Our opinion: A breach of trust

This week two deputies lost their jobs. Their careers may seem insignificant compared to the damage to their reputations and credibility that may follow in the months to come.
If the accusations made by informants prove to be true, they will likely join a shockingly long list of local law-enforcement officers who have succumbed to the lure of drugs.
This unfortunate saga began to enter the public realm in May 2007 when Chilhowie Police Officer James E. Runyon, 29, was indicted for distribution of a schedule III controlled substance. At the time, his case was overshadowed by charges against then CPD Chief Dwayne Sheffield and Corporal Brian Doss, who were facing allegations of sexually assaulting a teen-age girl.
Later that summer, an investigation would lead to drug charges against Sheffield and former Damascus Police Chief Tony Richardson.
In the fall of 2007, Saltville Police Investigator Gary R. Call was arrested on drug-related charges.
At one time, Call had worked for the Smyth County Sheriff’s Office and served as a school resource officer. At the time of his arrest, he was an assistant football coach at Northwood High School.
This list of officers gives credence to health experts’ position that substance abuse in the region’s most pervasive mental-health issue that crosses all boundaries of economic and social class. For those struggling with addiction, a measure of concern is proper.
Compassion, however, should not offset the appropriate anger of citizens. We are offended by the blatant breach of public trust that has occurred in this community.
Whether department leaders or patrol officers, these law-enforcement officers held powerful positions of trust.
They worked with our children.
They responded to our calls for help, often when we were most vulnerable.
However, information cited in recent court documents suggests that the drug culture may have interfered with domestic-violence charges being filed in one case and ultimately left a woman in danger and unwilling to trust the justice system for help.
Unfortunately, in that lack of trust, she’s not alone.
The cumulative effect of these cases is a serious loss of public confidence in the justice system. Once lost, trust is difficult to rebuild.
We’re grateful for Sheriff David Bradley’s statement this week that his goal has been and remains “to operate a professional sheriff’s office with the main priority to protect and serve the citizens of Smyth County with dignity and honor.”
His assurance is a beginning.
Though the final results of this ongoing investigation are yet unknown, the process of healing this breach can’t wait.