01-26-1998Silver Lake – Sam Whitaker defended the need for a fire investigator and criticized an aspect of Kosciusko County’s boot camp for juveniles during a town hall meeting Saturday.
The candidate for sheriff told about 25 people at the town hall building that he likes the idea of a boot camp, but suggested the program should be operated somewhere other than the work release center in Warsaw.
During the 34-day program, work release inmates are removed to make room for the juveniles.
Whitaker disagreed with the idea of allowing the inmates to go home without being monitored and was asked whether the inmates receive time off during the time they are sent home.
“I believe they do,” Whitaker said.
“If those people are sent to work release, they ought to be at work release,” Whitaker said.
Sgt. Tom Kitch, who supervises work release, confirmed that some inmates were sent home. Last year, judges delayed sentencing and officials had only about 10 inmates in the program at the time.
Half of those were housed in the jail while the other half were sent home. Those at home were monitored and drug tested, Kitch said.
The arrangement was approved by the courts, Kitch said.
Whitaker’s criticism was one of two subjects that touched on the campaign of colleague Aaron Rovenstine, who has been touting the boot camp as an effective way to work with juvenile offenders.
Whitaker also defended his proposal to create a position within the sheriff’s department for fire investigations, an idea Rovenstine recently questioned. Rovenstine claimed there were only four fires in the past year, thereby negating the need for such a position.
Whitaker wondered aloud where Rovenstine came up with those figures and said he was aware of eight fires investigated in 1997. Those blazes, he said, had a damage figure of about $1.3 million.
“I guarantee you, if there were $1.3 million stolen from Lake City Bank, we’d have special people working on it,” Whitaker said.
If there weren’t enough fires to merit the investigator’s full-time attention, that worker would be assigned other duties, Whitaker said.
Fire investigations are conducted by Squad 70, a group of police and firemen who volunteer their time. Whitaker said Squad 70 needs to be bolstered by somebody with skills in interrogation and interviews.
The fire investigator’s position is one of several changes Whitaker, a detective sergeant in the department, is proposing. He would also shuffle positions to increase the number of detectives from two to as many as five.
The changes, he said, would occur without additional hirings.
Kosciusko County’s population, nearing 70,000, requires more than two detectives, he said.
Rovenstine is considered by many to be one of the leading candidates in a field that is expected to attract five Republicans and two Democrats.
Whitaker was asked whether he believes Rovenstine has an advantage since his father, Al, is the current sheriff.
“His father’s name is definitely going to be a big plus,” Whitaker said. “I think the big plus for me is the things I’ve done and accomplished.”
Whitaker also attempted to squash rumors that he would fire some personnel within the department if elected. Such a move is illegal under current law and Whitaker said the only moves might be some internal changes.
Whitaker also proposed the county and city of Warsaw assemble a committee to determine whether a central communications center could be planned. The existing 911 system and the dispatcher’s equipment are outdated and need updating.
If a new jail isn’t constructed for a few years, officials should consider the central communications system or relocate the dispatchers into the sheriff’s department’s basement.
Current dispatching at the department creates too many distractions for dispatchers, who have to watch doors and occasionally work with the public, Whitaker said.
As has been the case at most of Whitaker’s meetings, Merle Heckaman complained about an investigation of his son who was involved in underage drinking. Several people criticized Heckaman for not being more concerned about his son’s activities.