This is what happens when you elect the criminally stupid to public office.

Chris Cato at WSPA.com reports:

WSPA first reported the mandate on Wednesday after an anonymous citizen faxed a copy of the memo to our newsroom. [Wellford Mayor Sally] Peake was out of town and unavailable for comment. On Friday, reporter Chris Cato caught up with her in her office and questioned her about the origin of the policy. Peake says she issued the mandate because several officers have been injured during chases, driving up insurance costs for the town.

“The officers are costing us more money on insurance than most citizens here in the city of Wellford are even earning,“ says Peake.

She says the city is paying out $20,000 annually in workers’ compensation claims, much of it due to the police force. In July, two officers wrecked their cruisers while chasing suspects and had to go to the hospital for minor treatment. The police chief says three officers have been injured during foot chases in the last two years.

Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright says the policy prevents police from upholding the law—a direct violation of their constitutional oath.

“If a bank robber or a drunk driver or a shoplifter or somebody with a warrant runs on foot, it’s our obligation to do what we can do to bring them to justice,“ says Wright.

But when we asked Peake about her order impeding an officer from stopping a crime in progress, she became defensive and irate. The conversation went as follows:

Reporter: “Are you telling your officers if they witness a crime – they witness someone commit a crime on someone else and they’re ten yards away – they can’t go stop that person?“
Peake: “Is that in there?“ (referring to policy)
Reporter: “It says no chases whatsoever.“
Peake: “Well, that’s what I said, no chases, didn’t I? I didn’t say nothing about a crime. If you see a crime, this that and the other -“
Reporter: “Well, that’s what a chase is – “
Peake: “Well, I told them no chase on foot, and (the police chief) know exactly what I mean, so you’re trying to twist what I -“
Reporter: “No, I’m not. You said no chases. No chases means no chases.“
Peake: (claps hands) “You got you a story, thank God! You are so sweet! You got you a story on a woman in Wellford! Hallelujah! I’m so proud of you, Mr. Cato!“

If I were a criminal, I would be on my way to Wellford, SC right this very minute.

If I were a Wellford resident, I would be doing two things:

• Making sure my firearms are loaded and ready
• Starting immediately, pursuing all legal means of removing this dangerously incompetent and and severely unstable woman from office.

A commenter on the WSPA article had the following to say about Peake:

Posted by ( medic21a ) on September 21, 2009 at 2:39 pm

I have noticed that the people who don’t live in Wellford are mistaken if they think we have not tried to have Sally removed from office. We have contacted the Governor (excuse me 2 Governors), the State Voters Commission, SLED (to investigate where all the fire depts Money went after she disbanded them and threw them and the Rescue Squad out of town hall) and the Attorney Generals Office (2 of them also). Not One of them did anything, it was like she couldn’t be touched (sounded really fishy to me). They even did an audit and still could not tell anyone where the money went. Sally would not let anyone have or even see the audit even though we tried to make a big stink using the “freedom of information act”.

Sally was voted out of office every time the election was run and then came out the box of absentee ballots, from the apartments and the nursing homes (most of the pts couldn’t tell you their name).

Before she was mayor,our Fire and Rescue volunteers had dinners, Bakery sales and yard sales,earning enough money to build a 2nd floor on our town hall. We did all the work with the help of our volunteer that was a contractor. So you all can see we have been going through this mess for quite a while. We are at our wits end. We want it all back like it used to be. We were all there in 1 building having family cookouts, cooking barbeque all night and the entire community was welcome. Channel 7 Problem Solver we have a problem for you!!!!!!! HELP!!!!!!!!!!

No doubt the Obama administration is considering a cabinet position for Peake.

Here are the videos. First is the edited televised version (2:11), second is the unedited raw version (7:06). They have to be seen to be believed.

Edited version:

Unedited version:

…..

-Cnation