No room at the jail

There is no room on the sheriff's department for a thief, even a petty thief.
On Thanksgiving Day, while others were enjoying the holiday, an off-duty deputy was seen outside a Sears store in Austintown, loading eight 50-pound bags of sidewalk deicer in his pick-up truck. There was a nip in the air, but nothing that would indicate an immediate need to buy ice melt.
But then, this wasn't really a purchase. The store was closed for the holiday.
Minutes later, as Mahoning County Deputy Sheriff Jeffrey L. Haney II was driving away, he was stopped by an Austintown police cruiser.
According to reports, his first reaction was to show his badge and identify himself as a deputy sheriff. When asked about the eight bags of deicer in the bed of his truck, he offered to take the ice melt back, he tried to excuse himself by saying "we all do stupid things," he promised to pay for the stolen goods the next day. But the Austintown officer did the only thing an honest cop could do. He arrested the deputy and tagged the deicer as evidence.
Possible consequences
The value of the stolen deicer is $85.52, and so Haney has been charged with only misdemeanor theft. He faces up to six months in jail and $1,000 fine. He would also face disciplinary action at the sheriff's department if found guilty.
We don't see an absolute need for Haney to suffer the humiliation of being locked up for six months in the very jail where he is now employed -- provided he resigns from the department.
There is no room on the roster under any circumstances for a thief -- and certainly not at a time when honest deputies are being laid off.
We suggest that Haney, his lawyer, the county court judge hearing the case, the prosecutor and Sheriff Randall Wellington agree that justice in this case would be best served by Haney's resignation. Iron-clad, no room for second thoughts or appeals.
If the deputy decides to fight it out in court, he should be aware that he'll be looking at jail time. And while he's in jail, he'll be fired.
That, of course, leaves open the possibility of appeals, arbitration and expense for both Haney and the county. Better for all concerned if Haney voluntarily gives up the badge he dishonored when he started throwing 50-pound bags of deicer in the bed of his truck.