Sheriff's Department Recovers Stolen Property

LIBERTY, September 22, 2008 - “It’s not quite business as usual, but things are definitely headed in that direction”, Sheriff Greg Arthur said on Monday afternoon. He added, “Our administrative and clerical staffs are back on their normal shifts. The patrol and investigative divisions are being evaluated on a daily basis, and some of them are already back on normal schedules. The return of electrical service to the various areas is one of our major decision points when it comes to the assignment of deputies and patrols.”

The criminal element doesn’t take a break when it comes to disasters, and Hurricane Ike was no exception. Captain Chip Fairchild said, “We’ve been very productive this past week in recovering stolen property and returning it to the rightful owners. There have been fifteen arrests for major thefts and burglaries, with just as many warrants issued for those offenses.” Captain Fairchild also noted, “The pawn shops in our area have been extremely helpful in regard to us clearing cases, along with some strong tips from Liberty county citizens.”

As of today approximately $30,0000 of property stolen during this storm has been recovered, according to Hugh Bishop of LCSO.

For over a week, personnel at the Sheriff’s Office have been on 12 to 16-hour shifts. Most of the staff stayed at the S.O. the first few days after the storm. Sheriff Arthur stated, “It’s been a trying time for everybody and I’m proud of the way our staff worked together. Anytime someone was given an assignment outside their normal range of responsibility, they answered the call without objection. We’re not back to 100% yet, but our dedicated people can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

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