The race for Elmore County Sheriff's Office

Rick Layher

GOP -- Incumbent

1. Please describe your philosophy of law enforcement and management of the sheriff's office.

My philosophy for management of the sheriff's office, and for law enforcement in general, is to promote and maintain a caring, professional department; one that not only gains the respect and confidence of the citizens while enhancing public safety, but also improves citizens' quality of life through crime reduction and prevention.

These ideals are made possible by a close working relationship with the residents of Elmore County and the surrounding area.

2. What do you believe are the strengths of the sheriff's office?

The strengths of the sheriff's office change from time to time depending on circumstances and personnel, but at this time we have a group of exceedingly professional employees with a real concern for the well-being of the citizens. They genuinely care and will go out of their way to help those in need.

The different divisions of the sheriff's office include: Civil, Patrol, Jail, Marine Division, Detectives, Dispatch, Drivers Licensing, SILD and Court House Security.

The different divisions function interdependently and have a very powerful team dynamic overall. The way the divisions pull together to handle a serious crime or incident makes me proud.

We have a very effective chain of command that not only allows us to deal with incidents in the most efficient way possible, but also ensure accountability for every employee throughout the department.

3. What do you believe are the weaknesses of the sheriff's office (if any) and, if you believe there are weaknesses, how do you propose to correct them?

The weaknesses of the sheriff's office fluctuate in the same way that our strengths do.

Right now a weakness we are dealing with is procedure policy, which is strong in some areas but in need of improvement in others. An example of this is the excellent and comprehensive policy for the jail and its operation, contrasted with the struggle we have had in the creation and maintenance of policy for the patrol divisions.

To remedy the problem, we entered a program funded by our insurance carrier (ICRMP: Idaho Counties Risk Management Program). The program is called Lexipol, and it is an adaptable policy that can be applied and altered as needed to fit a particular department. Most of the sheriff's departments in Idaho have gone to, or are going, to this policy. Overall, this serves to somewhat standardize policy in Idaho. We have completed our version and it has been submitted to our insurance company's attorney for review. We feel that the implementation of Lexipol will be an asset to our department.

Another weakness is low manpower, employee retention, and hiring procedure. We hope that our recent policy change will ensure that we hire quality people with good common sense, and caring, positive attitudes. We've recently had several employees leave, including our two mountain deputies, and the process of replacing them will serve as a good litmus test for the effectiveness of our new hiring policy. Rather than simply being interviewed and hired, the candidates will be doing physical fitness tests and psychological tests and undergoing background checks. The process will take time and hiring will not be immediate, but we believe that the outcome will be better for the citizens.

In regards to retention, we feel strongly that making sure that people are hired and assigned to positions they truly want will help keep them in the department longer. Working to attain higher wages for employees is a must, especially for the mountain deputies. The cost of living in the mountain areas of the county is inherently higher -- what with the cost of fuel and the need to drive further to fill day to day needs. The deputies cannot afford to live in those areas, even with the extra housing allowance included as part of their wages.

I feel we are headed in the right direction in regards to remedying the problem of low manpower. The commissioners allowed for two additional deputy positions in this year's budget, which became effective on Oct. 1.

Once these people are hired, sent to the academy and trained (which takes four to five months), we will be in a position to accomplish a great deal more for the citizens.

The manpower issue has been a problem forever, and has prevented us from developing and implementing programs that the citizens are in need of. We aren't unlike any other sheriff's office in the state, and the programs you can put in place is entirely dependent on the manpower you have, which is dependent on how much each county can afford.

4. Where do you believe the sheriff's office should focus its attention?

I believe that we should focus on a number of things in the department.

I personally need to focus on the chain of command, making sure everything is getting done, and that everyone is doing their jobs as they should.

I believe we should continue to focus on increasing rehabilitation programs in the jail, to allow inmates to leave the correctional facility with more effective means of dealing with their problems so we don't see them in jail again as repeat offenders. Some just need that extra support to get straightened out.

I need to focus on keeping the hiring and retention policy in good working order, and further, make sure that employees are helpful, professional, courteous, and caring in their dealings with each other and with citizens.

