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Are Constables A Liability, Or Crucial To Law Enforcement?

Courtesy of http://www.tennesseeconstable.com/

In many Tennessee counties, constables are a lot like regular police officers, but with a few major differences: They get paid very little, if anything, are required to have very little training, and don't have a superior.

Through the years, different states have given the office different powers, and some states have dropped the position altogether.

David Broome is a constable in Sequatchie County, TN. He's part of a long tradition of constables in the United States and Tennessee -- they've been part of U.S. law enforcement since the colonial period. And in rural Sequatchie County, the sheriff's department still very much depends on constables to keep the community safe.

Mary Helen Miller was a producer for Around and About from 2012 to 2013. She now works at the Chattanooga Times-Free Press.