Or so the Article says.

At least it's paid leave, I guess. Seems wonky, though. Is this at all normal in these circles?

quote:

Longtime Charleston County Sheriff Al Cannon placed a veteran deputy on paid leave this week, saying her decision to run for his job poses an inherent conflict that undermines his programs and policies. ...

Cannon, 73, has faced little political opposition since he was first elected in 1988 to lead what has become South Carolina’s largest sheriff’s office. He said he welcomes a challenge, but he can’t have a deputy working from the inside to thwart the agenda he was elected to carry out.

Who's the turd here, him, her, both, or neither?

I'd have to say that if she's a good deputy, he is out of line. If she is a bad deputy, he's been derelict at not managing her out. If not illegal (she's an employee, so normal employment law should apply), at a minimum it is uncool in my opinion.

Now he gave her paid leave, so she can devote herself full-time to displacing him.

Been there for 32 years. That’s quite a while to be in that position. I’m wondering the same thing myself.

Same thing happened in my home town. The shitbaggery didn’t go unnoticed and the opponent won by a landslide.

The article says it's the biggest Sheriff Dept. in South Carolina.

Doesn't @Chongo work as a Deputy or Officer in SC? I wonder if he knows them / about it.

My uncle was a deputy for a couple decades under the same sheriff. Once a new sheriff got elected he “fired” everybody and brought his own people in so I’ve see that before. I’m not sure exactly how he got rid of everyone, whether it was actually firing or making them quit, but he replaced all of them.

Paid leave means she gets paid to campaign against him.

requiring attendance and overtime work would have been more protective of his job.

Overall it seems somewhat generous.

quote:

Originally posted by mrvmax:
My uncle was a deputy for a couple decades under the same sheriff. Once a new sheriff got elected he “fired” everybody and brought his own people in so I’ve see that before. I’m not sure exactly how he got rid of everyone, whether it was actually firing or making them quit, but he replaced all of them.

In Texas the vast majority of Sheriff's offices and all Constable's offices are not civil service positions. All Deputies in those offices work completely at the pleasure of the elected official.

As a result, firing them is just a matter of telling them to leave (as long as such firing does not arise from a prohibited discrimination).

I have no idea what the rules are in SC.

46&2, Chongo works for a dept near Charlotte NC....remember the riots a few years ago

Employees work at the will of the Sheriff, normal HR rules don’t apply. You can be fired for nothing when you work for a sheriff.

In NC it’s actually in statute. Most southern sheriffs are like that.

Don’t run against the sheriff, don’t let anyone know you are looking at another le job elsewhere don’t bad talk the dept....lot of unwritten rules.

Another example of life imitating Hollywood as there was a storyline in the TV series Longmire in which a deputy within the small Wyoming department decided to run for the office against Sheriff Longmire.

I could see where some departmental friction might occur between the candidates and their respective camps and also potential conflict in the manager vs. subordinate relationship...but unless the Sheriff was trying to avoid those complications within the department, I'm not sure how he could justify the decision...especially if trying to justify why an employee is going to be paid with tax dollars for doing nothing but sitting at home or campaigning.

I remember this happening in NC in the past, i.e. deputy getting fired because they announced a run for the higher office. May not be right thing to do, but it is certainly not the first time.

I wish I could get paid to not come to work while I specifically look for new work.

Strange.

But ok.

A similar thing happened here in Franklin County VA. a deputy was fired for running for the Sheriff’s job..
A lot of people were upset but in the end nothing was done and the Sheriff won re-election.

Law enforcement jobs aren't open to political issues only in Southern Sheriff's Departments. My late father lived in Wabash (IN) and he told me about how organizational shuffles occurred whenever local power changed hands. If a Republican mayor replaced a Democratic mayor (or vice-versa), or there was a flip among city council members, the serving chief might be demoted to officer or fired. Officers with little tenure and little or no supervisory or management experience could be promoted to chief, and middle managers (lieutenants) and supervisors (sergeants) could be shuffled around or even find themselves unemployed.

I've never had a chief that was protected by civil service rules and I "get" the idea that he/she should reflect the general philosophy of the elected officials that appoint him/her. What does concern me is the rife opportunity for corruption when officers are "at will" employees and the risk this poses for the general populace. I've regularly seen officers receive severe discipline (including termination) for legitimate wrongdoing for "cause", so I know these protections are not an impenetrable shield. I've also seen situations where local politicians think they are above the law and can use that power to the detriment of those they should be serving. Ultimately, I still hold the belief that communities get the kind of policing they deserve. If they want "at will" police departments, they'd better be prepared for the problems that are part and parcel with such organizations.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:..

Don’t run against the sheriff, don’t let anyone know you are looking at another le job elsewhere don’t bad talk the dept....lot of unwritten rules.

Sometimes "the good old ways" are preferred to the bullshit "corporate HR" methods of screwing people over while smiling smugly.

The guy is 73 years old. Fucking retire already.

Sez the whippersnapper.

If the guy is effective in his position, then what's age have anything to do with it?

It is not as if his position cannot be filled quickly with a qualified person.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:
46&2, Chongo works for a dept near Charlotte NC....remember the riots a few years ago.

Oh right. Thanks. (NC vs SC)

Sounds like an episode from DEPUTY on CBS.

quote:

Originally posted by 46and2:

quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:
46&2, Chongo works for a dept near Charlotte NC....remember the riots a few years ago.

Oh right. Thanks. (NC vs SC)

Yep, Charlotte proper.


I could never be a deputy...civil service protection is a huge deal to me. I've seen stuff like this at sheriff's departments where friends worked. Promotions for nothing, demotions for nothing...heard the "new sheriff fired everybody" stories.

But if I was the deputy put on admin leave for running against my boss...I'd be working in overdrive to get elected to replace him.