MANSFIELD — Richland County Sheriff challenger Jerry Botdorf sparred with incumbent Steve Sheldon at a GOP primary debate Thursday in Mansfield Senior High School’s auditorium.
News Journal Editor Ted Daniels moderated the event, which lasted about 30 minutes. The first question, similar to the commissioners’ debate, asked the candidates to describe their qualifications for the sheriff’s position.
Botdorf, since he was the challenger, answered the question first. He said he believes the job is more about character, honesty and integrity and less about knowing how to do the job. His brief response garnered applause from the audience.
“I’ve chosen to surround myself with people of good quality, good integrity, honorable men. Men that know more than I do who I will lean on to take care of business in the sheriff’s department as an honorable man,” he said.
Sheldon listed numerous accomplishments as sheriff, including the creation of the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitives Task Force, the start of Project Life Saver, STARFISH, and the restart of DARE. He also cited the construction of the new county jail and ongoing efforts with the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies to get nationally certified. If that goal is reached, it would make the Richland County Sheriff’s Office the 5th office in the state to become certified through this program.
Next, each candidate was asked the chief problem Richland County faces and how they would solve it.
Sheldon said drugs is the major issue, particularly the heroin epidemic. He said the drug problem is leading to other crimes.
“That problem creates a theft problem, a burglary problem, a B and E problem. And so we have other crimes committed by people because of the heroin problem,” he said.
Botdorf agreed the heroin epidemic is the most significant issue, but expressed surprise that Sheldon said he was involved in fixing the problem.
“He hasn’t provided one single piece of intel to the METRICH drug enforcement unit since 2012. Is it because he doesn’t want to provide them or is it because his deputies aren’t finding it?” Botdorf asked. “I don’t think it’s the latter. He’s not sharing this information with his drug task force. We have to work together, we have to share intel.”
Sheldon offered a rebuttal.
“Information is passed on to the METRICH drug task force. I have an officer, a full-time officer, attached to the drug task force. When I had the manpower, I had two officers attached to the task force and intelligence information is passed on to that officer,” Sheldon said.
He also noted that he has, within the last month, passed along information to the Mansfield police regarding intelligence on drug violations multiple times.
“I don’t necessarily fill out a form, I make a phone call,” Sheldon added.
The candidates were asked to evaluate the effectiveness of METRICH in fighting the drug problem and how it can improve.
“The commissioners all agreed that we are 18 deputies short than we were in 2008 — that is true,” Sheldon said. “A lot of things are driven by money, a lot of things are driven by manpower. The sheriff’s office needs more money, more manpower and better equipment.”
Botdorf said METRICH is an effective task force but more deputies should be assigned to it. He added when there’s a problem with a deputy, that individual needs to be fired immediately for the good of the community’s law enforcement.
“He’s alluding that he supports this drug task force, however in 2005, he had deputy run drug investigations with an ATF agent which ultimately got him charged with felony perjury for lying on the stand,” Botdorf said. “Yes, it was reduced. However, he still lied on the stand and he kept his job.
“We can’t allow law enforcement officers with questionable integrity or factors of dishonesty to remain on the job.”
That remarked triggered applause from the audience.
Sheldon responded by naming the officer in question, Det. Chuck Metcalf. The sheriff said firing Capt. Eric Bosko over a misdemeanor was not a justifiable reason for letting him go.
“You can’t necessarily just terminate someone just because you want to,” Sheldon said.
The next question asked Sheldon if it was a mistake to work a part-time job at Abon’s Card and Coins, which was part of an investigation for trafficking in stolen merchandise and the fatal shooting of Brian Garber?
“In retrospect, no I would not work there again,” Sheldon said.
Botdorf responded to that issue, too.
“Richland County citizens deserve the sheriff’s full-time attention, not part-time attention,” Botdorf said.
The moderator read a question referencing the 2013 incident when Bosko was involved with controversial court cases and the U.S. Attorney General.
“How would you respond to criticism that not dealing more harshly and directly with such basic ethical issues involving honesty shows a lack of leadership on your part?” asked Daniels.
“I like to be optimistic when you’re dealing with officers and other things,” Sheldon said. “You know, I think in this country we have a habit of somebody does 99.9 percent of things right, they do maybe one thing wrong and all of a sudden you want to condemn them forever.”
Botdorf rebutted that response.
“That officer should no longer be employed,” he said.
The next question dealt with the fatal shooting of Brian Garber during a domestic call. Daniels asked how Sheldon has handled that incident to prevent similar situations from happening in the future.
Sheldon said most deputies at the sheriff’s office have the best CIT training in the state.
Botdorf said he hopes Sheldon had a meeting the following days from the Garber incident to address procedures.
“I never once heard the sheriff say that was actually done after the Garber shooting. The incident took less that 95 seconds,“ said Botdorf, before he was interrupted by members of the audience.
“Five seconds. Less than five seconds — it was my son,” yelled out Connie Garber.
“Why did that happen so quickly and was any type of training done to address that?” Botdorf asked.
“We have had an investigation. We took statements. We’ve done investigations. Part of the difficulties is that we’re in litigations right now, so it’s hard to talk a lot about it because of the litigations,” Sheldon said.
In their closing statements, both reminded the audience of their experience.
Botdorf, the Mansfield Police Department’s director of operations for the 911 dispatch center, referenced his 30 years of law enforcement experience and his time in the military.
Sheldon referenced his 40 years experience in law enforcement as a police officer and other administrative roles within Mansfield Police Department prior to becoming sheriff.
The GOP primary winner faces Democrat Matt Mayer in the November election for a term that starts January 2017.
