St. Marys county race for Sheriff

[blueeyes76]

Nodnarb

[chuckster]

nodnarb..
You have some great questions there, and we should have a lot of concerns about both the Sheriffs Dept and the States Attorneys Office.

The charges against this guy Ford were dropped because Fritz didn't think that he had enough on the guy. That seems odd to me. $80,000.00 of merchandise is something that I would also have receipts for. I think that there is more to this than we are being told.

The fact of the matter is that the county(us) will be out the $80,000.00 because some of the deputies thought that this merchandise was there for the taking.

The only reason I brought this up is that the games in the Sheriffs Dept will not stop as long as we keep electing a new Sheriff from the current ranks. We are helping to continue the situation. The deputies in the department see everyday the politics that are being played but don't have the b@#LS to speak up. Guess that this is because the ones that did wound up with rat poison in their mail box and were treated as outsiders from that point on or fired for some made up reason.

I am very upset about the whole situation. I hope that this doesn't get swept under the carpet like so many other situations at the Sheriffs Dept. Then again, Fritz won't be handling this case.

Doolan has stated that he will not go down alone and I think that he means it. To many facts are hitting the street and to many deputies are involved.

I also think that our legal system should be technical AND moral.

[Ken King (Premo)]

Chuckster,

I don’t think it really matters if the person is from the ranks or from elsewhere, when you get a piece of crap, you get a piece of crap. What we need is a no nonsense sort of person versed in law enforcement, a lot of backbone, honest, high moral character, ethically sound, and demands the same from his people. You get that and we’ll have someone that will make a difference. As of yet I haven’t made up my mind on which candidate comes the closest to what I am looking for.

[Oz (Premo)]

Let's see Chuckster...

On my list of political candidates, beside States Atty Fritz, (who represented one Mr Ford in the private sector, I do believe,) it lists - RUH-ROH! - one Mrs Doolan is listed as campaign treasurer.

Speaking of the stolen, stolen goods... I believe that the people responsible for removing it from the Sheriff's office will ultimately be held responsible for paying back the first thief, but wasn't my point originally about how ridiculous that all is? AND, if the insurance companies paid off on claims, but the Sheriff's office had the property all along, wouldn't you think that the insurance people would be interested in this mess too? WOW! It boggles the mind!

As for Sheriff, I tend to think outside of the department would be good too. Dan Morris is my choice in the primary, as he has worked in the States Attorney's office under 2 different SA's from 2 different parties (Dem and Rep!) Even with the above statements about the SA's office, I don't think the negative things should stick to the people's lead investigator. I think this brings us a non-partisan type who is able to work with both parties, from outside the department, and an ex-marine, with police work experience from the major counties to down here. I think that's the direction we were leaning in this conversation in the first place.

My (really-close) second choice is David Zylak. He's a fine upstanding officer and man. I believe him to be honest and distanced from the current scandal. And, if he gets through the primary against Morris, and I think he can, then he'll be my #1 without question. The biggest strike I see against him is that he is inside the department already, and I think we need to go away from that just to give the department a different perspective, similar to when Sheriff Pettit was elected back in the 80's.

[blueline]

Who to vote for....someone from "inside" the Sheriff's Office, or someone from "outside" the Sheriff's Office?

Many people are using a broad brush to paint anyone from "inside" the agency as unworthy. 99 percent of those in the Sheriff's Office are hardworking men and women. Besides, wouldn't it be safe to assume that someone from the "inside" is bucking "the system" - trying to make a change - by running for the office in the first place?

The best candidate for the job should be one from "the inside" of the agency. There is no learning curve....no time to adjust or get acquainted with things. The new Sheriff has to hit the ground running - and fast - to bring the agency back to where it should be.

[chuckster]

Originally posted by Ken King
Chuckster,

What we need is a no nonsense sort of person versed in law enforcement, a lot of backbone, honest, high moral character, ethically sound, and demands the same from his people.

Ken, you are 100% correct

blueline, I am not sure if that person is "inside the agency" I do agree with you that there is a large percentage of people in the department are hardworking, honest men and women. But they have also been exposed to some of the political games that have been played over the past few years. The "system" should have been "bucked" a while ago. What I don't understand is the learning curve and period of adjustment that you talk about. The law is the law no matter what county you are in. What I see with someone from the inside is that they have already "learned" who the Good ole Boys are and have already made the "adjustment" to how the games are played here in St. Marys

nodnarb, so you know, Fritz will not be handling this case. State Prosecutor Steven Montanarelli so far has it.

This election should be very interesting.

[Tonio]

Originally posted by blueline
Many people are using a broad brush to paint anyone from "inside" the agency as unworthy. 99 percent of those in the Sheriff's Office are hardworking men and women. Besides, wouldn't it be safe to assume that someone from the "inside" is bucking "the system" - trying to make a change - by running for the office in the first place?

I have to disagree. I've seen and heard about too much political squabbles in the St. Mary's sheriff's department. This latest insanity over the theft of building materials is just more proof that the department can't do its job. It's not any individual sheriff or deputy, it's an institutional paralysis.

This may sound crazy, but I think ALL the deputies should be replaced. That's the only way to smash the factions inside the department, at least for a few years.

[Oz (Premo)]

Actually Blue, and I can't believe I am agreeing with Tonio because normally, he's way out there (IMHO) but even a stopped watch is correct twice a day, and Tonio hit it right on the head.

From the public's perspective, political divisions exist within the department. We *need* a sheriff who will come in without alliances on one side, and "enemies" on the other. Someone so that ALL factions within the department feel a bit uncomfortable, and the politics change to people just trying to do a good job under the new administration.

If it takes a sheriff a while to get used to the department and how it runs, then good! Hopefully, he'll see where the system needs change and improvement along the way.

Don't try to scare the voters into electing an insider, because your argument is disrespectful of every officer and civilian who does their job within the department. I believe that concept in your argument is disrespectful of the system, because all sheriff's have the same system to work within. If one guy causes the system to slow, or fail, then the rank-in-file is not doing their job of supporting the new sheriff. (This applies no matter who is elected.) It will change, but it won't fall apart, and no matter who is elected, it will be improved with their vision.

You stated that we have fine men and women serving our county. If your statement is true, and I believe it is, then they would bring a new sheriff right up to speed without missing a beat. The election is over, and that's how professionals go about doing their job, and it's new opportunities for every person serving in the department because they all now have a clean slate under (in my example) Sheriff Morris.

[David Zylak]

[quote]Originally posted by Nodnarb
[b]From the public's perspective, political divisions exist within the department. We *need* a sheriff who will come in without alliances on one side, and "enemies" on the other. Someone so that ALL factions within the department feel a bit uncomfortable, and the politics change to people just trying to do a good job under the new administration.

If it takes a sheriff a while to get used to the department and how it runs, then good! Hopefully, he'll see where the system needs change and improvement along the way.

Nodnarb,

There will be "alliances on one side, and enemies on the other," for ALL the candidates. It's just the nature of politics. In my 19 years, I've seen it at every election (even when Sheriff Pettit was the Sheriff).

In my opinion, by being from the "inside", I have a far better opportunity to make a smooth transition. And, it does matter whether the Sheriff takes a while to get use to the department. While he is "getting use" to the department, who's running it?

Under my administration as Sheriff, I can assure you that when the election is over, the politics will be over and it will be time to get down to business, which is moving the Sheriff's Office in a positive direction for the good of the citizens.

David Zylak
Democratic Candidate for Sheriff

[giggles04]

Mr. Zylak,

I just hope that we're calling you Sheriff Zylak in the future