Editorial: Children Services, county officials must mend their fences

For a group of people focused on repairing families, it baffles us that there is so much disfuntionality between Richland County commissioners, the county prosecutors office, the sheriff’s department and Richland County Children Services.

Last week, after Children Services Director Randy Parker learned that Prosecutor James Mayer wanted changes on Parker’s board, Parker went through the roof.

With his attorney, Parker demanded that Mayer stop meddling with children services.

The tantrum played out in front of county commissioners, and for a time seemed closed to coming to blows.

Mayer’s argument with children services is that there is a lack of law enforcement expertise on the board, and it appears that may be the reason the prosecutor’s office has seen a drop in child abuse and sex abuse cases.

Parker disagrees and said Mayer doesn’t know how to count. He said the system is working.

Meanwhile, the sheriff’s department detective assigned to investigate crimes against juveniles has started working out of the trunk of his car because he claims there is too much discord in the children services office.

A letter by board member Nancy Joyce appears to add weight to that claim. In the letter Joyce reprimands Detective Jeff Shook for a blow-up he had with Parker in front of Parker’s staff at children’s services.

When Assistant Prosecutor Bambi Couch Page tried to read the letter aloud, Parker repeatedly interrupted and ultimately walked out of the meeting.

To Parker’s argument, it certainly would be difficult to run a department knowing the county prosecutor is trying to dismantle a board he has worked hard to develop.

We still don’t understand why Mayer blindsided Parker by taking his complaints to commissioners instead of addressing his issues with Parker first.

Some progress, however, has been made. It appears Mayer may get some of his people on the board without sacrificing Parker’s wishes. Whether they can work together remains to be seen.

This apparent power struggle must stop.

We urge all parties involved to drop their egos and remember that they are directly involved with the families of Richland County.

If the quality of life in Richland County is measured by the strength of our families, then this group — more than any other — can have a profound influence.