Article posted Friday, August 8, 2014 11:48am

Four Republicans face off in the Tuesday, Aug. 12, primary, and the winner will face Democrat Tammy Sternard in the Nov. 4 general election.

Steven Delarwelle

Age:  55

Education:  Southern Door High School

Associate Degree – Criminal Justice – NWTC

1)    I have 23 years of experience on the Sheriff’s Department.  During that time I have been a jailer/dispatcher, patrol deputy, patrol OIC (officer in charge) and currently a patrol sergeant.  I am currently on the SWAT team and have been for 19 years.  My other duties include field training officer, weapon armorer and snowmobile patrol coordinator.         I have an associate’s degree in criminal justice, a certificate in first line supervision from UW Platteville and advanced line supervision training. I consider it a privilege to serve the county where I have lived my entire life and look forward to continuing to ensure the safety and security of the citizens and visitors as your sheriff.

2) The Sheriff’s Department has limited means to raise revenue.  The most significant way to affect the budget is the housing of outside prisoners.  The department has always and will continue to look for ways to house state and other county prisoners.

   We could potentially pursue being a host department for various state trainings.  Door County has an abundance of high-quality resorts to hold these events.  The benefit would be free training for the host department and also increased visitors/revenue for the county. 

3)    Drugs are a challenge for every department.  The fact that heroin deaths are starting to occur in Door County should open everyone’s eyes.  The war on drugs is not going to be won just by investigation and arrests.  Education is needed.  I would build upon our 5^th grade DARE program by having our drug investigators and drug recognition experts conduct presentations in the schools, for both the students and their parents. 

       School safety will always be a concern for our department.  Getting all schools on        board for specific training for school violence should be a priority. Schools have monthly fire drills, yet there has not been a child killed by fire in a school in over 50 years. Why would you not have drills for school violence?

4)      One of the biggest challenges is to provide adequate coverage and service to all parts of the county.  Due to our geographical situation, we only have the luxury of one other county on our border to call for assistance.  I believe that by forging close and strong relationships with the Sturgeon Bay Police Department, Department of Natural Resources, Fire Departments, and the Coast Guard, we can work together to provide a safe and secure community. 

5)       The value of a partisan distinction gives the voter a look into the candidate’s core values based on affiliation. 

6)       My policy on patrol is that deputy’s follow their training and do what it takes to ensure that, #1: the community has safe roads to travel on and #2: the deputy stays safe.  I would ensure that training is being followed by having supervisors periodically ride with deputies and the administrative staff would be occasionally out during off hours.  Any issues would be addressed during departmental training. 

  The department has a policy for citizen complaints and all complaints will be taken seriously and addressed. 

7)    BTO – “Taking Care of Business”

Jeff Farley

Age: 54

Education:  Graduated in 1981 with an Associate Degree in Police Science.

–        Hold Certifications in: Management & Leadership Development, Crisis Management, Motivational Techniques for Employees, Administration for Small Jails, Proper Budgets for Law Enforcement,    FBI – Law Enforcement Executive Development, School Safety Emergency Planning, Community Policing &Problem Solving, Traffic Incident Management and Major Events Security Planning.

–        Skilled Investigator – Certifications in: Major Crime Scene Investigation, Arson Investigation,   Technical Accident Investigator and Child Sexual Assault Forensic Interviewing.

Relevant Experience:

–        Over 32 years of Law Enforcement Experience.

–        Field Service Lieutenant since 2007.

–        Supervise all field activities involving Law Enforcement that occur within the county. These field activities include all criminal investigations such as:

• Death Investigations
• Burglaries
• Sexual Assaults
• Fatal Vehicle Accidents
• Missing Persons
• Drug Investigations

 –    Third in Command of the Door County Sheriff’s Department.

1. What separates you from the other Republican candidates in the primary election?

      I started my 32 year Law Enforcement Career in 1982.  Twenty-eight of those 32 years have been here with the Door County Sheriff’s Department. Two of those years were spent as a Jailer/Dispatcher, the next twelve years were on the road as a Patrol Deputy. During those twelve years, I was on the department’s SWAT Team, became a Defense and Arrest Tactics Instructor,  the department armorer and a Field Training Officer for all new patrol deputies.  From patrol I was promoted to Juvenile Investigator/DARE Officer where for four years I was assigned child sexual assault/abuse cases. Next I was promoted to Investigative Sergeant, responsible for the supervision and overview of all criminal cases. I was then promoted to and served as Jail Administrator for three years. It was my responsibility to oversee the completion of the new correctional facility including developing policy and procedures, new staffing guidelines and assuring a smooth transition from the old jail to the new one. In 2007, I advanced to Field Service Lieutenant where I lead the Patrol Division, Investigative Division and Reserve Unit. It is my responsibility to oversee all field activities involving law enforcement that occur within the county, as well as handle personnel, write grants and manage the budget.

