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Herald & Lantern 30 S<ytember 81 ' . ^ The Sheriff Race

Republican incumbent

there, and who know they’re not going to get out/or a certain period of time. ^ There has to be almost a bilateral system of those harsh repeaters who are recidivists', vyho we must admit there’s not cure for—one group that could be used there. And the othe group—where there’s

some flexibility.

•During your administration of the Sheri//’* Office there has been a prisoner escape by going thru the wall of a new jail facility, a prisoner who hanged himself in his cell, and a prlonser-^p juvenile being detained on a motor vehicle charge—raped by another prisoner who was a repeat criminal offender. Are these merely regrettable coincidences, or are there security problems at the county jail. How should we view your administration in light of these serious incidents? FOX: They are very predictable, typical, unavoidable happenings that will happen in every penal system. And unfortunately—no matter who the sheriff is or what administration you're talking about, or where it’s going to be — those things are going to happen again. If you want me to take them one at a time, very briefly I can do that: —On the matter of the escape, to say that the sheriff is responsible, or anybody in our system i£ responsible for the fact that the construction of the jail was allowed to be done thru faulty rhasonary or mor-

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citizens have qdhfidence that they have known • quantity that they’ll ^have for threeyears of a damn good administrator, Number two. Nobody is going to make me ashamed of the fact, no matter- how hard they try, that because I iVas the sheriff I thought that I have, and perhaps some day will have—something to offer in the way of skills and talent and ability that the citizens, perhaps, would like to see me do something in another area of {He

government...

Now, i think it’s time to examine the opposition people. As a citizen and not a sheriff, I am very interested in why the opposition is concerned about a non-issue such as that. When, in fact, their own candidate, my opponent, works for a municipality presently as a lieutenant in a police department — I’m just curious as to why that individual doesn't demonstrate his feelings, to be consistent, why hasn’t he resigned as a lieutenant from the Wildwood Police Dept, and run for sheriff totally fee and clear of any other govern-

ment job.

•Your bid for Congress during the I960 Presidential campaign must have given you a lot of campaign experience and valuable contacts outside Cape May'County; and even though you lost to an extremely popular opponent, you're appetite for higher political office must have been whetted. What are your short- and long-

“I am the only official in Cape May

County who has the kind of penal experience and administration that is necessary to operate (he Cape May County Correctional Center. ”

tar, and blame us for the fact that it occurred and was found out by the prisoners before anybody else did — is like saying that you build a new school, and the principal is responsible because the mortar was faulty in the school. —The hanging of a jail inmate: It happend in Wildwood City Hall (jail) a few months ago; the same exact thing. You can pick ifp the paper almost on any given day you'regoing to have it happen. The only way you can prevent a jail suicide is by being able to watch every prisoner, every day for 24 hours a day. That’s just not going to happen) can't happen. Nobody is going to prevent someone from taking their own life if they want to do it. —The rape attack or whatever: the same exact thing. I said, and it’s on record, I think it's rather stupid to have 17-year-old individuals put in the county jail system—they’re technically juveniles. What somebody better realize is that the sheriff and the jail system and the penal system has no say over who comes in there. They're given to us and we have to take them...It’s a very bad law. It should be changed, and I assume and hope — I know my feelings have been known on it to our legislator — that law would be changed... That one particular case comes where the individual was as*ualted- he was pu* into a housing unit; classified into an area where there were other youths close to his age. Of all the areas in the prison system that was the most logical housing unit to put him in. It was carefully looked at. (We only get one of two of these—juvenile motor vehidle offenders—a year, up to date. It’s not like it's something where you can build a whole new section of the jail for. It’S better not have them in there.) So', I think, bottom line: These things are going to happen as long as you have prisons. And they’re unfortunate, they’re regrettable, and we think we keep thos6 things to an absolute minimum. And we’re proud of our system. •Thi* is the second consecutive year you've stood for election, having run for Congress last year. The county Democrats say you should resign as sheriff if you're interested in running for another* office: what’s your response? FOX: Number one, I’m running again for sheriff because I thoroughly.enjoy my work. I like to see things that happen as a result of me and my administration making them happen. We’ve accomplished a lot of things They’re there for all to see. I’m proud of my record. I simply enjoy my work. And I want to run for sheriff again because I think for another three years the

