James Jan-Feb 2024 web - Flipbook - Page 53
Howard R. Sills and Eatonton Police Chief Howell
Cardwell simply don’t tolerate law-breaking.
Even though some contend that Putnam County
is a rural county, Sills disagrees.
“We’re probably the most diverse small community in the state of Georgia,” said Sills, who has been
elected seven terms as the county’s chief law enforcement officer. “I’ve been saying that for a long time.”
The sheriff, known by many as a “straight talker,” says the crime rate isn’t what it is in other areas
of equal size for two reasons. “One, I don’t think
some counties’ crimes are accurately reported. Now
that’s not saying that the law enforcement agencies in those areas are fudging or manipulating the
crime stats, although that does happen. And the
other reason, and I’m not trying to brag on myself,
but we’re able to prosecute people here in Putnam
County. We’ve got a good district attorney. And no,
he’s not my puppet— but I have helped to train him,
and he’ll admit that fact.”
Sills said he and the late Fred Bright, who
served as district attorney for many years, worked
well together in prosecuting criminal cases. He
further says the same thing continues today under Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit District Attorney T.
Wright Barksdale III.
“I am aggressive and don’t apologize for it,” Sills
said. “And if you’re on probation here or you’ve been
banished from here as part of your sentence, we
mean it!”
Sills also says there’s a strange phenomenon
going on with a lot of law enforcement agencies
throughout Georgia today. “They are not pursuing
individuals who are wanted for crimes committed
in this state. What I mean by that is we routinely run
across people that are wanted by other counties.
And we’re getting back a response from them that
they are not going to come pick up those individuals
if it’s over 50 miles away. I think that’s a violation
of the oath of office for any sheriff to even say that,
which is a felony.” Sills underscores it’s a problem
because “hoodlums” are running all over the state
which contributes to repeat criminal offenses
throughout the state.
“If it’s a case involving a crime that happens in
Putnam County, I will tell you straight up, we will
come and get you and bring you back here to Putnam County,” the sheriff declares.
A case in point: The sheriff and Chief Cardwell recently flew out of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to Long Island, New York, to personally
extradite back to Georgia a wanted murder fugitive.
Author Billy Hobbs is a veteran Georgia journalist who is a writer/reporter
for Eatonton-based Smith Communications, Inc.
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