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.