Meeting turns loud, ugly

Crammed shoulder to shoulder inside the narrow Gardendale community building, citizens concerned with recent robberies occurring in their little hamlet north of Odessa came to get questions answered from the Ector County Sheriff’s Office.

“We got houses that are being broken into,” Kody Bates said shouting at Ector County Sheriff Mark Donaldson. “My house could be being broken into right now.”

The big concern next to the robberies though is the response of the sheriff’s department itself. Many residents complained about the department’s alleged gradual arrival to emergency calls.

Currently the county does intermittent patrols, but does not have a permanent deputy or any other law enforcement in Gardendale. Donaldson tried calming down the heated crowd explaining there’s only been one robbery in Gardendale since Oct. 1 and that South Odessa and West Odessa are priority areas too.

“My responsibility is to all of Ector County,” Donaldson said over the onslaught of interruptions.

 But it wasn’t enough to satisfy the angry crowd Thursday night.

“We pay taxes too,” numerous people shouted throughout the meeting.

Donaldson went on to explain how the current budget allowed him to use overtime money to send deputies and patrol, but citizens want one full-time.

“Why can’t we have one (deputy) out here,” Richard Mainka asked.

Given the rest of the cities in the county and the responding to calls in Odessa, Donaldson responded, “Where do you want that person to come from?”

Even suggestions of buffing up the neighborhood watch program didn’t sit right. Especially with Mainka.

“If this community pays a lot of money…why can’t we have one deputy designated for Gardendale,” he said.

Re-questioning the department’s “slow” response, people began asking about the legalities of shooting trespassers on their property.

“I’ll protect my family, I’ll protect my neighbor,” Bates said. “Our sheriff’s department can’t help us out.”

And again, Donaldson attempted reassurance.

“I’m gonna do whatever I can to get this solved,” he said.

Bates, however, wasn’t pleased.

“None of (our) questions were answered,” he said.

As for Mainka, his patience has run out.

“I’m fed up with this,” Mainka said. “My friend down the street got robbed three times.”