The second community forum took place in the Gaslight Theater in Georgetown on July 27th.

Moderator Wayne Gates from the Brown County Press and News Democrat continued the conversation that began on June 29th.

Throughout the night a message of appreciation for law enforcement was shared, not only from the content, but from the turnout. About ten people sat in the theater to hear the speakers, and there were no questions from audience members at the end of the event.

“I take the attendance tonight as a sign that people are pretty pleased with our local law enforcement,” said Gates.

The panelists this time included Brown County Prosecutor Zac Corbin, Brown County Sheriff Gordon Ellis, and Ohio State Highway Patrol Post Commander Lieutenant Randy McElfresh.

McElfresh praised the integration of agencies in the region.

“There are other communities in this country where the troopers hate the sheriffs deputies, and the sheriffs department hates the village police,” he began, “but that doesn’t happen here. Everyone works so well together, and that’s so good for Brown County.”

The law enforcement agencies in the area are not only integrated with each other, but with the neighborhoods they police.

“You could be responding in so many different ways to law enforcement,” said Sheriff Ellis, “and what I hear time and time again from the citizens of Brown County is support for law enforcement… You make the difference in how we perform our duties every day.”

Much of the hour-long conversation Monday night was fueled by specific policing events that have happened recently, which provided good entry points for statements about broader policies.

Lieutenant McElfresh revealed the rationale for a fatal car crash earlier this year, when a victim’s family was upset that one of the drivers was not arrested the same night. He and Corbin explained often-misunderstood terms like “probable cause” and “reasonable doubt” and how they applied to both making arrests, and landing indictments.

“There could have potentially been a double jeopardy issue there,” said McElfresh. “But when we follow the procedures is when we’re able to make sure there is justice for the people for their actions.”

Another incident brought up was the police-involved shooting in Russellville on June 22nd.

“I was impressed to see how our officers were even willing to take an additional risk to themselves when they didn’t have to, to prevent the loss of life in that situation,” said Ellis. “Most of my career – whether it’s military or law enforcement – I’m blessed to be around this number of highly honorable people.”

Corbin also commented on the incident.

“The body cam footage of the police-involved shooting a few weeks ago: I watched it,” Corbin said. “And it was amazing how the sheriffs department, how his deputies responded to that incident. They were phenomenal. The grand jury did watch that and they saw how they conducted themselves while they were being fired at by an AR-15 that probably would have pierced their armor.”

The Prosecutor transitioned his praises for the sheriffs deputies into statements about policing at large.

“These guys are leaders at the highest levels,” said Corbin. “What we do as leaders is leave these departments a little better than we found them. That’s what we need in law enforcement in this country is leadership.”

“Operationally, we never know what we prevent,” said McElfresh during closing comments. “What would it be like if we weren’t out there? I see these places that want to defund the police, and you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.”

McElfresh complimented some of his colleagues for actions not typically brought to mind when thinking about police. He’s seen officers in uniform help parents with car seats and fill up gas tanks for citizens from their own pockets.

“Somebody’s got to hold the line,” he said, “so we will, and we will continue to do that no matter the political and social environment that presents itself.”