Sunday, October 25, 2009
3 vying for job of Roanoke sheriff
Training and technology are among the priorities for the incumbent and her challengers.
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From The Roanoke Times
Roanoke voters will decide among three candidates for sheriff on Nov. 3: Republican incumbent Octavia Johnson, Democrat Frank Garrett and independent Brian Keenum.
Four years ago, Johnson won the Roanoke sheriff's seat in an election that was tainted with controversy.
Her opponent, incumbent George McMillan, had been named in a federal sexual harassment lawsuit about two months before the vote, tilting the election in Johnson's favor.
This election year, Johnson finds herself challenged not only by two other candidates, but also by several issues that arose during her first term as sheriff.
Her opponents say that if elected, they will restore what they see as needed morale and a sense of professionalism to the office.
Johnson did not respond to four requests for an interview for this story, but did send an e-mail touting her accomplishments as sheriff.
She said in the e-mail that she has updated technology in the sheriff's office, increased security, and overseen repairs, maintenance and renovation projects within the sheriff's office.
Specifically, she takes credit for installing a biometric fingerprint scanner and new metal detectors, remodeling the entrance to the jail and offices, and issuing inmates more conspicuous uniforms, among other things.
Her e-mail also says that she "challenged tradition and confronted gender bias" in the office by appointing women and men to various positions.
Johnson won the sheriff's race in 2005, after losing to McMillan in 2001 when she was a deputy. When she took over as sheriff, she had 25 years of service there.
If re-elected, Johnson wants to continue updating technology and replacing old equipment, according to the statement.
It also says that the sheriff's office is planning to develop a Sheriff's Office Citizens Academy.
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Garrett was a Roanoke police officer for nearly 25 years before retiring and joining the Roanoke Sheriff's Office as a deputy in 2003.
As a police officer, he taught in the academy, patrolled by bike, horse and in a cruiser, investigated juvenile crimes and taught Drug Abuse Resistance Education in elementary and middle schools.
Since 2003, he has provided security at the city courthouse and has continued teaching DARE.
Garrett responded to criticism in a Roanoke Times editorial that he lacks managerial experience by saying that his 30 years in law enforcement have taught him how to make sound, strong decisions.
"I'm actually proud that I have been at the ground level for 30 years," he said. "You know what the men and women at the sheriff's office want. You know what they're crying for. You haven't been in a glass tower."
He was critical of Johnson for allowing a controversial sniper training to take place about a year ago. The training involved putting officers downrange during live fire and led to the sheriff's office and city police department's ban from Roanoke County's firing and driving range.
"Aside from the fact that we're lucky nobody got killed, the city taxpayers will actually have to pay money to build a new range," Garrett said.
If elected, he said he would like to continue to expand the DARE program at city schools. He believes that having a uniformed law enforcement officer in the schools makes them more secure, and believes the program keeps children on the right path.
He wants to make sure the jail is recycling its waste, and look into recycling leftover food.
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Keenum began his career in public safety when he was 16, as a volunteer medic with the Cave Spring Rescue Squad. He later became a Roanoke County dispatcher and then worked for two years at the Roanoke Sheriff's Office. He joined the Roanoke County Sheriff's Office where he was promoted to sergeant.
His duties at the sheriff's office included working in the medical department, training staff and overseeing programs for inmates. He also helped implement a home electronic monitoring program at the sheriff's office, something that he would like to do at the Roanoke Sheriff's Office if elected.
He estimates that electronic monitoring can save the office more than $700,000 in the first year. He based that estimate on the number of inmates currently eligible for work release. It costs the jail $65 a day to house them.
Keenum resigned from the sheriff's office in March 2008 to become the regional director of development for Special Olympics Virginia, and to get ready to run for sheriff, he said.
If elected, Keenum said he would work to make the sheriff's office more accessible to residents and improve communication among city departments.
He also wants to get more work crews in the community.
"There's no reason we can't have more crews out there," he said.
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Garrett and Keenum agree on a number of issues.
Garrett would like to appoint master deputies to oversee training, and create standards for the training, he said.
Keenum, too, said he would organize more in-house training if elected.
Garrett was also critical of Johnson for hiring her sister, Patricia Johnson, as the office's public information officer because it raised questions of nepotism. While Keenum hasn't openly criticized the hire, both candidates have said they would add more responsibilities to the position, such as grant writing, or eliminate it.
And both said that morale and retention are suffering because of Johnson's actions.
Garrett said he would address those issues by creating a committee of deputies to take ownership of morale issues, develop goals, identify and prioritize what needs to be changed, and find solutions.
Keenum said he would address those problems by creating a staff advisory committee to gather suggestions about what could be changed.
Johnson did not respond to e-mailed questions regarding her opponents' criticisms.
She has said in the past that her sister, a poet with no law enforcement experience, was the best candidate for the public information officer's position.
She responded to the sniper training earlier this year by saying that she didn't know about the training until two weeks after it happened. She said she would not allow it to happen again.
