Constables on patrol at convenience centers

By CHARLES W. JOHNSON / News Editor for the Southern Standard

Warren County Constables Association president Morris Holt checks for unauthorized vehicles using local convenience centers. The constables ticketed several offenders at the fairground and Morrison facilities yesterday. (Charles W. Johnson photo)

Though the city recently established its Public Safety Unit with volunteers who will work to aid law enforcement, there is already a long-standing volunteer law enforcement group that has been operating in the county for many years.

The Warren County Constables Association works to provide trained and certified officers who function as an adjunct to local law enforcement.

Constables perform a number of services in the county, as well as the city, as part of their duties, according to local president Morris Holt. That includes periodic policing of county convenience centers to identify and ticket non-authorized users.

“We try to keep all the out-of-town garbage out that we possibly can,” Holt said. “We don’t get to work them as much as we’d like to, but we work them as often as we can.”

Constables were on hand at the fairground and Morrison convenience centers yesterday and ticketed several offenders, informing them of the regulations governing dumping at the facilities.

“We advised those people what they would have to do to dump is to have a wheel sticker on their tags or have a receipt where they paid taxes in this county.”

Constables also work to serve warrants and pick up bad checks for local merchants, as well as providing security for local events. Constables are elected officials, serving four-year terms. Constables are also licensed to carry weapons.

“We’re licensed through the state constable’s association to carry the firearms and the chemical weapons. We’re all certified to do this,” he said, noting all the constables carry handgun permits as well.

But to do so, constables must also take extensive training every year.

“We have 40 hours of in-service training a year by state-qualified personnel,” Holt said. “Besides that, we have to qualify on a shooting range for the state constables association.”

Though constables patrol in marked vehicles, the cars are not provided.

“We have to pay for those cars ourselves out of our own money,” Holt said.

Funding for the non-profit association comes from the county, which provided around $1,900 this year, and the money for doing security at the fairgrounds plus some money for serving warrants and picking up bad checks.

“That’s about the only money we make,” Holt said.

However, like any non-profit organization, the constables can accept donations from citizens who would like to help out with the program. Any citizen interested in contributing can contact Holt, or any local constable, to arrange a donation.