Three or six new officers?

Oconee County fathers heard appeals last night to beef up law enforcement by raising officer pay and hiring additional officers, as many as six.  Those appeals came not from Sheriff Mike Crenshaw, but from a couple of members of the public, one of them an announced hopeful for the county council later this year.  Stressed last night was the thought that, unless starting pay is not raised, it’ll remain difficult to recruit the proper number of candidates for law enforcement work.  However, Councilman Julian Davis reported that after his talk with Crenshaw, he’s convinced that three new officers would be a manageable number, considering the time and training involved.  From the audience, a council hopeful called for a starting salary of $41 thousand.  And Kay Knapp said, after her talk with the sheriff, she’s convinced of the need for at least three new deputies, so that each shift can number 10 officers.  Following her, former South American Jose Cabrera said he experienced a crime-plagued Venezuela, left that country, and became an American citizen.  Unfortunately, Cabrera says he notices a disturbing trend toward lawlessness in Oconee County.