As elections go, the one to elect a sheriff is usually one of the less dramatic but given the weighty law enforcement issues faced in the county, 2014 is going to be very different. Three professionals have put their names in the hat for the Republican nomination at next weekend’s assembly.
Adams County has many problems at all levels of government with the sheriff’s office being one of the most problematic in recent years. Current sheriff Doug Darr has been a divisive figure, alienating communities and fellow law enforcement professionals while potentially endangering citizens county-wide.
Because I believe this is such a critical race for citizens, I have probably researched the candidates more heavily than in any other in recent memory. Here is a quick run-down of the three with my impressions.
In alphabetical order:
Mike McIntosh: Currently a division chief within the department, McIntosh is Darr’s hand-chosen replacement. He has not run from the association which is troublesome to anyone even vaguely familiar with the issues within the department. McIntosh has never been involved in the party – until he decided to run for office – and now is claiming the mantle of ‘conservative.’ The refusal of the county jail to accept municipal criminals is probably the biggest issue in this race and McIntosh seems willing to let things stand pat, endangering citizens in the process. He has said the problem is one of “consistency in sentencing”, blaming municipal judges and other area law enforcement professionals just as Darr has.
Mark Nicastle: This is Nicastle’s second go-around having narrowly lost to Darr in 2010. He witnessed firsthand the unethical behavior of those in Brighton and seeks to return to the sheriff’s office and restore the public trust. Nicastle has been the most active of the three and seems to be everywhere there is a community function. He is very outspoken on the issues and has laid out a concrete vision for the department and spelled out how he would right past wrongs. From protecting citizens’ Second Amendment rights to rectifying the jail issue, control spending, improve efficiencies and more importantly, protect citizens, he has put his plan out there.
Fred Ramirez: A long-time law enforcement officer from New York, Ramirez is the outsider in the race, a role which he seems to relish. He wants to establish a Public Integrity Unit and actively pursue cases of corruption by county officials and employees. Not having been part of the Adams County Sheriff’s Office does limit his knowledge of the inner-workings of the department and its issues. However, he notes that the department’s problems stem from poor leadership at the top. Ramirez also recognizes that the problems won’t be solved if the sheriff doesn’t work in an open and collaborative fashion with the community and other law enforcement agencies in the area.