range political goals? FOX: I have, sitting here talking to you, no plans to run for Congress. My short-range political goals are to work hard and, again, continue serving the people of Cape May County, I think, as a very competent and a very able sheriff, as I have always done in the past. And I want to do that for three more years, and I will do that. I’m sure I’ll be successful. I’m sure the people will not exchange a known quantity for an unknown quantity. I do a good job. In the long term, I think only the calendar and only the turn of events and only what happens as time goes by will tell. If I become convinced; if the people somehow tell me; if there is some desire on behalf of Ihe taxpayers and the citizens that they ilrel I can serve them in another capacity —Vwho knows what it would be, state, fedk^al or whatever — if that becomes clear th^t I could serve in another capacity, I would do that. But I have absolutely no long-range plans sitting here talking to you now; I really don’t. •What are the biggest improvements you have mdde in the sheriff's office in the 12 years you've been sheriff? FOX: I can only touch on the top ones; there are many. I think first and foremost and most significant is the putting together and the molding and the building from scratch of what I consider to be one of the finest small-county penal staffs in the state of New Jersey. Literally, it is. We have a very fine warden; we have a senior staff... Number two, even tho it’s now many years ago, the fact that we were able to prove and show and demonstrate to the freeholders that the citizens of this county deserved a better facility (jail) for the officers—not the prisoners— to be able to do this job that absolutely had to be done; and we convinced them (the freeholders) back in the mid-70s that it was unfair, and wrong, and improper for this county to contine using an anticipated,*building not constructed for the future and not even usable in those days.... I was instrumental in having a drug program (thru a $123,000 grant) formulated in the early ’70s that eventually was dovetailed and ntelded into what is now the Junction Program, still in existence and a relatively successful program. I started the Work Rtlease Program which I think is an excellent program. They’re just a few of the highlights, but literally there have been dozens, of accomplishments. •Is there something besides experience on the job that makes you a better person to be sheriff than your opponent?

Democrat Challenger

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happens to that person in the end: What’s it doing now to this person's family since it’s happened, what's it doing tathait per son. what’s it doing to those people around him; their frijhds, their relations? . You have td go a lot further than just saying that, "Drtigs do this to you — if you take a certain amount of drugs this is what’s going to happen to you ' You've got togo beyond it and tell the results of what’s happened, the effects of itfcfter it’s ofccur-

around waiting for something to happen. These people wduld have other jobs (in the Sheriff's Dept. )S In other’words, they would be your regular correctional officers, working But along with other duties, he may be a K-9 man and have a dog. And the same with the Swat Team. If something should iidppen, they'd be called immediately and ready to go But it'd all be performeil by the same.personnel,that we have there now I would select those

“I know at present that fjie (correctional officers) of the Cape:May County Jail feel they don’t have the backing of a sheriff; that they really don’t have a

fulltime sheriff. ” red. And I think that's the only way we're going to affeet them at all — and, hopefully. get to them. But now, there are many middle class people, a certain level, I think that you would be able to reach without too much of a problem in schools, because at home, they won’t experience the same thing (as the street wise person). They’re environ- , "Tftent's a little bit different — a very closeknit relationship with their parents. Now, if they could sec this is what happens when it occurs, perhaps they’ll never get involved with it (drugs), period. Whereas street people £fet involved, and when the effects happen — it’s too late / because even though they see it, it doesnT seem to do anything for them. Thank God. I would say they're a small percentage of our population. / As to the summer influx, that tyfre of program wouldn’t affect that at all. Unless they happen to be out-with a local person who is aware and who says, "No, we don’t want to do that." That's the only effect you’d get from something like that (the drug awareness program). • Among your other campaign pledges are the establishment of a countywide Swat Team and a K-9 Team. Yet you have also talked about the need for better morale and motivation in the Sheriff's Dept, and a need for personnel to learn and to become dedicated law eriforcemenboffleers. Again, at least a couple of quesliotys come to mind: one is: Are you saying there's something wrong with the present calibre of personnel in the department? Sheets: No. No, definitely not, because up at the.Cape May County Jail, I have a

