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Herald A Lantern 30 September 81

Sheriff Race

BKt-JlI N FOX

Vinsr i»IecleA ciwfnly sher

'ifiire^eieocoKity sheriff in 1969. n N Fox «>f Court House is currently seeking his fifth three ye^r ternif In

prevhius eliTtrons. he has been high vote-

grtter op the wounty ballot. He is

Republican

The 47 vear old Jersey Cape native was a N J State trooper fofjiinc years and was also an officer in the county's Army National Guard unit prior to becoming sheriff ** He and his wife Phyllis own and * operate the Kdgewood Village mobile home park They have two grown

’ children

Mr Fox.was interviewed Monday mor-

ning

■ From Page 1 ■ again, sounds like it's not too significant Hut when you get into it. it’s a daily operation xwhich requires* transporting and securing inmates to and from our system, or to and from the courts, to all other parts of the.states not just locally.. • Hofh you and your opponent seem to wont to expand on these duties Doesn’t stole stotute set the functional ia it legally possible for o sheri// in one county to take on more duties them proal rihcd by law? How would you go ftbout k doinR this? FOX There's a lot ofi background and basic things which, by the 'way, I don’t ■ think mv opponent understands; I really don't I don't think hb's really investigated what the office of the sheriff is all about, historically and as if has evolved thru the

l .

The sheriff today, in legal, technical terms, can perform any law enforcement* function he wishes, he's got the authority to doit, he's got the power to do it. He's got th< same exact authority as any police officer anywhere in the county. However, as a practical matter he does not perform these functions. For the simple reason that in order for him to do that, he is guided and limited by the budget .That's the whole key • fn general, would Vou like to sec the, *hcri//'.s duties expanded to include a itrnngo'' law enforcrnwnt role, such a» in dlher states where the county sheri//is, in effect, the region’s top cop? FOX: It's totally unnecessary to do that And it won't.happen It won't happen, number one. because you cannot justify the need in Cape May County and in most . other counties. I don't know any sheriff in the state of New Jersey w^io could justify that need , although there ah? some of the larger counties that have investigative and apprehending services, usually thru Narcotics or thru their Warrant Squads That's.usually the limits of it.. What.you're really talking about is trying to expand road patrols or investigative or so forth It won't happen because it’s a matter of economics 1 suggested several years ago ills done today—and it wasn't salable than because the local people (meaning the town fathers) wouldn't ac- " cept it rThe sheriff could have played a legitimate role in regionalizing local police services in areas where there were not already police services established I proposed this for Upper Township, and for Dennis Township, and included Woodbine as a suggestion I had a very broad plan that I presented to a League of Municipalities meeting in Tuckahoe Inn fiye or six years ago West Cape May at that time was interested I talked to the people in Cape May Point. Tnose are ar*6s that a sheriff—in the absence of other police entities—could perhaps coordinate, much as a school staff , coordinates for a school board So. I provided the opportunity to do that; I provided the suggestion Of course. tW fallacy of

