I would like the residents of Bainbridge, Ga., and also the whole of Decatur County to know what an asset they have in the Sheriff’s Department of Decatur County.

This department has been brought into the 21st century mainly by the efforts of one man, Sheriff Wiley Griffin.

He has brought his businessman’s managerial skills, which consist of a good combination of savvy business sense with plenty of good, old common sense to make his department what it is today. That’s not to take anything away from his staff, who Sheriff Griffin has bragged on on more than one occasion. They definitely need to be commended as well.

Now all this “stink” comes up with the County Commissioners and other county employees.

Ted Snell hit it right on the head; ridiculous.

It is ridiculous for us as citizens to even have to hear any of it. Not to mention it’s just embarrassing to what other counties think about the way things are run here. I don’t mean Sheriff Griffin’s response; I’m behind him 110 percent.

I am against anyone who would try and make themselves seem more important by making unsubstantiated remarks in a public forum.

I guess my daddy raised me different but I’ve always thought a person ought to be given the benefit of the doubt. This isn’t Atlanta or New York where you have to go through several different people to get to who you want to speak to. Pick up your cell phone, all of the departments should be entered into your contact list.

At the same time, the Sheriff has been, and still is, available to anyone in the public at any time, day or night. I know, I’ve called him myself. And it takes approximately five minutes to go from one side of Bainbridge to the other.

Anything counterproductive, and that is exactly what this is, is not good for any of us. All it does is cost the county money. And I think that the perpetrators of this incident ought to not only be named but also be held liable for the monetary aspect of 1) making the Sheriff waste his and his staff’s valuable time to answer those allegations, and 2) the continued waste of their time to have to defend his name and his actions.

Maybe then that person or persons will be careful of what falls out of their mouth when they open it.

I know some of you are saying, “Well, if it’s going to cost money, why doesn’t he forget it.”

I’d be disappointed if he did not pursue it. It’s called “character.” He’s got it and those other folks don’t. Thanks for your time.

Ronnie HallIn God We Trust