The Associated Press
Burlington, Vt. (AP) -- Chittenden County Deputy Sheriff Martin Olsen pleaded guilty in January to child pornography charges.
Rutland County Deputy Sheriff Benjamin Herrick was cited in March with providing beer to a minor, who was also a deputy.
Later that month, Deputy Sheriff Vincent Pagan arrived at Bennington police headquarters to transport a prisoner, only to be arrested himself by local and federal officials on drug and homicide charges. He was wearing his uniform, a badge and a gun.
“It was probably your worst nightmare,” said Bennington Detective Larry Cole, who was on the arresting team. “I mean, it’s a brother officer.”
Across the state, 2004 has brought a spate of charges or convictions involving sheriff’s deputies.
“It just boggles my mind that this is happening,” said Ron Morell, executive director of the Vermont Criminal Justice Council. “It’s just a few people, but it gives us all a bad name.”
Advocates for the sheriff’s departments blame a combination of increased workloads and low pay for their work. At the same time, the pool of good candidates for county law enforcement is shrinking, advocates say, because new anti-terrorism federal agencies offer better wages and benefits.
“It’s very difficult to find someone to work for $11 an hour,” especially on a part-time schedule, said Jane Woodruff, executive director of the Vermont Department of State’s Attorneys and Sheriffs.
“The state has not raised sheriffs’ reimbursement since 1996,” said Woodruff, whose computer’s screensaver continuously scrolls, “Please give us more money, sir.”
She added that deputies who have gotten in trouble were removed from their posts immediately.
“Any time a law enforcement officer is accused of -- or more importantly, admits to -- not upholding the law, there should be concern,” Woodruff said.
“But the judicial system will deal with them appropriately,” she said. “The public only really needs to be concerned when the administrator fails to take action.”