it was then, and it is now, you would need in order to provide regional services.. .you would need the coojferation of everybody within the region. In those days, Upper Township simply, absolutely refused to consider it; and to this day they refuse. Other than that, no one could Ju: ify the expenditure that it takes to hire an# equip and train police officers at the countylevel. and start a county-level police department, and overlap functions already being accomplished. That’s sheer folly It won't hapfien. It can’t happen. And it means, apparently my opponent would like very much to make a dramatic increase in the tax structure in Cape May County,* by providing duplicate services. What the sheriff should do, and where the role can expand and should'expand — and I’ve tried hard to have it gradually expand — are in support roles of the municipal and state pdlice. We already do a lot of it. That, can be expanded legitimately. Again, the only reason our very important I D. service isn’t expanded is for the simple reason that—my opponent or anyone else—cannot point legitimately to a place where you can find the funding sources and guarantee that they're there. It's folly to speculate that you may get a grant;«that somebody’s going to help you obtain money. It isn’t going to happen. In fact, foday, they’re going in the bther direction So the bottom-line is it all spins around the budget. • Iflherf is a law enforcement need that um't being met in the county; and if this is a problem, does ft mean that' other jurisdiction (such as local police or county prosecutor's office) aren’t functioning properly? FOX: Not necessarily. For example, since I've been sheHlf I don’t know of any area whfere there has been a breakdown in police services and legitimate police functions duties and functions being •performed—I know of no such situation. •Spetthing of law enforcement, what is your view on criminality today In general; are there more people today being bad, or the same proportion of bad apples in tf growing population? FOX: Yes, there are more people in relative'terms being bad; but, of course, the population has grown and although the percentage has grown — we're much more aware of it. . ,. My overall view and perception is that we have an extremely weak so-called criminal justice system that is mis-named to stprt with^and indicates right off the bat why we are in trouble^. • Prisons and jails are overcrowded . across the nation. If’ you had your way. what would be done to handle this problem without the lawbiding taxpayer having to spend huge sums to beep law-breahers behind bars? FOX: First and foremost, I would like to see the governor declare a state of emergency in this category. He can do it with nt> problem at all... •In what category?. FOX: Health, safety and welfare. Because the problem of the criminal and our inability to deal with him after he's been convicted is wery obvious; it’s manifest. So, on a declaration of an emergency, there’s just no way of avoiding expending some large sums of money to increase the jail capacities. If you're going to be honest on the subject, there really is no fast, easy and cheap way because there's going to be more and more people put in prisons , Shorter terms and an entire revision in the parole system — that would probably be one of my first steps if I had any say or authority... • Shorter prison terms? FOX: Shorter prison terms that didn’t have parole and probation attached to them. Fixed t$rms. The problem you haye is you don't really have real prison terms. The prison terms are meaningless because of the system that has evolved. It’s such a bureaucratic, unrealistic system of granting what they call good time, which is another way of saying reduced time... Stop all the complicated formulat to parole and probation. This all goes back to space, it all relates to space. I would say you’re much better off giving someone an absolute term, which maybe shorter in relative terms in duration There^should be no consideration on all of this good time baloney until very, ver the term served, depeuuing on wnat the length of that term was .. I’d say., do away with the Parole Board and Probation Board, if you really want to see prisons get straightened out. And fill them with people that deserve to be there, who known damn well they're going to get (Page 31 Please)

(From Page 1) * Sheets: I wouldItay emphatically, Yes; however, you would have to consider a lot of things. In our area where we’re highly concentrated with police power? with different jurisdictions, you don’t want to step on anybody’s toessBut I do think it would be more effective. I think we would get bettr law. enforcement, if we all were together. Now, whether that would be a sheriff’s department or whether it would be a coun- % tywide police department —. whatever name'you .want to give it — I think would be better. I’m not saying it would have to b& a sheriff’s department. . My problem here would be to work with f the current''(police) chiefs, because, everything 1 intend to do is contingent' upon the cqiefs or'police in Cape. May County. It’ll be important that we help each Other; otherwjle I wouldn’t be able to work a Strike ForcJu>r whatever. If there is a low enforcement need that isn't being met in the county; and if this is a problem, does ft mean that other jurisdictions (such as local polioje or county prosecutor? office) aren't functioning properly? Sheets: No, I wouldn’t say that. I would say that the problem is in a small department, you can’t specialize; and I think that’s one of the biggest problems. And again, all your administrators here are fighting budget, and, of course, they’re go ing to do the main thing they have to do — and, of course, that would be take care of the local citizens as far as, like, accidents and these things that happen on a daily basis. A very small percentage of a local policeman’s time is actually spent in what we would say is law enforcement, a'very small percentage. I know a lot of chiefs who \yould like to do things but can’t because of budgets and the size of the department. They’re limited. • Speaking of law endorcement, what's your view on criminality today, in general; Are there more people today being bad,.or the same proportion of bad apples in a growing population? Sheets: Things today are more publicized; people know more about what’s going on around them, they’re better informed. And not only that, the fact that they are better informed, but (in the past) I think a lot of things just neVetf came out. (And) crimes are reported JDuch better today to. the police than they were going back a few' years ago. Going backfen years ago, there are many crimes not known to police. So, therefore, they didn’t show in the Uniform Crime (statistical records). Also the Uniform Crime procedures weren’t too well kept in those days. Don’t get me wrong, there are still crime today not being reported to police, no doubt... • Then, are you saying Vhcrc appears to V be more criihe today? Shells: Well, the statistics would make it appear to be more crime because of the way it’s kept. But there’s no way of saying there was more crijne 25 years ago than there is today because there’s no way to compare it...Today we’re much more sophisticated in ,our methods and reporting... • So. you're saying that that question can't be answered? Sheets: It can’t be answered to say Yes or No, one way or the other because we don’t really know how much crime there was back in those days specifically. • Prisons and jails are'overcrowded across the nation. If you had your way. what would be done to handle this problem without the lawabiding taxpayers having to spend huge sumi^ti keep law-breakers behind bars? Sheets: In a way, that can be a hard question because there are so many things that can be done. If you believe in people being rehabilitated — it hasn't worked. It hasn't worked at all. And the problem is we’ve been putting people back on the streets who are committing crimes over and over again — they’re recidivating. And these are citizens who are creating better thart 85 of 70 per cent of our problems. It appears that the system is not working. /■flow, it’s going to be up to the people /You have to get the feel of the people. Do they want these people kept, and put away; are they willing to spend the tax money to have them kept away, out of our society? Or would they rather have soirifck other plan, such as half-way houses where they go back into society? I think people should be rehabilitated if possible. However, like I say, it hasn't been working. All our good, well-thinking people are a little bit dismayed because 15 years ago everybody got on his horse and was going to rehabilitate, and We found out

