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Since Yoakum sits in both counties the two top law enforcement officers decided a regular get-together with area residents would be appropriate.
“Basically, we are just making ourselves available,” said Lavaca County Sheriff Micah Harmon. “We hear a lot that the Yoakum people feel left out because they are split between counties. We want to try and change that and let the people know that we do care about the Yoakum area and are interested in helping them with their problems.”
DeWitt County Sheriff Jode Zavesky agreed.
“Sheriff Harmon and I are going to visit Yoakum in this manner so that the citizens can stop by and visit with us. Since Yoakum straddles both DeWitt and Lavaca counties, they don’t get to see us as much as people in Cuero and Hallettsville do. We are going to try to do this on a regular basis,” Zavesky said.
The sheriffs made their way from table to table fielding questions and hearing concerns.
Charline Pugh wanted to know about DeWitt County’s new drug dog and if it would be used in Yoakum.
Zavesky explained that the K-9 officer is having to fill in a regular patrol slot since the department is a deputy short. That position is expected to be filled next month, and the K-9 officer and dog can begin interdiction on a full-time basis.
Pugh said she was satisfied with Zavesky’s answers.
Both sheriffs ran into a bit of a buzz saw from people concerned about what they perceived as irregularities in paperwork received from the sheriffs’ offices.
Mike Staggs voiced his disapproval to Harmon that a neighbor killed one of his dogs late last year and law enforcement has done nothing. Staggs also suggested that the sheriff’s office may have acted inappropriately in preparing its paperwork on the case.
“Have you or your deputies ever falsified or put false or misleading information in your documents or case reports to the district attorney? Have y’all ever altered witness statements?” Staggs asked.
Harmon answered negatively.
Staggs then produced copies of reports from the sheriff’s office.
“I have shown these to the DA and been told they constitute several charges,” said Staggs, his voice getting a bit louder. “We are going to pursue this. Y’all altered reports and I have witnesses. I am going to have y’all investigated for this. As far as I can tell, y’all are guilty of perjury, witness tampering, evidence tampering, abuse of authority and abuse of power.”
Harmon denied the allegations and later explained his department’s position on the incident.
“The Lavaca County Sheriff’s Office conducted an investigation and turned the information over to the DA’s Office. Staggs, feeling that we didn’t do a thorough investigation, requested that the DA’s office do their own investigation. DA investigator Ted Crow investigated the case. The case was presented to the grand jury and they returned a no bill. The neighbor was never charged,” said the sheriff.
Zavesky also heard about a paperwork problem.
Larry and Amy Jirkovsky had made an Open Records request for any reports related to Larry’s termination by the Texas Department of Transportation eight months before his retirement.
The DeWitt County Sheriff’s Office had been called for security purposes when he was told he was fired the first week of May in 2007.
The couple did not receive all the paperwork it requested and what they did receive appeared to have conflicting and incorrect information.
Zavesky assured the couple that there was no “conspiracy” between his office and TxDOT to keep the information from them or to falsify the information.
“We don’t have a stake in this one side or the other,” he said. “I apologize wholeheartedly. You should have gotten the information you requested. We screwed up. The responsibility stops with me. The blame lies with me. I will look into what happened.”
“I think he’ll check into it,” Amy Jirkovsky said, “but I also think he’s telling us what he knows he better tell us.”
Her husband added, “I know what the facts are. Amy knows what the facts are. Something is missing. I don’t know if it was intentional. To me, it’s all bull, the whole thing.”
Susan Goehring also confronted Harmon about an assault in the county jail involving her daughter, a jailer at the time. Goehring wanted to know why the man suspected of the assault hadn’t been charged and why her daughter was receiving medical bills when the incident should be covered by workman’s compensation.
Harmon told Goehring the case is still under investigation and told her to tell her daughter to contact the workman’s comp coordinator in the county judge’s office.
After the meeting, Harmon elaborated on the incident that took place on May 20.
“An inmate spit in the face of a jailer who is no longer employed here. We are in the process of filing charges on the inmate for assault on a public servant,” the sheriff said.
Yoakum resident Cindy Martin thought the sheriffs coming to Yoakum was a good idea.
“It’s about time,” she said. “It’s good for the citizens of Yoakum. It gives us a chance to voice our concerns and opinions and hold elected officials accountable.”
Also in attendance were Yoakum Police Chief Arthur Rogers and DeWitt County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy John Oglesby.
Sonny Long is a reporter for the Victoria Advocate. He can be reached at 361-580-6585, by e-mail at slong@vicad.com.