personnel who would fit either category - Your biggest cost, maintenance cost, would be training and training is something yob've got to expect to include in any of your budgets and programming And like anything else:- you've got to balance out; what you want and what you don’t... • Any idea of a cost: hare you con sidered it that far. or Sheets: No, I reajjy haven't. No, I really don't know whijKit would cost at this pointy. Tow would your administration of the Sheriffs Dept most differ frotn that of the current sherifp ' Sheets: Number One, the people there . know I want to be a sheriff. They kmny they’ll have my backing. I know at present y that the men (correctional officers) the # Cape May County jail feel they don’t have the backing of a sheriff; that they really don't have a fulltime sheriff. And this is what they want. The morale'is low The morale’s got to be built up • Any final point you would like to make? Sheets: Yes. Ttte fact is that I want to be a fulltjme sheriff of Cape May County. Fox doesn't even want to be a sheriff; he wants to be a congressman. I know Fox, he ran last year for the Congress. He didn't want to be a sheriff thi^ year; he wanted to be an Assemblyman this year, he wanted (Wildwood Mayor! Guy Musiani's position las Assembly nominee 1, and he couldn't get it in the party ' and, of course, there's party dissension th<»re. Now, in 1982 he's going to run fot- Congress again.

“I know a lot of (police) chiefs who would like to do things but can’t because of budgets and the size of the

department. They’re lot of friends — .and very good officers; very, very good people. No, I've avoided ever even insinuating anything like that because I have too many friends there, and they're good people and I'know they're good people. As a matter of fhet, I would dare say that I’ll carry 90 per cent of the vote right out of the jail — which I'm sure of already. , But what I want to do, I want to iVnprt>ve their.lot. Definitely. The other question On the countyyide Swat and K 9 teams yrki're advocating Where would the personnel and money to create and maintain these units come from, and how much would it cost? Sheets: When these units would be created, they wouldn't be guys just sitting

FOX: I am the only official in Cape May County who has the kind of penal experience and administration that is necessary to operate the Cape May County Correctional Center. No other policeman, no other elected official that I know of in Cape May Cotlnty has that. I’ve got 12 years of experience in doing that. Twelve years have gone by since I first became sheriff in days, even then when I first started, when the winter population of the county jail was perhaps 10 to 15; the summer population was from 25 to 35. A lot has happened. It has become a very complex,, a very sophisticated, very burdensome problem. There is not function in countylevel government that anybody has ever been able to point to that is as demanding and that has as manyproblems and as

limited. ” I don’t think it’s fair to the people of Cape May County, to the taxpayers, that every year he runs for an office. Because when he does this, he’s taking away from his time j»s being sheriff And not only that, it’s not fair to another person, another can didate, who really wants to be a sheriff and serve the people of Cape May County. I think the greatest difference between he and I is the fact that he doesn’t really want to be sheriff and I do. Because, I know for a fact*if he should ger elected - and I think he owes the people of Cape May County an answer — will he be sheriff the next three years, or next year will he run . for Congress? And I know he’s going to run for Congress Because I know where he’s been.

many challenges as running the county #enaI system. •Sp. it is your experience that is a big asset in this election? FOX: I don't see why the taxpayers are gong to want to start to pay somebody to start all over again in learning when I’m already there. •Is there any point you would like to make that hasn't been touched upon? FOX: I’d simply like tosay that I bejicve that every year that goes by the taxpayers and the voters are more and more sophisticated. And I belive they are going to re-elect peech Fox no simply because I’ve been there, but simply because my record in doing, I think, a very, very difficult job, has spoken for itself. I have a record of working hard...