Constables dwindle in Tenn., except in rural areas

Sumner County Constable James Woodward, shown patrolling the streets of Gallatin, Tenn., is one of a slowly vanishing breed. "Many counties that once relied on constables have done away with the office, concerned that its time has passed and its liabilities outweigh the benefits," reports Clay Carey of The Tennessean. "But, with at least 10 constable primaries on the Feb. 5 ballot in Middle Tennessee and more races coming up in August, the generations-old tradition hangs on," especially in rural counties.

In culturally similar Kentucky, constable is a constitutional office, so elimination is a statewide question, and unlikely. (Kentucky does require constables to post bonds before they can use blue lights, which has cut down on their number.) In Tennessee, counties can decide on their own to eliminate constables, probably one reason constables have a lobby, the Tennessee Constable Council. Its president, Larry Rains, "believes one of the office's most common criticisms -- the lack of centralized command -- is really one of its biggest assets," Carey writes. "Maybe the sheriff's friend will do something, and the sheriff doesn't want to do anything about it," Rains told him. Constables are "somebody else to call."

Rains' group "is lobbying the legislature to strengthen training requirements for constables and create a disciplinary board that can set and enforce standards," Carey writes. "Sometimes constables do overdo it, and that has led to the downfall of the position in some communities. Several readers have posted comments to the story, giving their own experiences with constables. (Read more)