Public commenter reads sheriff’s report as commissioners weigh rules after gopher-shooting at Scobby cemetery

Public comment at the meeting focused on repeated incidents of people shooting gophers at Scobby Cemetery. John Liand, a resident who brought the item forward, summarized a sheriff’s office incident report and urged the board to address safety concerns and unclear enforcement.

Liand read portions of the sheriff’s report describing a Memorial Day response and later follow-up contacts. He said people had been shooting in close proximity to other cemetery visitors and that the cemetery board and the commissioners should clarify rules. "The safety of the public is the overriding factor," Liand said, urging the board to act.

A deputy’s written report read into the record said the cemetery is outside city limits and that, until the cemetery board or commissioners make an enforceable rule, the sheriff’s office has limited authority to act in some circumstances. The deputy advised the cemetery board to consider making a formal rule about discharging firearms at the site and noted that the incident report had redactions and no video or audio evidence. The deputy also said he did not feel safe confronting an armed person directly at the scene.

Commissioners and staff discussed how other jurisdictions post rules (for example, signage or published cemetery rules) and whether those rules are enforced consistently. The board did not adopt new rules at the meeting but asked staff to investigate how other cemeteries handle similar problems and to bring recommendations to a future meeting.

Next steps: staff will collect comparative practices from nearby cemeteries and return with options for rules or signage; the county and the cemetery board will need to consider enforceability before the sheriff’s office can take enforcement steps beyond standard response.