A small dispute between Lewisburg Police Chief Alan Alsup and Logan County Sheriff Wallace Whittaker took place at Tuesday's Fiscal Court meeting.

Magistrates sat quietly for a time letting the two attempt to work through their issues which involved the Sheriff's Department adding a new radio channel only they had access too.

Alsup asked Judge/Executive Logan Chick what had become of the discussion he and two others had in his office three weeks ago about the new channel that he felt was an officer safety problem.

“We didn't find out about this new channel until after it was done and it poses a safety issue for the three city chiefs that are locked out,” said Alsup. “What if I were wrestling on the ground with someone and I had to call for back up. The way it is now I don't have access to the new channel and will have to call dispatch (911) to contact a deputy which will have to switch to my channel.”

An angry Whittaker told Alsup he new about the channel five months ago when he mentioned it to JECOB - an advisory board that both serve on, for the Emergency Communications Center (ECC/911).

Alsup disputed Whittaker saying he never came to JECOB asking for the new channel which Alsup said he should have done because the 911 system is already overloaded.

“You are the one who said the radio system was too crowded and now that another channel has been added you are complaining again,” said Whittaker, who said he never told Alsup or anyone else they couldn't come on the line. “All they have to do is ask.”

Alsup asked Whittaker why he added the channel in the first place.

Whittaker responded that there were going to be five new deputies added when the Justice Center was complete. He said those deputies needed to be on a line that was recorded.

Alsup said if he and the Auburn and Adairville police were allowed to come on the channel wouldn't it be the same as it was before the channel was added?

“There are too many channels on the system already. We don't need to keep adding more. The system is already overloaded and can barely handle what it has,” said Alsup.

The Russellville City Police Department has its own channel because the number of officers they have.