  My years of service, positions held, work ethic, duties and responsibilities give me a unique skill set and a solid, fundamental base no other candidate has.

  In addition, I am running a self-funded campaign.

1. (b) Why do you want to be sheriff of Door County?

    It has been my privilege to have served under several sheriffs; the late Le Roy Klein, Charles Brann and Terry Vogel. Each one building on the Door County tradition of professionalism and dedication in serving our community. My goal is to continue to provide the high quality Law Enforcement, you the people of Door County, have come to expect.

    Challenges for Law Enforcement are greater than ever. Modern technology has changed the type of crime deputies now have to handle. Identity theft/credit card fraud is on the rise as well as prescription medication theft and its abuse. We must keep fighting the war on drugs by continuing to provide specialized training to each patrol deputy and by establishing an aggressive enforcement stance with offenders. We need to continue combining our forces and involvement with other agencies such as the Door/Kewaunee Drug Task Force. The Door County Sheriff’s Department needs to continue to enhance its Police Community Program by getting more community involvement. Law Enforcement relies on the eyes and ears of the community; it is essential that we work together.

   Together we can work to keep Door County a safe community. One where we still feel secure at night and are not afraid to walk around and enjoy the beauty this county has to offer.

   That is why I am running for the position of sheriff, so that I can do everything possible to keep Door County a safe place to live and raise a family.

2. Department would continue to search for revenue –generating opportunities as well as ways to reduce tax levy dollar expenditures. Do you have any thoughts on how to make that happen?

  Federal and State grants are available to Law Enforcement agencies if someone has the time and ability to complete the application process. Assigning the Chief Deputy to and creating a panel composed of local organizations and community members to fully concentrate on locating, researching any and all grants available and then moving forward in the application process. This would alleviate some of the financial burden of the operational cost from the local taxpayers.

  Costs saving measures that can be considered include, as deputies retire;

(A) Converting the Correctional Staff from sworn Law Enforcement Officers to Civilian Correctional Officers. Door County is only one of a few correctional facilities left within the state that is staffed by sworn officers.

(B) Develop a pool of retired sworn Law Enforcement Officers that live within Door County to provide Court Security replacing the full time staff that is utilized now.

  I am also a tax payer and maintaining a tight restraint on the operational budget is important to me.   

3. What challenges do you perceive facing the department?

  Technology changes daily and the department struggles to keep up. Twitter and Face book have replaced the typed formal press release that use to be sent out to the media concerning a major event.  Society now wants and should be informed immediately while the incident is occurring and not hours later.  For the Door County Sheriff’s Department this is a major change in practice to report events by the use of Social Media. Not all deputies are comfortable with this but that is where training comes into play.

  Training is now more specialized in nature, deputies are taught the basics in recruit school but that is not enough to do the job that is being asked of them, especially regarding technology. Changing technology now requires departments to send deputies to school to learn such things as; Software availability and use on extracting information from cell phones, Social Media -Policy and Procedures, Internet Usage-Crimes Against Children , Identify Theft-Investigation and Prosecution. 

  Department Policy and Procedures need to be continually reviewed and updated to correspond with changing technology.  In other words, departments must keep up with modern times in order to effectively investigate, apprehend and prosecute the modern day criminal.

4. What is the greatest challenge to policing Door County?

  The greatest challenge to policing Door County is our location and the sheer volume of people that the summer season brings into a concentrated area. We are surrounded by water from Sturgeon Bay North. Unlike other counties, we are unable to request assistance from any surrounding Law Enforcement jurisdictions. Staffing levels remain constant year round, Law Enforcement does not add on additional deputies for the summer season. Requests for additional services during the peak summer season is on a continual and steady rise. More and more large events are taking place within the county on any given weekend. Many of these events take a significant percent of the Sheriff’s Department staff in order to insure a safe and trouble free event.  Patrols are redirected into the high volume area for visibility, deterrence and enforcement action if needed. What happens though, when these patrols are redirected-other areas of the county receive less patrol, less coverage, slower response times . It’s a fine line that must be balanced assigning the proper number of patrol deputies for these large events but still having safe and sufficient coverage for the rest of the county.