I need to also focus on the development of more programs that work in cooperation with citizens, which will become easier with the two new deputy positions.

The above are just a few things that I can see the need to focus on in the immediate future. However, there are a number of issues that come up daily that also require their due attention, and my focus will continually adjust as necessary to ensure that our department runs smoothly and effectively.

In closing, I would like to add that we aren't perfect. Despite the fact that we are indeed human and do make mistakes, I am proud of the way that the Elmore County Sheriff's Department has worked as a cooperative, interdependent entity to serve and hopefully will continue to serve our citizens.

Greg Berry

Ind. -- challenger

Please describe your philosophy of law enforcement and management of the sheriff office.

As it always must be, law enforcement officers are bound to protect the community. Ethics and professionalism have always been the critical importance to the community. Law enforcement is a profession with explicit public trust as its foundation.

To achieve the quality of services needed for the people, deputies depend on the actions of each individual of the department to get through the day. There cannot be any doubt of team cooperation.

We are in the "people business," it is important that we act in a moral and ethical manner at every level of the sheriff's organization, as well as at the political level. It has traditionally been a pedestal profession leaving all of us living in glass houses.

If elected, I will energize and invigorate my team to excel at every responsibility and earn your trust as we are "serving you."

What do you believe are the strengths of the sheriffs department?

The strong points of every organization are its employees. There are several departments and branches of the Sheriffs Office: Patrol, Dispatch, Jail, Civil, Drivers License/Administration, Search and Rescue, Extrication, COPS, to name a few. They are the strength that builds the foundation for the success of the sheriff's department.

Unfortunately, there are an alarming number of experienced and dedicated deputies that have left and more continue to leave the sheriff's office.

I have spoken with some deputies and have learned they are disillusioned with the inadequate leadership of our sheriff. We must stop this loss and address the problems with new leadership.

Elmore County has a great experience investment in these fine people. Replacing the deputies takes months and even years to achieve the quality of professionalism and skill that we have lost.

If elected, I will work to get the morale back on track through fair treatment and compensation, training, with an ambitious team building leadership approach.

What do you believe are the weaknesses of the sheriff department (if any) and, if you believe there are weaknesses, how do you propose to correct them?

Under the current leadership there is a serious morale problem. Issues have developed that are affecting the lives of our deputies and their ability to contribute the highest quality of services that our community deserves.

These issues came from a lack of involvement from the sheriff on law enforcement training, insufficient help AND inadequate compensation.

During the last 20 years written policies and procedures have been remiss for the department. This management failure has caused inconsistencies which are understandably interpreted as unfair and frustrating to our law enforcement team.

Not having a clear sense of direction puts the deputies in a situation where they believe their necks are sticking out to disciplinary action and public condemnation.

If elected, my immediate goal is to establish those written policies. Those policies will be based in law, guidance from the Idaho Sheriff's Organization and experienced department leadership.

The deputies will know there is someone that will look into their issues and be quick to respond to any matter important to them and the community.

Refresher training will be implemented so that your law enforcement team is on the same page and fully skilled in all matters of their occupation.

I will perform a top to bottom review of the budget to ensure your tax dollars are being spent wisely and I will develop a comprehensive budget addressing the most vital needs of the department. I am fully aware that fiscal responsibility is always important, and with that in mind I promise to be a steward of public trust and funds.

Where do you believe the sheriff's office should focus its attention?

Public Safety! The number one mission is to take care of the people of Elmore County. To get there, as stated in the previous questions, I believe focus should be on improving leadership, morale among the deputies, as well as extensive training to better prepare all department employees for any situation put upon them in the line of duty.

(When referring to "deputies," I am addressing all positions in the sheriff's department.)

Also, with the economy faltering and Idaho's unemployment doubling during the last eight months we need to be prepared and better trained for an increase in crimes such as robbery, burglary, drug activity and domestic violence.

When our law enforcement team is better schooled, with clear guidelines, and they have what's needed in equipment, they will excel in any emergency or other adverse situation.

Our deputies will not only become much better defenders of the public, but also public relations ambassadors our community will look up to and appreciate.

Robin Ellis

GOP -- challenger

No response was received from the candidate by deadline.