The Coshocton County Beacon November 30, 2023 | Page 9

November 30 , 2023 The Beacon • 9

Lawrence E . “ Larry ” McNamara , 85 , of West Lafayette , passed away at Coshocton County Regional Medical Center on Friday November 24 , 2023 .

Larry was born in Uhrichsville , Ohio on November 17 , 1938 . He was adopted by Charles and Mildred McNamara and was raised by his grandparents , Robert and Cora Chapman in Port Washington , Ohio .

He served in Germany in the United States Army and retired after working thirty-four years at General Electric in Coshocton . After his retirement , Larry was known for his quality craftsmanship doing blade sharpening , owning his own business , “ Magic Touch Blade Sharpening .”

Larry was a member of the First Baptist Church in Newcomerstown and former church trustee . He enjoyed spending time outside at home with his wife ,

Obituaries

Lawrence E . “ Larry ” McNamara

Alyce . Larry loved to go mushroom hunting and collecting model trains . He had a passion for animals and enjoyed raising horses and dogs that he considered his children . Larry and his wife enjoyed square dancing and Larry was a past president of the Modern Western

Square Dancing Federation .

Larry is survived by his devoted wife of 64 years , Alyce M . ( Cutshall ) McNamara whom he married October 17 , 1959 , and several nieces and nephews .

Friends may call at The Miller Funeral Home , 639 Main St ., Coshocton on Thursday , November 30 , 2023 , from 10:00 AM-12:00 PM Noon where funeral services for Larry will begin at 12:00 PM with Pastor Wayne Baker officiating . Interment will follow in Waggoner Cemetery , West Lafayette with Coshocton County Veterans Honor Guard performing military honors .

Memorial contributions may be directed to the Coshocton County Animal Shelter , 21755 TR 164 , Coshocton , Ohio 43812 ; envelopes will be available at the funeral home .

An online memorial is located at www . themillerfuneralhome . com .

Bill will stop mandatory ticket and arrest quotas

State Reps . Kevin Miller ( R-Newark ) and Bride Rose Sweeney ( D-Westlake ) recently introduced legislation that will prohibit ticket and arrest quotas .

House Bill 333 defines a quota as a mandate of a certain number of arrests made or citations issued for any offense that a local or state police officer must meet in a specified time period . It also clarifies what is not considered a quota , such as community contacts or analyzing data on arrests or citations .

“ As a retired state trooper , my goal was always to keep motorists safe and change unwanted behavior ,” Miller said . “ Sometimes this was accomplished with a citation while many times a friendly warning would suffice . Our lawenforcement officers need discretion versus an arbitrary quota system used to generate local revenue .”

Legislation banning quotas has been passed in 25 other states including Arkansas , Florida , Iowa , Louisiana , South Carolina , Texas , Tennessee , Michigan and Pennsylvania .

“ Requiring officers to

meet arbitrary quotas distracts from the primary objective of law enforcement , which must always be to preserve public safety . Quotas not only add unnecessary pressure to an already difficult job , but they also harm police-community relations ,” Sweeney said . “ Banning this practice will shore up the public trust in law enforcement that is so essential for civil society , and it will ensure that officers have the professional discretion to make arrests or write tickets in the interest of public safety .”

House Bill 333 is supported by the Ohio Patrolmen ’ s Benevolent Association and the Fraternal Order of Police .

“ The Ohio Patrolmen ’ s Benevolent Association commends Reps . Miller and Sweeney for working to prohibit ticket and arrest quotas and avoid unnecessary conflict between law enforcement and the people we proudly serve . When agencies arbitrarily dictate a certain number of arrests or citations that an officer must issue to keep their job , the trust between the public and law enforcement , as well as the very nature of constitutional policing , is needlessly tested ,” said George Sakellakis , OPBA director of organization . “ Ohioans must be assured that any citation or arrest is valid , legitimate and necessary .

“ Police officers , sheriff ’ s deputies and troopers are true professionals who risk their lives to serve our communities , not revenue generators . They got into this business to protect our neighborhoods , not occupy them . We are thankful that the legislature is tackling this important issue and urge them to pass this bill and end the practice of quotas in Ohio .”

House Bill 333 awaits committee assignment .

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