Article 19
McCurtain County Sheriff’s Office Facebook Page
On Monday March 28th after being summoned to public Commissioners meeting, Sheriff Kevin Clardy said “Enough.”
“I am the elected Sheriff of McCurtain County. My job is to enforce the laws and protect the civil rights of the citizens and that is what I am going to do.”
“I will give you a one time courtesy U.A. to extinguish the allegations you (the newspaper) are making against me.”
This, after newspaper owner Challenges the County Commissioners and Sheriff. On Friday, In a hospital board meeting, completely unrelated to Official Sheriffs Office business. The newspaper owner said his son would take a drug test, if the Sheriff would.
On Monday morning at 9 am Sheriff Clardy surrounded by family, friends, and his employees, submitted a Urine Analysis. The test was administered by the drug testing agency of the newspapers choice.
The newspaper owners son did NOT show up for the TEST or the meeting. His father declined the test on his behalf.
Witnessed by all…. a NEGATIVE Urine Analysis result.- Clardy
Over the last five months the newspapers have ran numerous articles in an attempt to discredit the Sheriff and his employees. The allegations stem from former employees who were terminated or resigned from either the Sheriffs Office or the County Jail. (Five) Sheriff Clardy declined to comment on those terminations and resignations, at the recommendation of the county legal advisor and to avoid further destruction of the former employees lives.
Clardy said, “This has to stop! The repeated attacks on law enforcement are creating safety concerns for ALL law enforcement. We have a job to do and that is to protect people. We can’t cater to the newspaper or social media every day of the week.”
The newspaper has requested reports and documentation that by state and federal law are not open records. “It is imperative that the Sheriffs office protect the information of individuals and to be careful to not revictimize them for any reason whatsoever and definitely not for a private entities monetary gain”
The next Sheriffs term will be available for campaign in three years.
