ACCOMPLISHMENTS
My vision for the Sheriff's Office is guided
by three core principles:
Command, Community, and Collaboration.
COMMAND
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Significantly increased our yearly training hours, putting our deputies well ahead of state standards.
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Added SRO deputies to more school districts so that we're better equipped to respond if the unthinkable happens.
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Designed a mentorship program to pair new deputies with seasoned veterans to help them navigate their first year.
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Hired the most diverse pool of new employees of any Summit County Sheriff.
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Overhauled our promotions process to be more fair, transparent, and merit-based.
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Built our K-9 Unit back to the size it once was a decade ago, and pioneered a new approach of adopting rescue dogs and training them to be K-9s.
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Promoted the first African American Major, first women Chief Deputy, first woman Drug Unit Captain, and first woman Detective Bureau Captain.
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Provided one of the lead investigators for the ongoing House Bill 6/First Energy scandal, which has led to more arrests of those involved.
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Started a Drone Unit and a Dive & Water Rescue team.
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Established a full-time Warrant Unit again for the first time in over 20 years.
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Improved relations with several local police departments and partnered with them in hotspot crime reduction and other areas where they needed additional manpower.
COMMUNITY
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Developed innovative recruitment techniques to reach more women, minorities, and new citizens.
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Obtained grant funding to eliminate financial barriers for cadets to attend our academy.
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Grew our online and social media presence and launched our own mobile app, making our office more modern, communicative, and accessible to the public.
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Greatly expanded our community policing and public outreach efforts.
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Created the position of Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – a first for the Sheriff's Office.
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Brought the Faith & Blue initiative to Summit County to bring law enforcement and the community together and heal divisions.
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Developed the first Fugitive Safe Surrender event in a decade.
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Opened new district offices in Coventry Township and Tallmadge.
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Hired the office’s first full-time chaplain to provide spiritual care and counseling to employees and assist with community policing.
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Relocated the CCW Office to a more central location and launched a new web-based system for obtaining a CCW license.
COLLABORATION
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Partnered with the Safety Forces Support Center to offer care and counseling to deputies should the need arise.
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Worked with the County Executive and judges to develop a safer, speedier, and more cost effective video conferencing method for inmate court appearances.
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Collaborated with county officials, mayors, and other agencies to develop a new state-of-the-art dispatch center.
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Worked with the Prosecutor’s Office to develop our CCW Workshop program to educate residents on changes to concealed carry laws and their rights to self-defense.
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Created a Gun Violence Reduction Unit that partners with the Akron Police Department.
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Provided tablets to our inmates to earn training and education, and brought in labor unions to teach them trades and help them find work after release.
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Working with multiple agencies to develop a facility for newly-released inmates who are homeless and suffering with mental health and addiction issues to help them find housing and continue treatment.
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Introduced more diverse religious opportunities at the jail, as well as caseworkers to aid inmates with mental health and addiction issues.
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Began offering culinary training certificates for inmates working in the jail’s kitchen, and guaranteeing job opportunities upon release.