Posted: 11/6/2010 5:21:04 AM EDT
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Election time has come and gone, sometimes a harrowing time for those of us in county agencies. We have civil service protection, so we don't serve at the pleasure of the incumbent as in some agencies. We'll be getting a new Sheriff in January, after 12 years of suffering through the current leadership. It got so bad that the membership chose to break its normal silence and publicly endorse one of the candidates this year.
This will be my 4th Sheriff since being hired 22 years ago. Any of the rest of you getting a new boss in January? I never see this topic addressed here so I thought I'd ask. |
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I work for a medium size sheriff's office which which provides law enforcement and correction services. We generally dont go through new Sheriff's very often. Once the Sheriff is elected, they dont have anyone run against them. When the Sheriff retires, we've had several people run for the position, but thats about it. We've been pretty fortunate that the Sheriff's we have had have been good and the lack of any opposition isnt a bad thing.
We are eligible to have union representation through the collective bargaining process, but my agency has never even had the issue of collective bargaining come up for a vote. We do have career protection for most deputies by state law. When a new Sheriff takes office all deputies through Sergeants are safe. Lieutenants are safe, but subject to reduction to Sergeant when a new Sheriff takes office. All Captains and the Major (Under Sheriff) are subject to reduction to any lower rank or separation. The last newly Sheriff we had elected didnt make any changes except those that came about through attrition and retirements. The most concerned we had in the past is when we have had candidates with experience in the sheriff's office facing outside candidates with no experience in a any sheriff's office. Not to insult all law enforcement brothers who work in other agencies outside of sheriff's offices, I'm sure some have been elected that do quite well as Sheriff, but the candidates here were scary. They have come from local PD's and ran on a platform of their PD experience and bringing how they operationally did things at the PD to the sheriff's office. There is a tremendous difference in these two agencies operations. |