GET ANOTHER SHERIFF

Editor: This letter is in response to Sandra Causey about us citizens in
Davidson County not whining about Mr. Hege any longer being in office if
another person is elected in office. Personally, I think getting another
sheriff in office would be the best thing for this county.

Well, Sandra makes no common sense with what she says. Just watch the
television and read the newspapers about the events that took place in Mr.
Hege's department and on our streets. How can any of us trust our law
enforcement officers now?

Every time I go out of town people seem to call this Hegeville where the
sheriff makes his rules as he goes. Those people just laugh at that fact of
Hege even being in office and that the state office would allow such a
person as he to even publicize his department as he has done. And as we all
can very well see, his department is not up to par as it should be with
practicing what he preaches to us all, even our children.

What are they showing our children? The DARE officers go in and teach the
children drugs are bad, then his deputies sell them on our streets where
our kids can get a hold of it and pass it on down the line to the small
dealers, then bust our kids for drugs when his own men do it.

This town really needs to take a good look at what he is doing to our
county. He has made a mockery of our town. My concerns are how did these
deputies get that much freedom with their position? How could these men
possibly do all these things for so long without Hege knowing? What was Mr.
Hege doing? Making his television show to make money? Out making Christmas
cards for his friends? Where does all Mr. Hege's publicity money go? Why
not give it back to the community such as to our children or to the elderly
people.

I think our county has given him way too much freedom with his position.
It's time we people take our town back and put someone in office that
deserves the title of sheriff and that will present morals for our children
and our town.

Cassaundra Edwards, Lexington

MONITORING SYSTEM NEEDED

Editor: The high sheriff of Davidson County, Gerald Hege, has the
responsibility of supervising his narcotics unit and his deputies.

Three of his top deputies were arrested for conspiracy in drug charges.
Single officers sometimes go bad, but three is unusual unless it is in a
big city.

Hege says that "there's really no monitoring system." If there isn't, there
should have been. An effective internal system to prevent such actions is
necessary.

Sheriff Hege has built himself a reputation as the toughest sheriff in
America. Some of the ways he has done this includes television and radio
shows, decorating his office with military items, outfitting his deputies
with uniforms resembling military special forces, driving a spider car, and
the list goes on. His busy schedule may have prevented his attention to a
narcotics unit out of control.

Hege should acknowledge that his narcotics unit was lax and promptly
establish a monitoring system that will prevent activities of this kind in
the future.

Charles F. Lambeth Jr., Thomasville

SHE LOVES IT HERE

Editor: Merry Christmas and a happy, prosperous and safe 2002. I am new to
Lexington and so far I love it. The doctors, nurses and drug stores have
been very good to me, as well as the grocery stores where I shop and the
post office. The people that find fault with the sheriff go live in
Boliver, Tenn.

Personally, I would like to take him to lunch.

Faye Robinson, Lexington