WPD chief studies counter-terrorism in Israel

Mr. Gravitt,

It's clear you have issues against rhe LEO here in Barrow County. I do not know why, nor do I care. You now want to go on a rant about our Bill of Rights, and I was accused of not sticking to the original story. I find it interesting that you scream about our Rights here and in another story you bash a Representative for signing SB 308, which GREATLY restored some of our Gun Rights (2nd) here in GA.

Now, back on topic. I lived here for 8 years before I even knew this website existed. I again submit that very few people interact with this website and that this isn't the venue to get your issues heard and resolved.

First, I am not in Law Enforcement. I do not work in Winder, or Barrow County for that matter. I have never met the Chief of Police in Winder, nor do I personally know any of the WPD Officers, although I do know a guy that works in the IT Department for the city. I have only met the Sheriff through email/phone communications but I do know a few of the Barrow Deputies by Name.

Secondly, the web forum name "TheLaw" is one I use on every forum I participate in, and have for many years. It was the Call Sign that my brother used while in the Navy before he died fighting for our Country over near Afghanistan. Again, it has nothing to do with being in, or enforcing "The Law".

Now, back to the original issue that was posted by Edwin. Edwin states that the Chief should look at his own Department because they apparently terrorise people that live in and around Winder, and then goes on to states that all agencies need to look at how they terrorise the local resident's, especially the Sheriff Departments. (Paraphrasing of course)

So I remind Edwin and everyone else reading this small town newspaper website that the local Sheriff is an elected position, and that generally speaking, when someone has an issue with the Sheriff's Office, more can be done by discussing these issues with the Sheriff in person rather than posting on a web forum. If that attempt(s) fail, I went on to imply that there is always an election where one can work hard to get the Sheriff out of Office. There are many steps one can take in between those two ends of the spectrum to have their voice heard as well. The Chief, while an appointed Official, is still a person that has to work with the residents of the town or city he/she resides over and can be dealt with in other ways, as long as a person is willing to put in the work.
I then moved on to address a few of the points brought up by someone who post under the forum name of "agree". I simply asked a few questions, which I thought pretty much anyone should be able to comprehend, and stated that posting anonymously on an internet forum was not the best way to resolve issues with the local PD. I went on to provide a few suggestions on how better to resolve any issues one might have, for agree, Edwin and any other reader that might have an issue with the local PD of Sheriff Office. For this, Agree states that I have "issues" and accuses me of being a "bully". I believe that I commented exactly on what the original poster posted. He commented that the Chief needed to look into his own Department and I asked if he had made any attempts to discuss these issues with the Chief personally. How much more on topic could I have been?

Edwin states that he has made his point clear to the Chief by posting on this website, in the comments section. Who says the Chief reads these website comments? I've never seen him post here, or even read a story written by him, although I haven't read every story the paper's website has posted. The same goes for the Sheriff. Each of the groups (Winder PD and the Sheriff's Office) has their own website. They have telephone numbers and many if not all of the employees have email addresses. It is perfectly within your Rights to actually walk into the PD Department and request a meeting with the Chief. Another poster in this article states that the Chief's wife went to Vegas. I re-read the article and could not find this information. It appears some posters here have much more in-depth knowledge of the Chief and his personal life than is posted here in this story and I'm accused of having my nose up the Chief's butt. "I am the Law?" goes on to school me in the new methods of communication, which given my actual line of work is pretty laughable.

In the end, I was simply suggesting that posting on a website is not the best way to have your complaints heard by local Law Enforcement.

Mr. Gravitt,
If you have a valid complaint against the WPD or BCSO you should take it up in court. That's the only way to really make sure the issue is resolved and that it doesn't happen to anyone else.

For example, if a person was stopped by WPD or BCSO simply for the fact that they had a firearm on their side in a holster, and they were arrested, that person would have a lawsuit against the Department. There might be a lawsuit against them even if an arrest wasn't made. If this was me in this scenario, I'd head to the Chief or the Sheriff and try to work out the issue with them. If I was able to come to a resoltuion that I felt was acceptable, and I kept this from happening to other Barrow residents, then I'd be good to go. Otherwise, they'd see me in court....

On another note - while I agree there should not be a permit required to carry a firearm in the state, or the country for that matter, it is currently a requirement. With that said, SB 308 GREATLY restored many locations and other pieces of our Right to Bear Arms here in GA. Specifically, it removed the vague listing of places that may or may not be off limits, and replaced it with a much smaller concise list of locations that clearly let a GWL holder know where they cannot carry. (With bars being the one exception). We'll be working hard to continue restoring the 2A rights to law abiding citizens here in GA this legislative season.

Good luck with you future endeavors against Law Enforcement agencies.

LEOs are not authorized to carry their firearms anywhere and neither are you. I don't like my Rights being infringed so I am working with my Representatives and my Senators to do something about it. In the past few years, I have worked with thousands of other people and we have restored much of that right. The GWL isa much better permit, allowing for many more places of carry with very few places listed as off limits. While we still have more to do, like making Open Carry a legal act without a license, I'll work on changing the laws legally rather than spouting about what my rights "should" be on an internet forum. I'm also working to change the attitudes and illegal practices performed by SOME Law Enforcement Officers/Agencies. Once again, doing much more than complaining about it from my keyboard.

If you can carry anywhere, carry in a courthouse or on an airplane and maybe I'll read about you here in the Barrow Journal!

Good luck.