Viewer’s Voice

I know for a fact that this goes on in election years. Just stop and think about it. Why is there a list circulating in the first place through the Sheriff’s office of Deputies who are supporting Slocum. This is a pressure tactic within the department. If you check the laws, there is to be NO campaigning while in the performance of duty. If Slocum does win, check that same list in 6 months. I bet that those who did not sign it are no longer there. I have dealt with two Sheriffs. The first one we had to “donate” $230.00 or we could look for work elsewhere. The second, we had to sell so many tickets to his fund-raiser or we had to buy them ourselves. On the Sherrif that was given $230.00, there were two books kept. One that listed the names of the Deputies that donated and was open for the public to see and another that listed all the deputies within the department and a check mark next to those that gave. This was his own private record of who gave and who didn’t. I am tired of them acting so inocent about this when interviewed. They know this is going on. I imagine that the crime rate goes up during election time. This is because law enforcement officers can’t keep their mind on their job. They are too worried about keeping their job. What a shame! Maybe if the candidates did their jobs and were on the up and up, they wouldn’t have to worry about pressure tactics!!!!!!!!!

Everybody needs to keep their composure. I’ve been involved with RPSO for 25 years and came in to the organization under Sheriff Cappell. I am still an active member on a part time basis and I can assure everyone that no body was made to sign any list. Each employee is allowed to support the candidate he or she chooses. Any time there is a change coming there is always worry because of the unknown. I,ve been through 2 sheriff’s already and everytime there was all the rumors and all the hype about who will get what. And always after the election, things settled down and new policies were set in to motion. Sheriif Hilton is an honorable man and has done really great things for this community. His heart was in to protecting Rapides Parish. Mike Slocum is on the same ground as Sheriff Hilton and wishes to continue with good solid programs to not only protect our citizens but also help people in need. That’s where people often forget what RPSO is all about. We don’t just arrest people, we help people, sometimes guidance in the right direction can turn a persons world in a positive direction.All these rumors set in to motion for political reasons are just smoke screens to hide behind. Some of this negative activity is usually started by supporters of candidates and some times the candidate himself is unaware of it. So please don’t take rumors as fact, look at the true records of the people running for office.
Chuck Wagner probably has some great ideas and I’m sure has his heart in the right place for Rapides Parish. Choose your candidate and by all means vote, it keeps America great. Mrs. Michelle Godard and KALB should not place themselves in a bias position as I have seen in this race but should give all the candidates equal ground. All the people that ran in the Sheriff’s election deserve respect

Michele has gone out of her way to ensure that she has given equal time to both candidates.  Are you not watching the same news cast as me?  Or is it because I am neutral since I do not vote in Rapides that I can see this?  Everyone should just take a step back and try to look at things objectively.

I live here and know what’s going on behind the scenes. There’s more to it than what you see on TV.

Are you aware that on one the Sheriff’s deputies pay stub they received a flyer endorsing Wagner on it?  This came directly from a deputy’s mouth.  So what were we saying about campaigning at headquarters?
The sad thing is Slocum is probably no angel but neither is Wagner.  The reason Slcoum looks bad right now is you have all these “deputies” running to the paper and to the news and there are smear campaign commercials on now for Wagner against Slocum.  The Slocum supporters are not running out playing dirty.  I had a member of the Sheriff’s department personally ask me and my husband both to vote for Slocum to vote for his job b/c if Wagner went in he has a genuine fear of losing it.  This has been what i have been told for over 6 months now.  Friends fathers and mothers who work there voice the same thing to me.  Undoubtedly these people have better moral character than to run down the opposing candidate for sheriff that the supporters of Wagner do not have.

Bottom line...Wagner has never supervised anyone. Knows nothing about supervision. Knows “exactly” what the Sheriff makes monetarily. Is “not dedicated” to law enforcment or would have stayed with it. Teachers, low pay or not, stay with their profession when they are dedicated. Nurses stay, low pay or not, with their profession because they are dedicated. Wagner left because he wants to start at the top or not at all, no experience with the sheriff’s department except “Search and Rescue” and “NO” supervisory experience. Nothing. Zero. None.