Candidates for Randolph County Sheriff said a law that will go into effect on October 1 is unenforceable.
Randolph County Commissioner Derek Farr and chief deputy Donnie Grant, who are both running for sheriff, participated in a forum presented by the Randolph County Accountability, Transparency and Public Information Group.
The candidates were asked questions about their experience, qualifications and goals for the sheriff’s office. When asked about Beau’s Law, which requires dog owners to provide shelter, water, food and care, and imposes tethering requirements, both candidates said the law poses many challenges for law enforcement.
Farr said the law has too many loopholes, making it impossible to enforce.
“I think they're going to have to revisit it if they really want a law that is going to be enforced in Alabama,” Farr said. “They're going to have to revisit it because if you read it, it's not enforceable unless you have everything in line and all the stars line up and all the planets line up. I just don't think it's enforceable.”
Farr said he would hold someone accountable under the law if all the stipulations were met.
Grant said he would also follow the law. However, he said the sheriff’s office does not have the resources it needs because deputies are already responding to 1,300 to 1,400 calls a month.
“We're going to have to sit down with the district attorney's office and sit down with the commission and just come up with a plan for that,” Grant said. “I mean, that's a tough one, being able to enforce that. But guess what? If it's written in law, we've got to follow the law.”
Lawmakers debated the bill for days, adding numerous amendments before it was passed.
The law goes into effect on October 1. Under the law, offending dog owners could face misdemeanor charges and have their dog removed.
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