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CAT Tracks for September 9, 2009
JUSTICE DELAYED |
...will mosty likely be the norm in Alexander County.
From the WPSD TV Channel 6...
Burglary Victims Wait Hours For Help In Alexander County
ALEXANDER COUNTY, IL - A local burglary may be just the first sign of bigger problems to come for a southern Illinois community. Last week Local 6 reported the layoffs of several Alexander County employees including the majority of sheriff's deputies. As a result the department announced they'd have to dramatically scale back on official duties.
When Michael and Tracey Woodworth found the window to their storage shed broken and property spread out all over the yard their first instinct was to call police. "They told us to call state police and gave us a phone number, so we called them, and the dispatcher let me talk to an officer, and he said he'd get back to me, and he called back maybe about thirty minutes later, and he said they had an escapee or something, so they didn't have anybody to send," Tracey Woodworth said.
Michael says the couple spent hours on the phone getting the run around. "I guess people out in the county are just kind of on their own," he said.
That's when Tracey decided to go straight to Sheriff David Barkett's home. She says the sheriff quickly agreed to investigate the burglary. He met the couple at their shed and was able to catch the suspect within thirty minutes. Michael and Tracey say they're grateful for the help, but it's not a solution to the bigger problem. "Everybody's not going to be that lucky. Some people out here, they can't drive to somebody's house down there and say, hey can you come out here?" Michael Woodworth said.
Sheriff Barkett didn't want to appear on camera, but he told Local 6 he plans to take as many calls as he can and protect the community to the best of his ability, but he says his resources are limited. "Barkett said there's nobody working in Alexander County after 4 o'clock, and that's when most of the crime happens, you would think, at night," Tracey Woodworth said.
The Woodworths say their situation could have been a lot worse, and they're worried that next time it will be.
We did meet up briefly with the sheriff at the department, and he was on his way out to take another call. He says he's not only worried about the public but the safety of his own deputies as they continue to go out on these calls, but he insists they will continue to respond as much as they can.
Local 6 tried to contact Alexander County Commission Chairman Michael Caldwell to get his reaction to concerns about public safety. He did not return our calls. If you live in Alexander County, Sheriff's Department hours are from 8am to 4pm Monday through Friday. If you have an emergency, call 9-1-1.
