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By CARL LINDQUIST
The York Dispatch
Concern that the sheriff’s office is overstepping its bounds by making traffic stops appears squelched following a meeting yesterday between a county commissioner and four police chiefs.
But Sheriff Bill Hose says it is just another symptom of a difficult relationship between his office and the board of commissioners, whom he accuses of micromanaging his department.
The chiefs told County Commissioner Lori Mitrick yesterday that they have no problem with the sheriff department conducting traffic stops in their jurisdictions, according to Newberry Township Police Chief David Duffy, an attendee and president of the York County Chiefs of Police Association.
“The four chiefs present at the meeting overwhelmingly expressed support for the sheriff’s office,” Duffy said, adding that he hasn’t heard any complaints.
No problem: Mitrick, who brought up the issue during a meeting Wednesday, says she’s comfortable that there’s no problem. She has not mentioned which chiefs told her they were concerned about sheriff deputies conducting traffic stops.
“I’m absolutely not going to pursue it any further,” she said. “I did my due diligence by following through and I was extremely pleased to hear them commend the relationship they had with the sheriff’s department.”
But Hose, who said he has never heard any concerns from police chiefs, said he wonders if Mitrick brought up the issue for political reasons.
“There never was an issue between us and the police chiefs,” he said yesterday. “I don’t know where this came from. I just don’t know what started this and I’m very disappointed it got blown out of proportion like it did.”
He said he doesn’t like the way commissioners try to manage his department, especially because the commissioners aren’t his bosses. The board, however, does control his budget.
“I don’t get into their business and I wish they wouldn’t get into mine,” he said. “I do resent them trying to micromanage my department. I can run my department very fine without their help. No other board of commissioners has ever treated me this way.”