I am a member of the Tulare County Sheriff’s Volunteers In Patrol (VIP) and have served for over 16 years. My wife, Evelyn, was also a VIP for 14 years until cancer took her from me. Over those years we paroled together and had a lot of great experiences, except for one.
One of our important duties is to deliver “red star documents” to the DA’s office as a top priority. These are in-custody complaints on an arrestee. The DA must file charges within 48 hours of the arrest or the prisoner must be released.. So it is imperative that the Sheriff’s Department consumes very few of those hours in the process.
About five years ago we drove our personal car from our home in Three Rivers to Headquarters for a shift that started at 11:30. We got there early and was told to not go on patrol yet as there was a “red star” being prepared for us to deliver in a few minutes. When we got it we drove the patrol unit directly to the courthouse and Evelyn delivered it within minutes to the only person to answer the door. He signed the receipt then proceeded to scold her for not delivering it sooner, criticizing and berating her for the Sheriff’s Department’s delay.
I was waiting curbside in the patrol unit when my wife returned. She was crying! When I got her settled down she told me how “that jerk” had chewed her out. That “jerk” was Tim Ward a man who chose to scold, unappreciative and with no regard for an unpaid volunteer for something she had no control over.
Obviously, we did not vote for him and I am sure we deterred many others with our story of the only patrol duty we ever had with a bad experience. Tulare County does not need such explosive temperamental employees. Once again I will NOT vote for him and urge voters to not vote for Tim Ward. I suspect Matt Darby will be far more civil to we who volunteer.
Don Thompson