Agreeing to agree

Our View

Published on Friday, March 5, 2010 12:27 AM CST

Print this story | Email this story | Post A Comment |

Well, it is about time. Two weeks after a murder suspect escaped from the St. Tammany Jail, Sheriff Jack Strain and Parish President Kevin Davis have put their differences aside and agreed to agree on one thing — something needs to be done about the jail to keep parish residents safe.

Last week’s escape was accomplished when the prisoner discovered a weakness in the jail’s design and was able to get out through a ceiling tile. This escape occurred seven months after four prisoners, made up of murder suspects and convicted murderers, was able to get through a barred window, again due to a structural flaw in the jail’s design.

Fortunately, all five prisoners were captured and put back into the jail, but it still makes one a bit leery of jail security when something like this happens twice in less than a year. The sheriff has said he needs more money to secure the jail. Davis told the sheriff, the parish has no money to spare. This led to finger-pointing, accusations and some hot tempers the past couple of months. Well after last month’s escape, Strain has said he has brought in the engineers and architects who designed the jail to address security problems. Davis said he would bring in his own experts to try and come up with solutions.

We applaud both leaders for finally putting aside politics and egos to try and reach some sort of agreement. It doesn’t matter who is right or wrong on this issue. What matters is that something be done as soon as possible. The paramount issue is the safety of the people.

Print this story | Email this story | Post A Comment |

Comments

No comments posted.

WRITE A COMMENT

Use the form below to post a brief comment to this story, or respond to other readers. Please use the word count tool to assist you in keeping your remarks to 100 words or fewer.

Comment posters are responsible for the opinions they express and the accuracy of the information they provide. We urge comment writers to treat this as a public forum where manners matter. We encourage a collegial, non-insulting tone. All readers comments must be approved by our staff before posting to the Web site. They review submitted comments periodically during the day for offensive or off-topic content before posting. Be aware, in accordance with the Communications Decency Act and provisions upheld in judicial appeal, that you are responsible for comments posted on this Web site. The St. Tammany News is not liable for messages from third parties.

DO NOT POST:
* Potentially libelous statements or damaging innuendo.
* Obscene, explicit, or racist language.
* Personal attacks, insults or threats.
* The use of another person's real name to disguise your identity.
* Comments unrelated to the story.
* Personal Information (phone numbers, addresses, etc.)

Opinions, advice and all other information expressed in thesttammanynews.com's reader comments represent the individual's own views and not necessarily those of the St. Tammany News. The St. Tammany News does not endorse and is not responsible for statements, advice or opinions offered by anyone other than authorized St. Tammany News spokespersons.

Your thoughtful contribution to the online discussion is appreciated.