Among the dozen or so DWI's listed by Newzjunky and others was the arrest of a Jefferson County Sheriff's deputy by State Police. There was no accident involved and no apparent prior problems with the individual, so it is being scene by cops and the public as interesting the arrest happened and then the SP was in no hurry to publicize it...Note the post on Newzjunky:
Travis F. Alcombrack, 28, Sackets Harbor, was halted by state police at 11:24 p.m. Thursday on County Route 62 in Sackets Harbor for speeding 45 mph in a 30-mph zone and was also charged with driving while intoxicated. His blood alcohol content was 0.11 percent, troopers said. Mr. Alcombrack is a Jefferson County deputy sheriff. He is summoned to appear in Hounsfield Town Court.
Editor's note: A tipster informed Newzjunky.com late Friday of a possible DWI arrest involving a Jefferson County sheriff's deputy. For an unknown reason, the arrest has not been reported on the New York State Police web site for media which lists daily arrests and other activity. The arrest was confirmed Sunday afternoon by a state police sergeant.
In the police community more than one person is wondering whatever happened to the professional courtesy extended a fellow officer. One retired officer told me the pressure for numbers of this and all types of arrests is so high that discretion is out the window.
Now I know the debate over giving an officer a pass most people won't get...but the broader point is that the state is so interested in numbers to the point where ticket writing is like an assembly line. I was told the current quota (performance objective) for road patrol is a ticket every 90 minutes or six per shift. Given the increasing fines for even the most minor of charges, well you get the point.
Remember the old days when a case like this might involve calling the person's boss (in this case the Sheriff) and letting him read the riot act. Or there's making you leave the car and get another ride home....or just an escort home...
There's lots of ways to make a point with responsible people short of thrusting them into the criminal justice grist mill.
24 comments:
Cops are revenue agents now also. They are constantly watching and ticketing for every little infraction you can imagine. They are heavy handed government thugs. May they all burn in hell..
This is getting coverage on the Jefferson County Web Board
Discussion of the incident on the Jefferson County Web Board
I think the general populace is sick and tired of police officers getting free passes.
it has never been about safety. it has always been about revenue. trust me. i drive a rig for a living.
How can you describe Alcombrack as "responsible"? Your tavern owner status is outweighing your "leadership" status, Jeff.
Professional courtesy?!! To break the law?? It never ceases to amaze me how it's business as usual in your eyes for this type of behavior. That "professional courtesy" is a euphemism for corruption. Ah, but I forgot -- you run a bar and I'll bet you dollars to donuts that plenty of your customers leave intoxicated with alcohol levels far above the legal limit. They have to be staggering before you'll stop serving them.
I've told one too many parents that their child is dead because of a drunk driver. You should try delivering that news someday and seeing the life long devastation in their eyes. Maybe your outlook on "professional courtesy" might change.
In my book, he needs the sharp shock of jail, as does any one who drives drunk, including my colleagues. Don't tell me it's his "first" offense. It's the first time he's been caught or not given "professional courtesy." It belies a behavioral lack of discipline to drink and drive.
MADD as hell
-- Bob Johnson, MD
I live in the city of Watertown and can't comment on the JCSO or the NYSP because I've never had any issue with them. I will however say that if the City of Watertown runs into financial issues they should look FIRST to the city police department.
I've seen blatant traffic violations repeatedly in a single day occur within view of a city police car and do you think they do a traffic stop? No!
This is particularly bad in front of Stream Global Services where people on Arsenal Street block the intersection through the traffic light cycle even when there's a patrol sitting in the former tallmadge tire parking lot at the intersection. (sometimes through multiple cycles of the light with no one able to leave Sherman St. or the Stream parking lot)
Just yesterday I saw a dodge pickup on arsenal st intentionally speed up and blow through a light as it changed to red. The light changed to red far before his tires crossed the stop line yet the patrol sitting at the adjacent light that now turned green did nothing.
How about doing your jobs WPD?
When it comes to the police doing their jobs everyone has their opinions. I would like to say that I know for fact that on any given night in Jefferson County JCSD/Village PDs and City PD have allowed borderline intoxicated motorists "the average" citizen to leave their cars or call for a ride after being stopped for minor traffic infractions. It boggles my mind that the NYSP would arrest a fellow officer and not afford them the same courtesy. Its not a courtesy held only unto LE...sounds personal between Troopers and Sheriffs
Mayor Graham:
You might be interested in another Web site that can provide information about our community.
