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| Sheriff Wants To Be More Than A Desk Jockey
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| 04/01/2009
Sheriff wants to be 'more than a desk jockey'
By Randy Bartley/ Courier Express
BROOKVILLE - Those flashing lights in your rear view mirror may not be the local police or even the State Police. In Jefferson County those lights just might belong to Sheriff Carl Gotwald.
The first term Sheriff has taken a pro-active position on law enforcement within the limitations imposed by state law. Under state law, a sheriff or deputy's arrest powers extend only to crimes they see being committed. They cannot investigate crimes.
"As a deputy for a number of years, then chief deputy and now sheriff, I enjoyed what a did and I wanted to be an active sheriff," said Gotwald. "I will serve papers and assist the deputies in serving bench warrants."
The most recent case occurred when Gotwald learned Jefferson County Jail inmate Donald Riley had violated his furlough and wandered off from the DuBois Regional Medical Center. "I received a call from Warden Elbel about 10 p.m. and immediately went to DuBois. I could picture him knowing he going back to jail, going out and having a beer before he went back. I visited several of the pubs in street clothes to see if I could locate him.
"I was out of my jurisdiction so if I would have found him I would have detained him and called the DuBois City Police, "he said. "Since I knew what he looked like, I thought it would have been easier for me to go and look for him rather than have other officers asking for IDs."
Riley was later captured in McKean County.
While Gotwald was returning on Route 322, a vehicle swerved into his path, forcing him off the road. "I chased the vehicle down and he turned out to be DUI," said Gotwald. "I called the PSP and we took him up to the Brookville Hospital. He had been swerving all over the road and was going to hurt himself or other people."
The driver was also wanted by the Brookville Police who wanted to questioned him about an unpermitted firearm he had left behind at a local bar.
It was not the first time Gotwald has gone to the aid of local enforcement. Not long ago a report of woman being abducted at a store on Allegheny Boulevard was broadcast over the radio, prompting the Sheriff to respond.
"I heard the report of the 9-1-1 call and learned the direction of travel was east on I-80," said Gotwald. "We are in a good location now near the interstate, so we were able to get in the car and go to the top of the ramp at the Hazen exit. He got off before he got to us and went west back toward Brookville. We turned around and followed him and the PSP, Brookville Officer Vince Markle and the Sheriff's Department stopped him."
Gotwald also became involved in a pursuit of a suspect allegedly involved in a retail theft in Brookville. The Brookville officer on duty was suck in traffic when the call went out. "The 9-1-1 dispatcher said the suspect was headed east on I-80 and Gotwald went in pursuit, pulling him over on I-80. I waited until the Brookville car arrived," he said.
"Under the District Attorney's direction, we will call the PSP or the local police to make the actual arrest. "Everybody wants to challenge it when the sheriff's department makes the arrest," said Gotwald. "They are trying to change the legislation to restore full arrest powers to the sheriff."
Not every traffic stop conducted by the Sheriff result in criminal charges.
"Last year on Route 36, I saw an individual swerving into the oncoming lane of traffic and chased him for several miles. He refused to stop and I drove up beside him with my lights flashing. He had already forced several cars off the road and I thought at least the on coming traffic would see my lights. He never stopped until he hit the bridge in Coolspring. He then he tried to keep going but he had a flat tire," said Gotwald. As it turned out the driver was not intoxicated but in diabetic shock. Gotwald immediately called for an ambulance.
"We usually travel in areas where you usually don' see an officer," said Gotwald. "We see things all the time but all we can do is report it. I don't want the guys to be investigators. We just don' have the manpower."
All of the deputies are trained in accordance with Act 2. Police officers are trained under Act 120. "Our training is mainly civil and is done at Penn State," said Gotwald. "The training we get now is more than the Act 120 course. "
"I want the office to be of assistance to everybody," said Gotwald. The deputies can assist any department at any time. If they are in town and hear a call come down, they can go to the call and assist the officer. Most of the departments around here only have one officer on duty at a time and they welcome that backup."
"I want to be a full service sheriff and not just a desk jockey," said Gotwald. |
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