Douglas County sheriff tells library that supported Black Lives Matter not to bother calling 911

[brooklynite]

Nevada Independent

As libraries across the country issue statements responding to calls for addressing systemic racism and police violence, the Douglas County sheriff published an open letter threatening not to respond to emergency calls from Douglas County Public Library staff because of a statement of diversity the library was considering adopting during an upcoming public meeting.

The letter to the Douglas County Public Library Board of Trustees, written by Sheriff Daniel Coverley and published on the sheriff’s website on Monday, criticized a line in the diversity statement that expressed support for the Black Lives Matter Movement, equating it with support of violence against law enforcement.

“Due to your support of Black Lives Matter and the obvious lack of support or trust with the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, please do not feel the need to call 911 for help,” Coverley wrote at the end of his letter. “I wish you good luck with disturbances and lewd behavior, since those are just some of the recent calls my office has assisted you with in the past.”

Coverley did not immediately respond to a phone call on Tuesday requesting comment, but the sheriff’s office posted an additional statement later in the day clarifying that the agency was in conversation with the library director “to try and understand the intent of their proposed diversity statement,” and would continue to respond to 911 calls from the library.

[wcmagumba]

1. Total a-hole should be kicked from office, also illegal...nt

[LakeArenal]

2. ACLU, please.

[spanone]

3. He should be gone....NOW.

[Thomas Hurt]

4. WTF business is it of the Sheriff if the public library has a diversity statement or not?

[Aristus]

5. He's basically admitting that neither he nor his deputies want to protect people of color.

They want blanket permission from the community to commit atrocities against anyone they don't like.

[gratuitous]

6. So the Sheriff doesn't want to serve the public and doesn't want any other public agency to do that

Maybe Sheriff' Coverley's in the wrong job?

[atreides1]

9. That's not it at all...

He just doesn't want to serve people of color...he like most racist badge wearing Klansmen, prefer murdering people of color!

He should be called a White Supremacist to his face as should all of his white deputies!!!

How they react will show their true colors...

[gratuitous]

12. My bad

I was counting people of color as part of the public, as apparently the Douglas County Library was considering, which is what drew the ire of Sheriff Klansman.

[John Drake]

7. Trumpers hate libraries

Because there might be books and reading materials that they don't agree with housed there and poor folks who are under-housed and may not have reliable digital access to information make use of it.

We had a branch that the racist trumpers demanded be closed because too many un-housed and people of color were camping out in the park behind it and daring to use the facility.

Libraries are having enough trouble competing with the internet, they certainly don't deserve this.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

8. Why are 75% of this country's sheriffs such reactionary dicks? nt

[tonedevil]

17. On what do you base...

the idea that 25% are not?

[Tommy_Carcetti]

20. I'm probably being generous.

There are some normal thinking sheriffs out there--men and women who actually seem to have the interest of the people more or less at heart, and aren't obsessed in making themselves look like some "Tough on Crime" rambo.

But so many of them are just carbon copies of Joe Arpaio. Militaristic douchebags.

Take Grady Judd in Polk County here in Florida. A man who--when faced with an oncoming hurricane--boldly proclaimed anyone with an open warrant (for reasons presumably no worse than an unpaid traffic ticket) would immediately be taken into custody if they dare showed up at a storm shelter.

[tonedevil]

21. I'm sure there are good police...

and/or sheriffs, but the way the system is setup it doesn't seem to encourage them. In Sacramento, where I live, the county sheriffs have traditionally been horrific.

[RT Atlanta]

10. FTP

he cant do that

[MineralMan]

11. I suppose he is an elected Sheriff, as most are.

He should lose his next election in a landslide. What a moron!

[rollin74]

24. I totally agree. but unfortunately...Douglas County is a very white/conservative area

and, sadly, he'll probably get more votes in the next election due to this . That county is a gop stronghold

I don't live very far from there

[Yeehah]

13. I'm sure it's a place the sheriff never set foot

But many other members of the community (who can read) might not appreciate the sentiment.

[Sherman A1]

14. They damn well better respond to calls at the library and anywhere else

That is the job they signed up to do and for which they get paid. If they don't like what the job entails find something else to do.


In my opinion the statement by the Sheriff should lead to his termination.

[Scubamatt]

15. This is extortion

The sheriff should be reminded that he is a servant of the people and he will lose his "cushy", tax-payer funded job and benefits if he doesn't comply with the rule of law!

[matt819]

16. Fucked up

How often has the library called for police support?

The library should submit a request to the town for more money to provide security that the police won't. Let the entire town go on record with their racism.

And if something does happen and the police don't respond, let them deal with the fallout. Sure, people may get hurt, but the pad press and financial settlements and lawsuits will sure put the county in the public eye in ways they couldn't possibly imagine.

[tonedevil]

18. Why is it a problem for someone to call for...

police departments to be defunded when they are yelling at the top of their lungs they won't do the job anyway?

[sarisataka]

19. It seems to me the sheriff has just put in writing

His intentions to deny certain people equal protection under the law.

I am quite sure the Constitution says something about that.

[electric_blue68]

22. Disgusting threats!

[eShirl]

23. If he doesn't want to do his job he can resign.