Making the York County Sheriffs Office Great Again

I have been associated with the York County Sheriff’s office since the 1970’s. This gives me a vision that my other two challengers do not have. I know where the Sheriff’s Office has been and where it is gone. Some things are good, such as the new jail. I served on an early committee looking at the old facility and making recommendations for a new jail. However, other things are not so good, and have actually diminished the authority of the York County Sheriff’s Office.

In the Maine Constitution, the Sheriff is a constitutional officer who is responsible to the electorate of the county. In England, they had “Shires” or counties, where the King or the Lords were in charge. They made the laws and judged the lawbreakers. The “Reeves” enforced their laws, collected their taxes and arrested the lawbreakers. A combination of these two words gives us the word Sheriff.

In America, our ancestors envisioned a sheriff answerable to the people. Today, those who want to make the Sheriff’s Office non-partisan or non-political have no idea of the history of the office and why it needs to stay as it is, where the citizens are in charge. The Independent in this race is one of those who should be ashamed for not standing with the people. He is not the first to make a stand like this, nor will he be the last.

Secondly, look at what has happened to the York County Sheriff’s Office over the years:

1. Their communications center was demolished and sent to the Sanford Police Department.
2. There was a time when both the local police department and the York County Sheriff’s Department investigated an unattended death. In fact, the body could not be removed until the Sheriff gave his approval.
3. The jurisdiction of the Sheriff’s Office covers all 29 towns in York County. However, the services the towns receive are mostly jail-related, as well as patrol of rural areas. Some areas were turned over to the municipal or State Police. Did you know that the State Police patrolled the turnpike and had a small office on Route 1 near the Scarborough Marsh? However, later, the State built a new building within a few miles from the York County Sheriff’s Office. Why? The answer is found in the next question: Did you know that the center of York County is where the fourth jail and Sheriff’s office stood? We must remember that the Sheriff is the Chief Law Enforcement officer for the entirety of York County. The Sheriff is responsible for fighting crime in all the county, as well as housing prisoners who are arrested in York County. The Town of Lebanon remembered that when they demolished their police department.
4. York County used to have four courts. They were located in York, Sanford, Alfred, Saco and then Biddeford. Thus, the citizens who had been arrested could be tried close to the area where they conflicted with the law. Do you remember who provided Court Security? The Sheriff’s Department. However, a Sheriff in York County, the same one who decided he did not like the color of the uniforms, told the state
   “How sad!” The State then took over Court security, creating a new position in the State called Marshals. The head of this service became the Judicial Branch. Wait…What? This is a conflict of interest. How can the Judicial branch arrest in their courtrooms, and then turn around and try them. COURT ROOM SECURITY MUST BE RETURNED TO THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH, THE SHERIFF!
5. There was a time when the York County Sheriff’s Office had qualified corrections officers who returned for part-time employment during the summer, when the jail population increased. But a particular
   Sheriff foolishly, did away with that. Staffing became (and still is) a problem at the York County Jail. When officers are ordered to work an additional shift, now 16 hours straight, who wants to work for such an organization? Does anyone remember in Cumberland County when a Corrections Officer worked 16 hours and fell asleep on his way home? A nine-year-old girl died and he became an inmate rather than an officer. My Independent challenger is from the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office. York County residents do not need the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office running the York County Sheriff’s Office. I will put an end to forced overtime!
6. Over time, I have witnessed officers treated unfairly by the administration. The greatest asset that the Sheriff has is his staff. It makes no sense to go through the expense of hiring, training in-house, sending them to academies, and then firing them. This is a great waste of resources. There is a tendency to fire personnel before protection from the union. I pledge to recruit and hire better individuals, seek long-term employment, and establish a better investigation approach that will have the backs of all employees. I will support my staff. However, if they violate policies and the law, there must be consequences.

I could go on, but to shorten this essay, let me say that things must be done to make the York County Sheriff’s Office great again. We do not need an outsider who will bring in the failed policies of Cumberland County. This is York County, and we need a person who has worked there and has a new vision that comes from being a Professor of Criminal Justice. If you agree with me, than vote for Corbett for Sheriff in November 2026!