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Kirby Buzzard
BY CHARLES GARRATT • STAFF WRITER
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WARM SPRINGS - Kirby Buzzard is a lifelong resident of Bath County. Though he has worked in law enforcement all his adult life, he has had to work in neighboring jurisdictions.
"I enjoy Bath County and I plan to live the rest of my life here," Buzzard said. The county is growing, he noted, and as time goes on there's going to be more crime. "Law enforcement has to change with the times," he said.
Buzzard wants to be the Bath County sheriff who leads the department through those changes.
Though he was injured during an arrest in Clifton Forge, "the doctor said I wouldn't be a police officer again. I never gave up. I'm back to work," he said.
His passion for law enforcement work would extend to his role as sheriff if elected, he said. He plans to have deputies doing some of the routine administrative work so he can be out doing law enforcement and be visible in the community.
Current sheriff Tommy Black "has done law enforcement in the county the same way it was done since (I) was a child," said Buzzard. "Times have changed and I feel we need to be more aggressive on drug enforcement because I feel that is the basis of 90 percent of crimes committed, including domestic assault, child abuse and neglect, vandalism, theft and so on," said Buzzard.
Buzzard said he has a more aggressive approach on drug and other criminal activity. "I work hard for what I have and citizens do also," he noted. If someone is a victim of a crime, he said he tries to solve it with the same focus as he would if he were the victim.
"I have a lot of experience in drug arrest and investigations," he said. He has been involved in several thousand drug and alcohol arrests. He assists the drug task force and trains new officers, he said.
Buzzard said there is a feeling the county is over-populated with state troopers. But he said there are only two working here, and there is a lot of demand for traffic safety, especially in areas where children are active.
The sheriff's department should not try to take over the duties of the state police, Buzzard said. But radar is a tool of law enforcement and like all other tools should be used by deputies when appropriate, he said.
The same is true for investigating traffic accidents. When a trooper is not available, a deputy should be able to handle minor accidents and avoid a two to three hour wait while a trooper travels from another county, he said.
As sheriff, all his deputies would work shifts on rotations, he said, and Buzzard plans to be right along with them working shifts as necessary. "Even investigators will have to be out at night," he said.
The department is paid for by both the state and the county, Buzzard said, and could always use more money. He plans to work with grant writers to obtain money from federal and state agencies.
Buzzard supports deputies being out in public speaking with people and organizations while on duty. He believes coaching and other community services performed by deputies are good for public relations but should not be done at taxpayers' expense.
Assisting with emergency services calls while on duty is part of law enforcement, said Buzzard. He plans to have all deputies certified in at least basic first aid and CPR. In tragic situations, the deputy is often the first on the scene, he noted.
Citizens will have access to information from the department if he is elected, he said, as long as it doesn't jeopardize an investigation. The sheriff or chief deputy would probably be the person handling request for information, he said.
"People can't go through files and pick and choose" what they want he said. While complying with regulations regarding freedom of information, Buzzard said he would also be careful to protect victims and the information that isn't supposed to be available.
"All crimes are solved with community involvement," Buz-
About the
candidate
¦ Kirby Buzzard, 43 ¦ Patrol supervisor, Clifton Forge police. ¦ Clifton Forge Police Officer of the Year, 2004 ¦ Graduated BCHS 1982. ¦ Resident of Mountain Grove. ¦ Warm Springs Masonic Lodge, North American Hunting and
Fishing Association,
NRA.
zard noted. The public has a right to know and can help the department.
"Anything the department can do for the benefit of the county's children, I'm going to support as manpower and budget permits," Buzzard said.
"Law enforcement is team work with citizens, emergency services and surrounding jurisdictions," said Buzzard.
He'd like to head up the team in Bath County.
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