Voter Guide | Suffolk sheriff

Jay A. Clason

Party Independent

Residence Suffolk

Personal 57, married to Margaret, six children, 10 grandchildren

Occupation Instructor for Maritime Civil Affairs Group

Experience 37 years in the Army and Army Reserves; developed plans to respond to disasters at the local and national level

Contact www.clason2009.com

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After 37 years of service in the military, I want to take my training and experience and continue to serve the citizens of Suffolk. I want to make the Sheriff’s Department something of which the citizens of Suffolk can be proud.
With a combination of training and leadership experience (qualified to command over 500 soldiers), I have in-depth knowledge of corrections, law enforcement coordination and disaster planning.

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The greatest challenge for the Suffolk Sheriff’s Department is legitimacy in the eyes of the citizens. Currently, the department is viewed as a second home for retired police officers with minimal responsibilities.

The challenges facing the department can be solved with an aggressive outreach to the community, coordination with other agencies such as the City Police and Fire Departments, and the coordination with other state and federal agencies.

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Due to the small size of the department, it is necessary for a visible presence in the community. I would put more markings on sheriff’s department cars, seek to cut costs, and build esprit de corps. I would also develop a training program that would fit with the state and National Response Plan and the National Incident Management System.

 

Raleigh H. Isaacs Sr.

Party Independent

Residence Suffolk

Personal 69, married to Phyllis, four children and two grandchildren

Education B.S. in government administration from Christopher Newport College

Occupation Sheriff

Experience Sheriff since 1994; 23 years on Suffolk Police Department; Nine years on Norfolk Police Department

Contact www.sheriffraleighisaacs.com

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 I am seeking reelection as Sheriff based on our 16-year record of providing excellent service to our citizens. I am also running to insure the security of my well-trained and experienced staff. I feel that I have an obligation to protect their investment and many years of service to the citizens of Suffolk.

My strengths lie in my 48 years of experience as a veteran law enforcement officer, sixteen of those years as Suffolk Sheriff. My goals are simple, I am honest and work hard, I don’t waste taxpayers dollars but I always look for ways to improve service. I am fair and treat all people with respect. I require the same of my staff.

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With the current economic situation facing our country and the potential for budget cutbacks from the State, I am afraid we will see an increase in the number of criminal offenses and civil court actions. This could dramatically impact the workload of my staff by increasing the number of persons entering the courts building, the daily inmate population and the volume of warrants served.
With an experienced full-time staff that collectively averages seventeen years of experience each and the use of part-time deputies with many years of law enforcement experience, I believe we have the capability to maintain the level of services needed to absorb any increases that could potentially impact our office.

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We will continue to be proactive in addressing issues as they occur by meeting regularly to critique our operations. Depending on the economy and our availability of resources, we would like to pursue the use of laptop computers installed in Deputy’s cars to more efficiently track civil enforcement activities that are accounted for in the 102,000 papers that were served in 2008.

We also would like to re-evaluate the security equipment in the courthouse ...to ensure that we provide the best possible service to our citizens.