Challengers to Roanoke sheriff question her leadership

Source: The Roanoke Times, Va.儲存Oct. 05--Travis Akins began today's debate in the race for Roanoke sheriff by explaining in his opening statement why he's running as an independent."Politics has no place in law enforcement," he said.But political sparring was evident during the debate, as Akins, Democrat Tim Allen, and incumbent Republican Octavia Johnson answered questions at a forum at William Fleming High School sponsored by the Roanoke branch of the NAACP and the Roanoke alumnae chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority.Johnson, who is seeking her third term, said she's the only candidate of the three who has "a record of being sheriff of Roanoke city." That criteria was rejected by both Akins and Allen, who cited years of law enforcement experience themselves.Allen worked in the sheriff's office for 21 years, rising through the ranks from deputy to lieutenant, before resigning to take a captain's position at the Western Virginia Regional Jail in 2008. In 2010 he was promoted there to major.Akins listed 19 years of varying law enforcement experience, including as a deputy at the jail, where he was a training officer and member of the department's tactical response team. He's currently a Roanoke police officer who works as a crime prevention specialist.The three agreed that one of the biggest challenges facing the sheriff's office is inmates who have mental health issues. Johnson said she'd increased the number of hours during which a psychiatrist is available in the jail, and said she's partnered with other agencies in the mental health field to offer inmates psychiatric and social services.Akins said he's currently the city police department's mental health instructor. If elected, he promised to reorganize the sheriff's public information office to help reintegrate inmates into society, noting that the rate of recidivism in Roanoke is "off the charts."Allen, who for a time led the medical department at the jail, said he served on a task force that addressed mental health issues in the department."Quite frankly, if you just have a psychiatrist in your facility just a few hours throughout the week -- maybe one or two days ... it's just simply not enough," he said.The questions asked came from the NAACP, Delta Sigma Theta and the audience, said Hollani Davis, the debate's moderator and 儲存倉 news anchor at WDBJ (Channel 7). One question noted that complaints made to the NAACP "in recent months and years" alleged mistreatment and overcrowding at the jail, and asked the candidates what steps they would take to address the issue.In 2011, an excessive force lawsuit against two Roanoke jail deputies was settled for $175,000 after a man claimed his elbow was broken in a beating by deputies. As part of the settlement, the man agreed not to sue other defendants named in the suit, including Johnson."We do not tolerate the use of force that is not necessary," Johnson said at the debate, noting she'd started the office's first professional standards unit to investigate incidents where force was used by deputies against inmates.Allen and Akins both said they'd look into the use of home electronic monitoring systems that would allow inmates to remain in custody outside of the jail as a way to alleviate overcrowding.Akins said he'd talk to staff on a daily basis, and would lead by example in the department."Morale is at an all-time low," he said. "Morale couldn't be much worse working under this administration."Allen, who said he'd "give the staff a voice" by starting an employee advisory committee, questioned why just recently the starting salary of city sheriff's deputies no longer matched that of city police officers and firefighters. It's currently about $2,318 lower, according to the city's website."That should not be," he said.Johnson said she had improved morale in her office by starting a chili cook-off for staff, remodeling the employee break room, building a new employee gym and creating a Christmas awards ceremony.She said her office has worked to become an accredited agency through several organizations, changing policies and procedures within the past month in the process."It will not take me eight years to review policies and procedures, folks," Akins said. Johnson took office in 2006.The incumbent sheriff responded in her closing statement."A lot of people can say that they can do this and they can do that, but as sheriff of Roanoke city, you are mandated by the code of Virginia," she said. "The code of Virginia."Copyright: ___ (c)2013 The Roanoke Times (Roanoke, Va.) Visit The Roanoke Times (Roanoke, Va.) at .roanoke.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉最平