5. What is the value of a partisan race to become sheriff?

  In a partisan election for sheriff, it is traditional the candidates will campaign to obtain supporters and votes. Voters have the opportunity to get to know the candidates and what they stand for. This allows for open discussion to address issues. The more informed voters are the more strongly they feel about the candidates and/or the issues and the more likely they are to vote.

  For voters who have not had the opportunity to learn about the sheriff’s race candidates (know nothing about the candidates), political party affiliation gives them a basic idea of the candidate’s principles for making decisions, i.e. conservative vs. liberal.

  Many voters feel strongly about their party affiliation and a partisan election for Sheriff can motivate them to vote. A partisan election allows the candidate’s chosen party to aid them with their campaign, lending their expertise to the sheriff’s candidate. 

6. I have personally witnessed some aggressive patrol tactics by deputies. What is your policy for patrol?

  Years ago the procedure to determine the speed of a vehicle proceeding the same direction as the patrol unit, was to follow closely behind the vehicle in front and match the patrol speed with the forward vehicle, this was called pacing. This concept was replaced when the Sheriff’s Department went to “MPH” Radar Units that have the ability to ascertain the speed of an approaching vehicle as well as the speed of a vehicle proceeding in the same direction.

  What you might perceive as aggressive patrol such as a deputy tailgating the vehicle in front could actually be something totally different not knowing all the circumstances. Case in point, several weeks ago I was dispatched to a “man with a gun” call. He was randomly shooting a rifle in a public place. As I approached the location, I turned my emergency lights and siren off so that I could safely approach and take up a tactical position prior to making contact. What happened as I approached? I encountered a slower moving vehicle in front of me and was unable to safely maneuver around this vehicle, so to the driver it could appear that a police unit was pacing him/being aggressive.

  One of the responsibilities of the patrol deputy is to seek compliance with the Wisconsin Motor Vehicle Laws  to reduce the number of motor vehicle accidents that occur on the highway resulting in injury or death. To do this, deputies are directed to enforce the motor vehicle code by issuing traffic citations or warnings if a violation is observed. Deputies are intentionally placed into specific areas where traffic complaints have been received. My expectation is not that tickets are issued, but that deputies follow approved policies and drivers comply with motor vehicle laws for everyone’s safety.

7. Campaign theme song?          

  American Soldier By: Toby Keith  (Replacing the word Soldier with Law Enforcement Officer)                        

Chris Neuville

Age:  39

Education:  Ongoing training through the Sheriff’s Department primarily regarding juvenile law, 1997 graduate from NWTC with an Associate Degree in Police Science, and a 1994 graduate of Sturgeon Bay High School.

Relevant experience or civic involvement:  I have been the Juvenile Investigator for the Sheriff’s Department since 2005.  My duties Include:  School liaison officer (4 School Districts), D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) instructor, and ICAC (Internet Crimes Against Children).  In 2010 I founded the annual Emergency Vehicle Fun Day, which allows for children and their parents to have a hands on experience with a wide array of emergency vehicles and to meet the professionals that use them.  In 2011 I taught cyber-bullying to law enforcement from throughout the country at a National ICAC Conference in San Jose, CA.  I was a Patrol Deputy from 1999-2005.

1. What separates you from the other Republican candidates in the primary election, and why do you want to be sheriff of Door County?  My passion for the job sets me apart from the other Republican candidates.  I have given numerous presentations to adults and children in regards to Internet safety, bullying, drug and alcohol abuse, etc. which are just a few examples of my passion for the job.  I want to be Door County’s next Sheriff so I can build off of the excellent work that Sheriff Vogel has done over the years.  My vision for the Sheriff’s Department includes a lot more educational programs being offered to the community.  I am a firm believer that more education will translate to us living in a safer community.

