05/23/13 Marshall County Sheriff Tom Chamberlin met with 60 citizens at We the People’s meeting last Thursday night. Sheriff Chamberlin began by saying that the authority of the Office of Sheriff in Indiana is derived from the Indiana Constitution, and is granted unique law enforcement and public safety responsibilities which set it apart from other elected state and local offices.
Sheriff Chamberlin said the Oath of the Office is a public pledge that the official understands the requirements of the position and will work to meet or exceed those requirements. It is a formal promise, which traditionally invokes God, to bind the oath taker to the laws of man and also to a higher moral authority.
Sheriff Chamberlin has been in law enforcement for over 30 years, starting in 1982 in Argos as a patrol officer, before working for the City of Plymouth beginning in 1985. He was Police Chief for the City of Plymouth for 10 years and was a County Commissioner before becoming Sheriff.
Speaking about our 2nd Amendment right of the people to keep and bear arms, Sheriff Chamberlin made the following comments: agrees with the Indiana Sheriff’s Association position that law abiding citizens are guaranteed this right so that they may protect themselves from those who would place them in harm’s way, efforts to identify individuals with malevolent intent in advance and better use of the system currently in place to prevent them from gaining access to firearms must be increased, vigorously prosecute those who break the law, focus efforts on strengthening the safety and security of our school facilities, provide better access to mental health treatment, and enhance training and resources for those who may be targets of violence. He said Indiana Sheriffs remain focused on solutions, but will not accept any concept that separates law abiding citizens from their 2nd Amendment Rights without due process.
On the issue of school safety, Sheriff Chamberlin remarked that we have plenty of valuable resources in our school employees and teachers that could be trained with law enforcement to help protect our children against armed assailants, instead of adding costly resource officers which would be placed in every building.
Asked if he would allow a warrant-less search by a higher authority in law enforcement, Sheriff Chamberlin responded that he would not allow that to happen through his office. Asked if dues to the Indiana Sheriff’s Association were worthy, he answered yes, that they help fund scholarships and youth camps among other things.
Correspondent Lisa Hebner, We the People
