“The overwhelming consensus of all surveyed was that the office of constable should be stripped of law enforcement authority; a majority of groups believed the office should be abolished outright,” Bizzack’s report concludes.
There was one exception to that opinion: constables.
The 137 of the 204 constables who responded to the survey also indicated they are employed in jobs other than law enforcement.
And data from the KSP indicate constables perform less than 1 percent of all recorded law-enforcement actions.
The measure is supported by the Kentucky Association of Counties. Shellie Hampton, director of legislative affairs for KACo, said local officials are concerned primarily about safety but also have some liability concerns.
Koenig’s bill passed out of committee and now goes to the full House.
Ronnie Ellis writes for CNHI News Service and is based in Frankfort. Reach him at rellis@cnhi.com. Follow CNHI News Service stories on Twitter at www.twitter.com/
cnhifrankfort.
Local News
Amendment introduced to eliminate constables
- Local News
-
-
State champs get their rings at YMCA breakfast
Two months may have passed, but Madison County continues to celebrate the state basketball championship won by the Madison Central boys team.
Team members were presented championship rings while their cheerleaders received pendants Saturday morning during a breakfast at the Telford YMCA attended by nearly 300. -
Sand artist, pastry chef wow audience at cake expo
Joe Castillo dazzled audiences while performing at Eastern Kentucky University’s Center for the Arts Saturday during the Grace with Taste Cake Expo.
Castillo, along with pastry chef Stella Parks, were the entertainment acts at the expo early in the afternoon. -
District urges students to ‘PowerMyLearning’ through the summer
Sixteen little penguins need help jumping from iceberg to iceberg as a hungry killer whale swims menacingly in the chilly water below.
The fate of the poor little penguins lies in the hands of a third-grade student, who must quickly find the answer to a math equation to lead the penguins to safety. -
Vietnam vets mark Armed Forces Day
In the 1960s and ‘70s, when many campuses around the country were the scene of anti-war riots and demonstrations, Eastern Kentucky University was naming buildings and streets for its alumni who had died fighting for their country.
-
GREAT bridges gap between cops, preteens
Bridging the gap between public misconceptions about police officers and the reality of what’s behind the uniform can be a daunting task. But, a growing program at Madison County middle schools is helping break down those barriers.
-
Exit 95 rebuild delayed until 2017
Originally scheduled for 2014, the reconstruction of Exit 95 on Interstate 75 won’t take place until 2017, Madison Judge/Executive Kent Clark told a joint meeting of the Richmond and Berea chambers of commerce Friday.
The state Transportation Cabinet is delaying the project, Clark said, until a decision is made on the proposed highway that would run from Exit 95 to Nicholasville. -
Toyota bornlearning Academy graduates parents
Seven graduates received their certificates Thursday night, but not with the customary rendition of “Pomp and Circumstance.”
It was a celebration of the parents’ six-month journey with the Toyota bornlearning Academy at Berea Community School.
The academy works with parents and caregivers of children from prenatal to 5 years old on ways to turn everyday moments into learning opportunities. -
Caudill Middle School student showcase
Members of the Caudil Middle School Jazz Band entertain the crowd during the school's end of year student showcase Thursday.
-
Man arrested Friday after early morning break-in
Richmond police made an arrest Friday in connection with an early morning break-in at Jack’s Cleaners on West Water Street.
Scott Hobbs, 42, of McKee, was charged with first-degree burglary, according to Richmond Police Chief Larry Brock
At 3:25 a.m., a witness reported seeing a man enter and exit the cleaners through a broken window and drive away, Brock stated in a news release. -
Grand jury indicts inmates in jail assault
Two inmates at the Madison County Detention Center were indicted Wednesday on charges related to the beating of another prisoner.
A Madison grand jury indicted 28-year-old Justin Morgan Howell and 26-year-old Lucas Wayne Shanks on charges of second-degree assault, second-degree escape and second-degree persistent felony offenders. - More Local News Headlines
-
Probe Begins After Conn. Commuter Trains Crash
NTSB Begins Investigation Into Conn. Train Crash
Lotto Fever Sweeps the Country
Conn. Commuter Trains Collide; 60 Go to Hospital
Coffee Run Leads to Hatchet Hitchhiker Arrest
Fmr. IRS Head Insists No Politics in Targeting
CDC: Fecal Bacteria Common in Swimming Pools
$1 Million in Jewels Stolen at Cannes Film Fest
NM Mom Chases Down Child Abductor
Raw: Crash Sends Car Into Fla. Pool
Raw: Obama Sits Down With Elementary Kids
Raw: Bear Falls From Tampa Tree
Ousted IRS Chief: Errors Not Caused by Politics
Terror Suspect Due in Court in Idaho Friday
Raw: Driver Ejected From Truck, Over Bridge
Could Tobacco Be the Next Biofuel?
Wash. State Releases Draft Rules for Legal Pot
Dying Man's Blinks Lead to Murder Conviction
Officials: Texas Tornado Likely Had 200 Mph Wind
Brothers Arrested in NOLA Parade Shooting