WatertownDailyTimes.com had the story about the deputy first – with far more information than a press release.
See: http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20091219/NEWS03/312199960
Cheers,
Bob Gorman
Managing Editor
Watertown Daily Times
"Tosach catha agus deire air"
Mister Mayor, I am disappointed. At first, I thought that you were using satire in your observations. The out of context use of scene vs. seen and apparent support of atrocious violations of important laws made me think that you were kidding. As I continued to read though, to my dismay, I realized that you were being sincere.
Shame on you and anyone else who believes that the deputy sheriff was the victim in this incident. There was no accident you say? Indeed! There was no accident because a dedicated law enforcement did his duty.
If the justice system finds that the allegations against this man are fact, he must be processed like all other violators. When police officers, from the FBI to the smallest village cop, fail to follow the law, they lose the credibility to enforce the
A while back this happened in the City of Watertown, and someone ended up being shot.
Anonymous 9:38
Just like you know cops give motorists a break, I also know that cops get pulled over all the time and are allowed to continue on DWI. Nice huh?
Were you ever at Rusted Route late at night where the officers that were out drinking called in to their buddies on duty? The general gist of their conversation was "Have Route 3 cleared so we wouldn't have any "trouble" coming into town". Without a doubt, some of them were way beyond .08.
The cop was pulled over for doing 15 mph above the speed limit, according to this blog. That should be grounds for a ticket. If the driver had been 5 miles an hour over, chances are he wouldn't have gotten his BAC checked. You all are bent up over a DWI ticket and "courtesy," but you ignore the fact that the driver was speeding in the first place.
Officer of the law, or not, I do not want a drunken Mr. Alcombrack on the same road where my wife and children, or anyone else's, might be subject to his effected state.
But, I expect that he is likely to be well "protected " by his compatriots in Houndsfield. He has a perverse history with that court.
Driver's who are borderline such as .01-.11 are allowed to get rides home ALL the time. I know this to be FACT. I also know to be fact that TROPPERS have been pulled over by Deputy's and those troopers were found to be drunk. (some WAY over borderline) and were allowed to call and get a ride home.
Believe me, not all drunk drivers are arrested for DWI.
.11 is the result of a couple hours drinking a few beers. No more than a lot of people would consume at a restaurant at dinner. Ever see those gallons of margaritas at some of the area restaurants?
He was driving on a deserted road, where there were NO other cars on the road.
Do you believe for ONE minute that if that Trooper had pulled over another trooper that they would have made that arrest??? Absolutely NOT. I can guarantee that.
This is bullshit. No One is above the law. Not even you Graham. "remember the old days...?" F*#k off! your train of thought is what is wrong with the world today. politicians, cops, thinking they are better than anyone and can do anything they want.
There's lots of ways to make a point with responsible people short of thrusting them into the criminal justice grist mill.
A law-abiding citizen recognizes that a drunk driver has committed a crime and is, by definition, a criminal, to be thrusted into the criminal justice system and given a constitutionally speedy judgment. He or she then, works on regaining their "responsible person" status.
Your post is, as always, politically slippery and vague enough to conceal any principled stance. So, do you believe that a any person, including a deputy, pulled over with a BAC exceeding .08, should be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with our law?
Didn't a county legislator get caught years ago DWI and his punishment was saying he was sorry.
So Mr. Mayor is this why a certain council woman is allowed to drive while under the influence? She has gotten away with it several times over the past few years, yet continues to play the upstanding citizen. It is not a pretty sight.
She even got into an accident a couple months back. Drunk with kids in the car and the city police didn't do anyting about it!!!Must be nice!!!
Maybe John helped her out??
I doubt that John would help her if she had kids in her car while driving drunk. Don't they have a young one together? It seems that she was preggers when he won the first election. I don't think he would want his child's life endangered.
Gee, Maybe a trooper should give a ticket to her.
I live not to far away from her and I see the city police at her house on christmas day about 6:00pm. I also know she had a party at her house judging from the cars. Rumor is she is playing games with custody/visitation. I also heard she was blasted when the cops got there.
Wonder if she was charged with endangering the welfare, Well you know the rest.
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