On the Issues
Jail Overcrowding
I believe that public safety should be our community's top priority and I’m committed to providing the best and most efficient law enforcement services possible with the resources provided by taxpaying citizens. The Jail overcrowding problem seems to be an ongoing problem with every Vigo County Sheriffs Administration. The past administrations have felt that building on to the jail would elevate the problem. However the administration was told that the jail would be OVERCROWDED by the time it was finished. Read More...
Understaffed & Underequipped Deputies
The short term answer to this question is probably the least popular with the Deputies. However, the Department needs to be restructured. Currently there are considerably more deputies working the day shift then any other shift. The recent retirement of a deputy with no replacement hired, doesn’t help the situation either. Read More...
Correctional Officer Hiring Practices
PROBLEM: Over the past year and a half the Vigo County Jail has had to arrest, fire, or ask six correctional officers to resign. The problems ranged from use of controlled substances, trafficking with inmates, to improper relationships with inmates. These situations can expose the County to civil suits, costing you, the taxpayer, thousands of dollars in defending these lawsuits. You cannot totally eliminate these problems. However, you can lessen the probability of employee misconduct by implementing a few safeguards. Read More...
Sexual Offender Investigations
PROBLEM: As you may be aware of, under State law the Vigo County Sheriff’s Department is responsible for the tracking and registration of sexual offenders in our county. Currently there is no detective assigned to FULL-time investigative duties of the more than 250 sexual offenders. This is an overwhelming task. By State statute violent sexual offenders must be physically checked on four times a year, with other sexual offenders being checked on one time per year. The fact that the Vigo County Sheriff’s Department has no full-time deputy assigned to this duty Read More...
Unsolved Homicides
This issue to me is probably the toughest to deal with. I believe that the Vigo County Sheriffs Department currently has around 8 to 11 unsolved homicides. The reason I don’t know the exact number is simply because it is not an issue that they want to discuss. I think this is an issue that they don’t want to have to address. Unsolved homicides have to be addressed. The victims and their families are owed justice . Read More...