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Opinion: Massena woman says choose wisely in race for county sheriff

Posted 5/30/23

To the Editor: During the height of Covid, the St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office “assisted” our county Public Health Dept. by delivering mandatory quarantine orders for them. Perhaps this …

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Opinion: Massena woman says choose wisely in race for county sheriff

Posted

To the Editor:

During the height of Covid, the St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office “assisted” our county Public Health Dept. by delivering mandatory quarantine orders for them.

Perhaps this was not Sheriff Bigwarfe and Undersheriff O’Brien’s idea, but they agreed. They sent uniformed deputies out to deliver 30 day isolation orders to elevate the level of seriousness. These were delivered to business owners, who were already stressed after being deemed, “non-essential.” Delivered to single parents, fearful over when they’d get their next paycheck. Hand delivered to the elderly who are already at high risk for isolation.

I personally was an expectant mom who was waiting for my own mother to arrive with cookies, but answered a knock at night to find a deputy standing there with my “orders.”

These orders stated “willful violation of or refusal to comply is a misdemeanor” and it also used language like “due to the criminal nature of the violation.” This was intimidating to so many.

On June 27, you’ll have the opportunity to vote for a county sheriff who is more likely to uphold the oath he swears to the Constitution and to respect your rights and freedoms as a US citizen. You will have the opportunity to vote for the man who is much less likely to just shrug and say “Albany makes the rules, not us.”

Regardless of how you felt our county handled Covid, voting in an official who seeks to serve You and remain accountable to You is key. Choose wisely.

Amber LaTray
Massena