The City of Seadrift was blessed to have many people attending a hearing to fund/defund the Seadrift police. The crowd was estimated to be between 100-125 people. The hearing was on a Tuesday night right before the Seadrift Council meeting on April 4th.
Calhoun County officials Judge Richard Meyers, Sheriff Bobbie Vickery, and Commissioner Gary Reese were present. One local Seadrift pastor, Reverend Tim Smith, was present as well as ex-Seadrift mayor Mark Daniels and prominent business owner Bubba Hall. The Calhoun County Republican Party chairman Russell Cain and its vice-chair Connie Hunt came to the hearing. The Seadrift school principal, Linda Bermea, was present and Calhoun County School Board member Cindy Alford came with the ISD Police Department Chief Randy Duke. Area police officers came to the hearing to show their support.
Points that were made were as follows:
1.The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Department cannot afford to hire any sheriffs to help cover Seadrift if the Seadrift Police Department was dissolved.
2.Complaints about Seadrift’s police force could be handled by a liaison citizen committee.
3.The City of Seadrift police utilizes body cams/dash cams. There has been no evidence of any police misconduct.
4.The Calhoun County Independent School District (ISD) Police Department relies upon the partnership of other local law enforcement agencies in the county to assist them to make our schools safe.
5.It was noted that the support for the Seadrift Police Department was overwhelming.
Seadrift has had law enforcement since its inception as a city in 1912. The need has dictated the size of the police department. Also, any available funding goes a long way in affording local law enforcement. An interesting article on-line you can google is “Rural Challenges: West Texas’ smallest departments face difficulties policing rural towns.”
The Seadrift Police Department has worked hard to get grants for necessary equipment to adequately meet Seadrift’s need for law enforcement. On the average the police department receives 300 calls monthly. The calls range from civil matters to felony assaults.