2. The 2013 annual report from the Sheriff’s Dept. states:  “The budget for County Government will always be one of the main concerns for the Department.” It went on to state that the department would continue to “search for revenue-generating opportunities as well as ways to reduce tax levy dollar expenditures.” With an annual budget of about $8 million, do you have any thoughts on how to make that happen for the department?  I am the type of person who is always willing to listen to community members on how to best achieve the important balance between fiscal responsibilities and the safety of the community.  As the D.A.R.E. Teacher for the past 10 years, I have had to rely on fundraisers and donations for the program to continue; DARE is not a budgeted item.  Therefore, I have a knack for fundraising opportunities.  I will also aggressively pursue grants that become available at the Federal and State levels.

3. Besides budgetary concerns, what challenges, do you perceive facing the department?  Sheriff Terry Vogel has done an excellent job with organizing and preparing personnel employed by the Door County Sheriff’s Department.  I have visited other departments and I feel we probably have one the best departments in the State.  I would, however, like to see more deputies receive specialized training in the areas of technology, crimes against children, and crimes against the elderly.  With specialized training comes a cost, but I believe that the citizens of Door County deserve the best and that there are ways of offsetting these costs by pursuing grants.

4. What is the greatest challenge to policing Door County?  Illicit drug and alcohol abuse, in my opinion, pose the greatest challenge to law enforcement agencies everywhere.  Currently, heroin seems to be a drug that is gaining popularity.  As I write this, I am researching a program called S.T.O.P., which stands for Support Teaching Opiates Prevention (heroin is an opiate).  This program caught my eye when Republican Attorney General candidate, Brad Schimel, recently proposed it.  Less illicit drug use and alcohol abuse will equate to less crimes in general, which is a good thing for everyone.     

5. Wisconsin is among the 40 states with partisan sheriff’s races. What is the value of a partisan race to become the chief law enforcement officer of the county?  I am politically and fiscally conservative, but when it comes to law enforcement it is quite clear to me that the Sheriff’s Department must be nonpartisan.  The law needs to be applied equally, regardless of someone’s political party affiliation.  I am proud to say that I have close friends in both major political parties and that I would never let political party affiliation get in the way of doing my job as Sheriff.

6. I have personally witnessed some aggressive patrol tactics by deputies in northern Door (in particular, a deputy tailgating several drivers on County E as I was driving home from work in the early evening – I was told this is called “pacing”) and have heard one-sided tales of aggressive police patrols in northern Door (included a fellow being pulled over and ticketed for flashing his lights at an officer who didn’t turn down his high beams), which has definitely fostered an us-and-them attitude among some residents. What is your policy for patrols?  As Sheriff, I would have an “open door” policy when it comes to making a complaint as you have outlined above.  Every complaint would obviously need to be addressed on a case-by-case basis.  The phrase “us-and-them attitude” would definitely not be the kind of relationship I would want with the community.  The Sheriff’s Department and the community need to work together in order to achieve the ultimate goal of safety.  For those that know me well, they know I am a very level headed and easygoing person.  Simply put, an “us-and-them attitude” would not be an issue if I’m elected Sheriff.

7. If you had to pick a campaign theme song, what would it be?  “Just Like Paradise” by David Lee Roth (lead singer of Van Halen).  In this music video, David Lee Roth’s “Paradise” is rock climbing and performing on stage.  My “Paradise” is Whitefish Dunes State Park, Peninsula State Park, Washington Island, Door County farms, etc.  When you think about it, Door County is definitely “Just Like Paradise”!

Carl R Waterstreet

 Age: 58

Education: 120 plus college credits in Fire Science and Police Science, Several First line Supervisor Training Courses, Numerous Fire and Training Courses, Wisconsin Licensed Plumber, Certified HVAC, Wisconsin Licensed Driver’s Education Instructor

Relevant experience or civic involvement: 35 years in public safety (15 plus years as a firefighter, retired as a lieutenant, 26 years in law enforcement), Certified in Truck Law, Member of Door County Sheriff’s Department Crash Team (19 years as Traffic Crash Investigator), Former Swat Team Member,  Member of Gardner Town Board for almost 3 years (Supervisor #2), Certified Licensed Driver Education Instructor (Student and Adult), Former Blue Knights Chapter X Member, Former Religious Education Teacher

1.What separates you from the other Republican candidates in the primary election, and why do you want to be sheriff of Door County?

            I believe I am the most well rounded candidate.  With 35 years of public safety experience and involvement, I have the experience in all aspects of public service to know how to work cooperatively with fire departments, EMS, and law enforcement personnel.  Additionally, I have life experiences outside of public safety.  I am a Wisconsin licensed plumber, and I hold certificates in the trades.  Furthermore, I serve the township of Gardner as a town board supervisor.

