Posted: Friday, 09 January 2009 11:40AM
"Special" Deputy Abuses Badge
Steve Corbett Reporting
Friday, January 09, 2009
A badge and a gun can save lives.
Or, the combination can kill.
Sometimes death is necessary to save lives. Brave cops sometimes die trying.
But a badge and a gun in the wrong hands is always more trouble than they’re worth.
Yesterday on “Corbett” we talked at length about why Lackawanna County Sheriff John Szymanski is causing more problems than he’s worth.
For about 30 years, the sheriff has been handing out honorary badges to “special” deputies who have no experience or training in law enforcement. Thousands of special deputies are walking around Lackawanna County and elsewhere carrying badges that resemble real police badges.
But Szymanski refuses to release the names of the special deputies he has personally sworn in.
So I’m getting ready to file a formal request under the new state open records law.
Szymanski and his solicitor refused to turn over the names when I filed a formal written request under the old state right-to-know law. The new law supposedly has teeth and increased penalties for failure to comply.
So we’ll see.
For now, all we can do is guess who is carrying a badge and sometimes a gun.
Of course a gun permit is required to carry a loaded concealed weapon.
Sheriff Szymanski issues those permits in Lackawanna County.
Brian Visoski, 31, of Scranton, is someone to whom the sheriff has issued both an honorary badge and a gun permit.
Brian’s dad, David, 59, told me yesterday in an off-the-air conversation that Szymanski also swore him in as a special deputy. David said that, unlike his disabled son who can’t work because of a back problem, he has police training.
He said he worked as a reserve police officer in Scranton for 14 years and as a police officer in Newport Township. He said that Brian’s only training is that he grew up in a police household.
In an off-the-air telephone interview yesterday, Brian said he doesn’t understand what all the fuss is about and that the incident that now pulls him into the public spotlight was “kind of fun.”
Back in December, he said, he was driving on Interstate 81 when a truck started tailgating him and flashing its lights. Brian said he believed himself to be in harm’s way so he tried to pull over the truck by flashing his Lackawanna County special deputy’s badge.
But the truck driver refused to stop.
Brian said he called 911 and, after identifying himself as a special deputy sheriff, provided details about the truck that was pulling a trailer.
So he was confused when a state police car pulled him over.
Before you knew it Brian said he was handcuffed and berated for trying to pull over the truck.
Brian said one of the two troopers told him that his badge meant nothing and explained where he should stick the special badge.
When they searched Brian they found his gun – a 9 mm semi-automatic loaded with a full clip of bullets.
Because Brian was also carrying his weapons permit, the staties returned his gun.
But they kept his badge, an act that outraged Brian enough for him to eventually call a lawyer, plead not guilty to the misdemeanor disorderly conduct citation that police issued, and ask for a hearing.
How could the state police do that to one of Szymanski’s special deputies? What ever happened to professional courtesy?
Brian said he reported what happened to the deputy sheriff that his dad said recruited them both to become part of the sheriff’s personal political posse.
When I called the sheriff’s office yesterday, “Fran” said Szymanski wasn’t available but was aware of the incident. She said that another deputy sheriff is handling the matter.
And Brian’s lawyer said in an off-the-air telephone interview yesterday that he plans to mount a vigorous defense on his client’s behalf.
As of now, Brian has lost his badge. But he’s still got his gun.
One day soon he should lose both.
So should Sheriff Szymanski.
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