/ RALPH-BHEETS A 22-yei(rveteran of the Wildwood Police DeptTVt. Ralph Sheets has been a criminal investigator with the Detective Div. for more than a dozen years. He is seeking the county sheriff position as a Democrat. , 4 The 49-yeariold county native has associate of science degree in law en- *: forcement from Atlantic Community Col-' lege and a BA in criminal justice from Stockton State, with credits toward a masters degree in human resource management. A Korean War veteran, the Wildwood man and his wife Maria have eight children and three grandchildren Mr. Sheets was interviewd Friday. it just didn’t work out. Now, if we do have to keep them, and build institutions and keep them out of, society, I think there are ways that we should use the people, the inmates so it would be a benefit to society and a benefit to themselves. For instance, I guess you’vC read about the work release program. I’m not against it; I think it’s a good thing, buM think it has to be revamped, and I thinK v it has to be run better; and make it be more efficient... • You're talking about the (work release) program that your opponent has instituted? Sheets: Yes, well, he didn’t institute that. It’s mandated by the state. He’s just going along with the program because he just happened to be the sheriff of one of the jails. All the sheriffs.do it in the state. Oh no, that’s not his alone. He would lead you to believe that, I know. No, that was instituted by the state some nine years ago... • And you say it can be done better? Sheets: I think it should be done a little -more efficiently. • We've been told that drug sales were prevalent on the Wildwood boardwalk this summer. You're a ranking Wildwood police officer, and as a candidate for sheriff have pledged to establish a drug awareness program in the schools, if elected. This raises two questions, one of yghich is: Are you saying drug abuse. like alcohol abuse, is something in society which law enforcement cannot adequately deal with? Sheets: No, I'm not. No, I think we have .to make ourself able to deal with just as we have to deal with any other problems. And 1 think it can be dealt with. As far as , eradicating it, you won’t ever. I don’t think you’ll ever be able td do that with anything because I don’t think we would have that money, that much manpower, that much time to do it. But we certainly can work at it so that the citizens will be adequately protected. • The other question rasied by your scholastic drug awareness proposal is: Since we're a summer resort with a tremendous influx of young people, just how effective would your in-county program be? And do you really think young people are any less aware of the deleterious effects of drugs than they are of alcohol and cigarettes, which may also be harmful? Sheets: I think, basically, those who are street wise are very aware that it is dangerous, but they don’t understand where it can lead them, what the harm will actually do. 1 have been to many scenes where a person has OD’d, and they’ve been using together and they see their friend is unconscious, and I think they know what it’s like — the deleterious effects upon that person laying there. But it doesn't seem to do anything, because they're not following all the way through to see what actually (Page 31 Please)