WHEN CHATTOOGA COUNTY shipped all its jail inmates to Floyd County to be boarded, at least for a while, it was difficult to sort out what was going on with our immediate neighbor to the north. Some of it appears budget troubles; some may be politics. All of it amounts to causing quiet pleasure that Greater Rome’s government officials talk to each other and sort out problems together.

It appears the sheriff up there (just defeated in the primary election and thus departing) was ordered by the sole commissioner (who won his election bid handily) to cut budget. The sheriff responded by chopping 16 positions including all the jailers and much of the road patrol. The bulk of Chattooga County is now technically protected by nine remaining sheriff’s deputies. One assumes, as in Floyd, they also have the duty of serving court warrants. Assuming 21 shifts a week, that means only two on duty at any time. Chattooga County covers 313 square miles.

That is probably not as bad as it might appear. First of all, Chattoogans have something of a reputation for taking care of themselves. Second, there are a lot of other sworn lawmen residing in the vicinity, even if patrolling streets is not their duty. Hays State Prison has a large trained uniformed force. Additionally, all law agencies have well-known mutual aid procedures and policies in place.

Nonetheless ... shut down the jail and stop patrolling the roads, maybe doubling or tripling the response time to answer a domestic abuse or car wreck call?

The only people that choices like this can hurt are those who need police protection the most and the fastest.