Quote Originally Posted by Nord Jim View Post
Are there any incidents etc. that I could cite? Like you, I'm kind of suspicious of a county force that's not answerable to the voters, except through the Commissioners (aka "Boss Hogg"). I'd prefer a beefed-up Sheriff-- if we can have a good one.

j
I don't get it (the idea of election law enforcement officers is foreign to me).
The police are never directly answerable to the public. Why should it be otherwise?
They are an executive branch of the government, answerable to the legal arm of the government.

I suppose you could make an argument that such a police force is less likely to think about what the public thinks of him. But otoh then you get the same problems associated with regular politics: influencing voters, bribes, lies, ... everything that Obama and McCain are criticized for. It would be a popularity contest.

In your case, the county police would have to be answerable to the state police, who'd be answerable to the legal branch of state government (however it is organized in detail).
Doesn't it work like that?

Sorry for the