Chesterton Tribune

 

 

Vote for Sheriff, Prosecutor and Coroner in the election Tuesday

Back To Front Page

By KEVIN NEVERS

Voters will elect Porter County’s top two law enforcement officers and its chief medical-legal investigator when they go to the polls on Tuesday.

The choices on the ballot:

* For Sheriff: Republican Mike Brickner or Democrat Dave Reynolds.

* For Prosecuting Attorney: Republican incumbent Brian Gensel or Democrat challenger Stacey Whitten.

* For Coroner: Republican incumbent Chuck Harris or Democrat challenger Chuck Scheuer.

Sheriff:

Brickner vs. Reynolds

Brickner, 53, has served with the Valparaiso Police Department for 28 years, the last 12 as VPD Chief. Brickner frames his candidacy as a choice for “modern policing” techniques, a “philosophy of leadership,” and “the future of law enforcement.”

Brickner is a strong advocate of community outreach programs as a way of building rapport between citizens and officers, has promoted them in Valparaiso, and intends to bring similar initiatives to the unincorporated neighborhoods of the county. Brickner pledges as well to introduce “cutting-edge technology and training” to the PCSP, to put a premium on “creativity and innovation,” and to establish an accreditation process for officers and jailers.

Reynolds, 64, served two previous terms as Porter County Sheriff, from 1999 through 2007, and prior to that as Chief of the Portage Police Department. Reynolds has emphasized his background as a crime fighter and cites the investigations which he oversaw as PPD Chief which led to the arrest and conviction of two serial killers, Christopher Peterson and Eugene Britt.

Reynolds calls himself “innovative and progressive in fighting crime,” says he has “the proven effective management style to better protect every voter and their family,” and characterizes his “mission” as preventing “bad people from doing bad things and (holding) them accountable.” Reynolds expresses concern for an increase in “rural criminal activity,” without a corresponding increase in the number of officers on the PCSP.

Both Brickner and Reynolds consider the drug problem the most urgent issue of the campaign, both say they would continue the PCSP policy of collaborating with federal agencies like DEA, and both promise to target those who bring drugs into Porter County. Brickner says the PCSP should have a more meaningful presence in the schools. Reynolds speaks of a taking a “more aggressive approach” and making “a more offensive stand.”

Prosecuting Attorney:

Gensel vs. Whitten

Gensel, 53, begins the case for his re-election with his experience: 26 years as a prosecutor, the last eight as Porter County Prosecuting Attorney, with more than 50 jury trials to his credit, including six murder trials and 20 child-molestation trials. Gensel also cites his office’s success in collecting child support: ranked No. 1 among the 14 largest counties in the state in past-support collections, current-support collections, and paternity determinations.

His opponent’s background, on the other hand, in bankruptcy and municipal law, has not prepared her for the office, Gensel says. Whitten “has never represented the State of Indiana in a criminal prosecution.” he told the Chesterton Tribune. “She has never tried a felony jury trial, never worked with a Porter County law enforcement agency, and has no prosecution training.”

Whitten, 38, challenges Gensel’s characterization of her legal career. “As a former public defender, I have handled hundreds of criminal cases,” she told the Tribune. And, as a municipal attorney for the City of Hobart, Whitten has prosecuted “many” ordinance violations, infractions, and misdemeanors.

“In the past eight years, unlike my opponent, I have tried many cases and built up a law practice,” Whitten says. “I understand that in order to be a successful leader, one must lead by example and not be a figure-head.”

Whitten specifically questions Gensel’s handling of the drug problem. “Drugs are flowing through this county like a river,” she says, but Gensel “thinks the status quo is acceptable. At the heart of the problem is that the current administration does not have a strong working relationship with the federal law enforcement agencies and continues to pursue addicts rather than focus on suppliers.”

Gensel, as head of the Porter County Drug Task Force (DTF), agrees that the drug problem is significant, which is why, he says, the DTF does have a close relationship with federal and state agencies. The DTF’s seven undercover agents work with DEA and HIDTA all the time, he says, and only two weeks ago U.S. Attorney David Capp commended the DTF for its work in breaking a regional heroin-distribution conspiracy. But “arrest and prosecution alone won’t solve the problem as long as people get high,” Gensel says.

Coroner:

Harris vs. Scheuer

Harris, 45, seeking his second term as Coroner, is a state-certified medico-legal death investigator and is nationally accredited as a diplomate of the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators, one of only two such diplomates in the state, Harris says.

The main issue of the election, in Harris’ view, is the drug problem. Since his election to a first term, Harris has been taking his anti-drug message to the schools. “One of my pledges when I took office was to get into the school systems to educate children to make better choices regarding substance abuse,” he says, “and I will continue to perform that pledge if re-elected.”

Among his achievements in office, Harris counts the development of a Mass Fatality Response Plan.

Harris’ opponent, meanwhile, is an unknown quantity. Scheuer did not respond to a Chesterton Tribune candidate questionnaire, was not one of the 13 candidates for county office or legislative seat who attended a forum sponsored by the Duneland Chamber of Commerce on Oct. 22, and reported no campaign contributions or receipts during the most recent reporting period, April 22 through Oct. 10.

 

Posted 10/31/2014

 
 

 

 

 

Â