            My striving goal to be Sheriff of Door County began when the Door County Sheriff’s Department hired me in 1991.  My passion and commitment to serve the public has led me to where I am today.  After running as a Sheriff’s candidate in 2000, I believe I have developed the ideals, experience, and leadership to lead the Sheriff’s Department into the future. 

2. The 2013 annual report from the Sheriff’s Dept. states:  “The budget for County Government will always be one of the main concerns for the Department.” It went on to state that the department would continue to “search for revenue-generating opportunities as well as ways to reduce tax levy dollar expenditures.” With an annual budget of about $8 million, do you have any thoughts on how to make that happen for the department?

            I believe we, the County of Door and the Door County Sheriff’s Department, can save tax dollars by sharing resources with the Sturgeon Bay Police, city and county fire departments, EMS, and emergency government.  By not duplicating our services and resources, the County and, in turn, the taxpayers will save money for all public safety related services.  Moreover, all public safety agencies could work closely together by applying for state and federal grants and seeking out other revenue-generating sources.  Those revenue-generating sources should not come from the taxpayers directly, but from joint community and public safety fundraising efforts.  The Sheriff’s Department costs should not be directly from the taxpayer’s expense, but from collaboration of all public-safety funding and efforts.

3. Besides budgetary concerns, what challenges, do you perceive facing the department?

            One of the challenges that face the Door County Sheriff’s Department and law enforcement as a whole is the growing problem with drug trafficking and drug use.  As Sheriff of Door County, I want to revive a K-9 program through no cost to the taxpayers.  The K-9 program will be funded through grants, donations, and other fundraising efforts.

            Another problem locally is internet crimes against children (“ICAC”).  With the loss of one investigator to the Brown County Sheriff’s Department, Door County will need to train someone to assume this vacant role.  This person will need to dedicate his full attention to this program—not a 9 to 5 position—to ensure the safety of the community and the community’s youth.

4. What is the greatest challenge to policing Door County?

            I believe the greatest challenge to policing Door County is the coverage in the County.  Door County is over 70 miles long and the coverage for law enforcement personnel is a safety concern, especially during the summer months.  I propose to work with our staff to increase our coverage to help with the increasing call volume, as well as the increase of population in our County during the peak tourist season.  I would utilize reserves and other Sheriff’s Department personnel to staff the extra hours needed to fill the coverage needed. 

5. Wisconsin is among the 40 states with partisan sheriff’s races. What is the value of a partisan race to become the chief law enforcement officer in the county.

            I do not believe there is an advantage to a partisan race for sheriff’s races.  I believe that the people should have a choice to vote for the man or woman that the people feel will do the best job as the chief law enforcement officer.  Whether it is a conservative or a liberal, Republican or Democrat, the people should be allowed to make a decision on the candidates’ beliefs, experiences, and goals.  The Sheriff has a duty to serve all the people equally, no matter where one person’s partisan allegiance lies. 

6. I have personally witnessed some aggressive patrol tactics by deputies in northern Door (in particular, a deputy tailgating several drivers on County E as I was driving home from work in the early evening – I was told this is called “pacing”) and have heard one-sided tales of aggressive police patrols in northern Door (included a fellow being pulled over and ticketed for flashing his lights at an officer who didn’t turn down his high beams), which has definitely fostered an us-and-them attitude among some residents. What is your policy for patrols?

            Having over 24 years of patrol experience, I have “paced” cars.  However, tailgating is not a method used to pace a vehicle.  As taught in driver’s education, tailgating is any distance less than a 4-second gap between vehicles.  If what this deputy did were indeed tailgating, I would want to give the deputy a chance to explain his or her actions, but also to hear both sides of the incident.  What one person perceives as aggressive patrol might not be aggressive patrol at all.  My policy is to follow the Wisconsin state statues as far as traffic offenses and criminal offenses, but to maintain law enforcement discretion, whether or not the deputy’s decision is to issue a warning or a citation.

7. If you had to pick a campaign theme song, what would it be?

            The words and meaning associated with Eye of the Tiger by Survivor reflect my life values.  My ever relentless strive to be the best in life has carried with me into public service.  My dedication and commitment to serve the public is embodied in the song.  The Eye of the Tiger reflects my dedication to lead with integrity, perseverance, and principle.