Cass County, ND Sheriff Paul D. Laney recently used a rather
creative sting operation to nab 3 dozen non-violent fugitives. Okay, good for
him. Get the crooks off the street. It is important however, to note exactly how
he went about it. In a society that believes in and (usually) practices the
principle of "equal protection under the law," the means is of equal importance
to the end result in law enforcement. One can't help but wonder if the good
Sheriff hasn't broken a few laws himself.
Setting the stage...
Shock rock legend Ozzy Osbourne was scheduled to do a concert in
Fargo, ND on October 29th. Sheriff Laney took advantage of the opportunity by
mailing fake "VIP tour packages" to forty non-violent fugitives. The packages,
similar to Ozzy’s actual VIP tour packages, were sent under the name "PDL
Productions." Thirty-six of the forty invited fugitives showed up for the
pre-concert party and were promptly arrested.
At first glance, one might simply think that Laney had pulled a
smart and effective trick on a bunch of low-level scofflaws. A deeper look,
however, reveals much more. It’s doubtful that any criminal charges will be
brought against Sheriff Laney. But one cannot help but to call his character
into question.
For starters, he grossly misused Ozzy Osbourne’s name. No one
asked his permission to use his name in a sting operation of which he had no
knowledge. Also consider the possibility that Laney committed forgery by sending
out the fake VIP tour invitations. Adding to the insult, Laney held a televised
press conference to pat himself on the back for his cleverness.
And Ozzy ain’t happy about it.
Says Ozzy...
"Sheriff Laney went out of his way to tarnish my reputation by
implying that I somehow attract a criminal element, which is certainly not true.
My audiences are good hard-working people who have been hugely supportive of my
music for nearly four decades. They have also been very supportive of my wife
Sharon's colon cancer charity by raising over a million dollars (partly through
VIP ticket sales) at my shows. It's obvious to me that this sheriff has an
agenda and is just trying to make a name for himself on my back." (A-Z Heavy
Metal)
And this brings me to a question. First consider this quote from
Sheriff Laney:
"Why did we do this? The criminals are creative, so we had to
get creative too...'' "They give us fake addresses, fake phone numbers,
sometimes their families cover for them, sometimes their employees cover for
them." (ABC News)
But Sheriff, if you knew where to send the invitations, why did
you need to engage in the misuse of someone’s name to pick these losers up?
Could you not have simply gone after them instead of descending into such
chicanery? I could perhaps understand his actions had he been pursuing a
dangerous and violent felon - and chances are Ozzy would have applauded his
actions. But no, these fugitives were dead beat dads, people who didn’t show for
court on minor offenses, and other such losers, who while in violation of the
law presented no danger to society.
Says Ozzy...
"Instead of holding a press conference to pat himself on the
back, Sheriff Laney should be apologizing to me for using my name in connection
with these arrests," Osbourne said in a statement released by his publicist.
"It's insulting to me and to my audience, and it shows how lazy this particular
sheriff is when it comes to doing his job." (ABC News)
I’m not defending Ozzy. The guy has nothing positive to
contribute to society and is well-known for his gross and disrespectful
behavior. But I do insist upon the proper treatment of all citizens by law
enforcement. An out-of-control sheriff is a far larger hazard to society than an
over-aged degenerate like Ozzy. And given the apparent size of Laney’s ego, he
may well step farther across the line if he’s not put on a short
leash.
We The People have every right to hold law enforcement to at
least the same standard of conduct expected of the rest of us. To unnecessarily
engage in such a deception, and to steal the name of a public figure is simply
unacceptable. Shame on you Sheriff Laney, for failing to meet the standards of
the uniform and badge the people of Cass County allow you to wear.
Sources
Ozzy Blasts Cops for Warrant Sting
Party
http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=3813201&page=1
Ozzy Osbourne Bio
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005285/bio
Dead Puppies
http://www.snopes.com/music/artists/marilyn2.asp
A-Z Heavy Metal
http://www.azheavymetal.com/noticias/11_2007/noticia17601.php
About the Author
Alan Burkhart is a cross-country trucker and occasional columnist
from Mississippi. You can view all of Alan’s work at his blogs:
http://alanburkhart.blogspot.com/ and
http://roadimage.blogspot.com/
