This is Bruns's second DUI charge; according to MDL, she was convicted of DUI on January 1, 2003, paid her fines, gave up her license for six months, etc. Since then, she studied up on law and joined the sheriff's department in August 2005.
Just last week we saw a much higher public official, state Office of Highway Safety director Roy Meyer, resign his position after a DUI arrest in Pierre ["Highway Safety Director Resigns," KELOLand.com, 2007.10.26]. I'd hate to see Bruns have to follow the same path. She was a student in my English classes here in Madison (guess I didn't deliver that anti-drunk-driving lesson well enough in comp class). She was a good kid in class. More importantly, we should be proud of any young MHS graduate who stays to serve her community. As a young woman -- as the only female on the city or county patrol force that I can think of -- she's in a great position to be a positive role model for our kids.
But -- well, hang on. Bruns got a ticket, but her day in court is coming (November 15 is the first hearing). I really hope the breathalyzer was broken. I hope Bruns can stay on the police force and maintain the trust we give our law officers when we hand them a badge and a gun and say, "Protect us. Protect our kids."
But -- I'm sorry. I keep coming back to "But...."
In the Meyer case out in Pierre, the former director of highway safety evidently felt that he could not continue in his position without damaging public trust in the office. Even before his trial (Meyer's court date is November 13), he submitted his resignation. Governor Rounds stated that had Meyer not resigned, the state would not have terminated him unless and until he was found guilty. Nonetheless, Rounds summarized for KELO why the Meyer case mattered... and his thoughts apply to Bruns's situation:
Rounds calls the incident preventable and unfortunate, and a reminder to everyone on all levels of state government how important it is to set a good example.
"He's been charged with DWI, which makes it a very difficult thing to step back in and to continue to promote the issue of eliminating drunk drivers from the road," Rounds says. [Lou Raguse, "Rounds Calls DUI Arrest Disappointing," KELOLand.com, 2007.10.25]
We are fortunate that our cops don't have much to deal with other than corralling drunk yahoos on the roads before they hurt someone. But given that South Dakota lost eleven kids to drunk driving in the spring of '06, and given the prevalence of alcohol problems among adults and teens alike in our state, we have to be dead serious about drunken driving. Our police not only arrest the drunk drivers and run the sobriety checkpoints; they very often are the folks who go to the schools to tell the kids not to drink and drive. Our law officers thus must be able to deliver that message with a sincerity and integrity no one can question.
I want Emily Bruns to stay and serve this community. She can do so much good as a role model for the kids following her through the Madison school system.
But (there it is again -- sorry) I want our law enforcement officials to uphold high standards, the same standards they will enforce on all of us without discrimination. Cops just can't get DUIs.
My only relief this night is the knowledge that it's up to Judge Tucker, and not me, to look at the facts and make the call.
Some people think they are above the law or "better" than the laws they swore to uphold. Two DUI's by age 22 sounds like more than an indiscretion. Law enforcement doesn't need that example and she needs to seek treatment for her problem.
ReplyDeleteDidn't she get into law enforcement awfully young? I guess I was under the impression that you had to be 21. I know if it was me setting age requirements for entrance into law enforcement I would set a minimum of age 21. I don't mean to be discriminating against age, but it just seems like under 21 is awfully young for that type of job.
ReplyDeleteFoxgrandma, I believe you do have to be 21 before you can become an officer of the law in the state of South Dakota. If this is her 2nd DUI, then she had an underage consumption. Why the heck did they hire her in the first place? It's not just this girl, but everyone in that age bracket think they can take on the world. Some growing up does need to be done before taking on the responsibility to "Protect and Serve."
ReplyDeleteMaybe her heroes are Brittany and Paris and who's the other one, oh yeah the girl in the remake of Parent Trap but can't think of her name right off. If she is on her second DWI, even though she might be a good kid basically, she is not the one for this job, which involves upholding the law, not breaking it.
ReplyDeleteSorry -- had to delete a comment for language. Feel free to repost, deleted anon., but keep it civil.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, commenters, the deleted comment criticized your complaining about people's ages and, in language less civil than a good neighbor would use in person, recommended that people posting online should "go make a difference yourselves."
ReplyDelete