Wife of former police chief in Craig Beach sounds off
Wife of former police chief
in Craig Beach sounds off
EDITOR:
Having read your Sept. 21 article titled “Craig Beach police chief seeks money to expand force,” I felt it prudent to set the record straight on the entirely questionable assessment the current chief has made of the department before his installment.
My husband was Chief Rick Watson. He was a one-man police force. Despite many attempts to expand his department, bring in new people and find equipment, he fought an uphill battle against a town council that consists primarily of an “old-boys school” mentality. Despite this, he not only worked his regular shift of 40 hours a week, but he came out on calls in the wee hours of morning. He fostered a good working relationship with other local departments. He managed to work out the deal that gave Craig Beach one of Lordstown Police Department's retired Luminas, after spending volunteer hours under the hood of the previous cruiser because the village would not pay for a mechanic.
Somehow, despite the fact that he was only one man, he was instrumental in breaking up drug rings. In fact, his work over the years has made this paper and every other media outlet. One image sticks in my mind of my husband: When the village would not plow the roads, he was out there throwing down gravel so that the school bus could pass. Feel free to check the archives. He put away sexual offenders, solved robberies and before he left Craig Beach, he had managed to make that community far safer than it is today.
And he was one man.
By contrast, Jason Brown has barely been seen by village residents. I still have family there, and most people don't even know what his face looks like, or his name. Everyone knew Rick Watson, whichever side of the law they were on. He was always patrolling. Brown has not called into Mahoning County's 911 Center in order to make himself available to take calls, according to the dispatchers there. It's little wonder the Sheriff's Department has to pick up the slack. He is a young man, with little real police experience; he is certainly no good judge of character if he believes he is doing a better job than Rick Watson did.
While I believe he has good intentions, I also believe that he first needs to actually do his job. Wanda Sabol was his friend before his hiring and appointment, and could not be relied upon to hire someone based upon his or her qualifications — instead, she installed a young man who no one ever sees.
The record is this: My husband's work stands as being fine police work under terrible conditions. People still ask for him out there. They still miss him. They knew that as long as Rick Watson was patrolling the village, he would work for them even when he was the only one doing it. Go out there sometime and ask the people on the streets how often they see Brown. Ask them how safe they feel, knowing that he won't take dispatch calls, waiting for the deputies who are already spread thin to make it sometimes 20 or 30 miles to the village.
Go ask the people who really matter: The residents of Craig Beach.
STEPHANIE WATSON
Youngstown
Attacks on Christianity
and its teachings must stop
EDITOR:
It’s all just a big joke. I stopped watching the Emmy Awards long ago. So, it isn’t surprising to me that an actress was so bold as to verbally attack the name of Jesus as she held up her trophy. Did the actress really expect Americans to laugh as she attacked Christianity? She later claimed it was just a joke. So, why should people take their faith seriously?
On Election Day, the results will hinge on whether or not America thinks the name of Jesus should be taken “seriously.” I hope Americans don’t join in on the attack against Christianity. Abortion needs to be taken “seriously” because it kills human life even before giving Jesus the chance to save it.
So, to the politically correct and movie actresses who think it’s all about the “gold”: The joke’s on them.
SYLVIA KOCZWARA
Youngstown