JOHNSON CITY - Constables were once the law in the county back in the days when
commissioners were also local judges, dispensing shade tree justice and performing
weddings. Each district had a judge and a constable, with the county sheriff's main job
being mostly to run the county jail and serve the courts.
With the coming of the telephone, every rural resident had his or her local constable's
number written on the wall calendar beside the phone.
It's not so easy to find a constable today. In fact, 43 counties in Tennessee either no longer
have constables or have failed to report them to the Tennessee Constable Council. The
council lists 11 constables for Washington County, but another listing shows only nine
elected to office.
Sullivan and Carter counties have the largest constabulary, with 24 and 16 officers,
respectively.
If you look in the Johnson City phone book under constable, there's nothing to be found.
The best way to get ahold of one is to call the Election Commission. Even then, some of the
phone numbers offer no answers. If you call 911 for help, they will send a sheriff's deputy
instead of a constable.
Nowadays, the constable's duties are pretty well limited to serving court papers. Perhaps
the most active member of the constabulary is Gray's Al Wheelock, a chipper 80-year-old
who still wears the uniform and drives a car with a brown stripe.
Wheelock has been a constable since 1966 and has been a candidate for sheriff.
In fact, Tennessee's most famous constable, Buford Pusser of McNairy County, was a
constable from 1962-64, before becoming Tennessee's youngest-ever sheriff at 26. He
served in that office until defeated in 1970 and was once again an elected constable when
he died under mysterious terms in an auto accident in 1974.
Pusser best exemplifies the Wild West aspect of elected lawmen who are allowed to run
blue lights and sirens with no more law enforcement training than their appeal at the ballot
box. Washington County has had constables fall into disrepute over the years because of
their antics.
Most constables take their job seriously. Wheelock, for instance, religiously polices the ball
fields in Gray when they have games.
"We don't get paid for working as a peace officer," Wheelock said. "We have to pay for our
car and uniforms out of our own pocket. It don't cost the taxpayer nothing."
Wheelock says that of the 600 constables serving today in Tennessee, fewer of them get
into trouble than sheriffs.
"We've got some 20 sheriffs in prison in Tennessee for racketeering," Wheelock said.
Source KnoxNews.com
commissioners were also local judges, dispensing shade tree justice and performing
weddings. Each district had a judge and a constable, with the county sheriff's main job
being mostly to run the county jail and serve the courts.
With the coming of the telephone, every rural resident had his or her local constable's
number written on the wall calendar beside the phone.
It's not so easy to find a constable today. In fact, 43 counties in Tennessee either no longer
have constables or have failed to report them to the Tennessee Constable Council. The
council lists 11 constables for Washington County, but another listing shows only nine
elected to office.
Sullivan and Carter counties have the largest constabulary, with 24 and 16 officers,
respectively.
If you look in the Johnson City phone book under constable, there's nothing to be found.
The best way to get ahold of one is to call the Election Commission. Even then, some of the
phone numbers offer no answers. If you call 911 for help, they will send a sheriff's deputy
instead of a constable.
Nowadays, the constable's duties are pretty well limited to serving court papers. Perhaps
the most active member of the constabulary is Gray's Al Wheelock, a chipper 80-year-old
who still wears the uniform and drives a car with a brown stripe.
Wheelock has been a constable since 1966 and has been a candidate for sheriff.
In fact, Tennessee's most famous constable, Buford Pusser of McNairy County, was a
constable from 1962-64, before becoming Tennessee's youngest-ever sheriff at 26. He
served in that office until defeated in 1970 and was once again an elected constable when
he died under mysterious terms in an auto accident in 1974.
Pusser best exemplifies the Wild West aspect of elected lawmen who are allowed to run
blue lights and sirens with no more law enforcement training than their appeal at the ballot
box. Washington County has had constables fall into disrepute over the years because of
their antics.
Most constables take their job seriously. Wheelock, for instance, religiously polices the ball
fields in Gray when they have games.
"We don't get paid for working as a peace officer," Wheelock said. "We have to pay for our
car and uniforms out of our own pocket. It don't cost the taxpayer nothing."
Wheelock says that of the 600 constables serving today in Tennessee, fewer of them get
into trouble than sheriffs.
"We've got some 20 sheriffs in prison in Tennessee for racketeering," Wheelock said.
Source KnoxNews.com
| State losing constable tradition Numbers and duties declining in counties across Tennessee JAMES BROOKS, Johnson City Press Monday, December 10, 2007 |
| The Rhea County Newspaper |
| "Rhea County's REAL Information Source" |
