January 2014
CSPOA Conference Report
The January 2014 CSPOA conference began with a prayer. Right then, any newcomers could tell there would be something different about this meeting of over 75 sheriffs, police chiefs, peace officers and other elected officials and public servants from 31 different states. As the day progressed, each of the speakers noted God's role in our task; how could they not? It takes faith to understand freedom; it takes more than courage to stand when the tide is going against you. A self-serving person will go with the flow, but a person of principle - a person of faith - stands even when he or she stands alone against the crashing waves.
The men and women at this conference did not attend out of any desire to make
their lives easier or to make themselves more popular. They came because
their beliefs demanded that they
be there. Every day they pledge their
lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor for a cause they believe in:
The Holy Cause of
Sheriff Brad Rogers of
Constitutional scholar and director of the Institute On The Constitution Michael
Peroutka spoke next, with a rousing reminder of just how heavily dependent the
Constitution is on a proper understanding of God's law.
After a short break, Richard Mack - former
Attorney and constitutional scholar Kris Anne Hall concluded the morning with a
powerful presentation on the Fourth Amendment (search and seizure, warrants,
etc.), illustrating just how far we have strayed from constitutional practices
in recent years.
After lunch our real work began. One of our primary goals was to draft a
resolution that would state clearly how we felt about the current abuses raining
down from the Federal government, and to establish boundaries and guidelines for
federal agents and employees to follow when entering local jurisdictions.
We spent the early afternoon discussing this document, and the tone in the room
was nothing short of miraculous. There was some discussion about proper wording,
but there was no real disagreement on what we wanted to say. There were some who
worried that if the document was worded too strongly others would be hesitant to
join us, but there were none who said it was too strongly worded for themselves.
There were no lost tempers; no heated arguments. Nobody walked out of the room
in anger. How is this possible in a room full of strong-willed, independent
sheriffs from across the nation? Only one answer to that: They were of one heart
and one mind, and they were acting in courage with the strength of faith.
Eventually we selected a small committee headed by Sheriff Joey Kyle of
After the finished resolution was read back to the group, we felt another prayer
was needed. We prayed over this document, that it could touch the hearts and
minds of many other sheriffs, peace officers, public officials and citizens
across the nation; that it could be an instrument used to restore liberty to
countless numbers who are losing it a little more each day. We prayed that it
could be taken in the spirit that it was written: Not a spirit of anger or
violence, but a spirit of peace and freedom. We prayed that it could be a
clarion call to unite the good people across the nation who want to stand but do
not want to stand alone.
The conference culminated with a banquet and award presentation. Sheriffs Pam
Elliott of