Jewelry Store Snubs Deputy

                A North Carolina sheriff’s deputy was recently informed by Kay Jewelers in Statesville that the engagement ring he had purchased there had been sized and was ready for pickup. The deputy was buoyed by the news. He could now propose to his beloved! Unfortunately, when he showed up at the retail outlet while on lunch break, the store manager met him at the door and told him he couldn’t enter the premises while carrying his service firearm.

                The Iredell County Sheriff’s Office later revealed on Facebook that: “The deputy informed the manager he was in uniform and his marked patrol car was in the parking lot, and it would be a violation of policy for him to remove his service weapon while in uniform.” The post explained that the policy requiring deputies to be and remain armed “is in place for not only the safety of the deputy, but the general public as well.” One would think that would be obvious, but apparently it is not.

                The store’s manager informed the deputy that he “could return to the store at a different time, when he was not armed.” That was certainly gracious. The deputy dutifully left without the ring…and without telling the store’s manager, “I hope you never get robbed, but good luck if you do.” The sheriff’s office added, “The reaction our deputy encountered is very difficult for us to comprehend, and we earnestly hope situations such as these are few and are diminishing.” Don’t count on it. The opposite is true.

                Though Sheriff Darren Campbell attempted to contact Kay Jewelers’ corporate office on numerous occasions, he never has been graced with a reply. Kay Jewelers did, however, respond to a request for comment from WSOC-TV: “Kay Jewelers is reaching out to the customer and the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office to sincerely apologize for the mishandling of this matter. We have tremendous respect for law enforcement, and we thank the Office for bringing this to our attention. We will be sure to reinforce store training regarding our firearm policy with specific regard to uniformed law enforcement.”

                In the meantime, I propose a new motto for the jeweler: “Every Diss Begins with Kay.”  

                You have to admit, it has a certain ring to it.