Published: October 29, 2009 12:21 am      

HOPKINS: Sheriff’s race a no-brainer

There’s a race in Erie County that has grabbed a lot of attention, but because 2009 is such a hyper-local election year in the Tonawandas, hasn’t received much attention here: the race for Erie County Sheriff. I can’t speak for anyone else in the newsroom, but you can take it to the bank that on Nov. 4 I will pull the lever for John Glascott.

I don’t know Tim Howard, and I’m sure he’s a decent person. However, too much has happened during his watch to merit retaining him as the county’s top cop. On the other hand I’ve known John Glascott, a captain in the Cheektowaga Police Department, on a professional level for several years and can say without a doubt that he’ll bring a no-nonsense, common sense approach to the department.

When needing information, Glascott is a reporter’s dream. He’s quick to return a call and he’ll be sure to get you an answer if he doesn’t have one immediately available. His philosophy is give the reporter what he’s looking for (within reason) and the reporter will move on. I know a couple of police departments that would benefit from this way of thinking.

While making information available may not seem like much, it’s vital to transparency in government and building public trust. John Glascott understands this. I’m not sure that Tim Howard does, and his explanation that he trusts a Hollywood film crew inside his jail but not the federal justice department wasn’t very bright.

Glascott hasn’t promised that he’d open the doors, either. Yet his response to a local television station that he’d review everything before making a decision is honest.

I’ve also seen Glascott “in the field,” observing investigations following bank robberies and other crimes. To me, his willingness to step out of the office and keep a pulse on what’s happening is a big plus. It shows that he sees what the public observes and also knows what the police officers are encountering. He can relate to both sides.

A few years ago, at my last paper, one of my reporters came back from a breaking news story, upset with how he was treated by a Cheektowaga officer. We lodged our complaints with Captain Glascott. He listened, then discussed it with other department administrators and they took care of the problem.

He’ll also stick up for his officers and won’t rush to judgment. A few years ago, Glascott was confronted with pictures of a Cheektowaga patrol vehicle parked in a handicapped place at a town restaurant. It didn’t look good. Glascott went to the restaurant and noticed that the “handicapped” space in question was an old location; a different space was clearly marked as handicapped. The controversy was over. It was a sensible approach.

I know a few people who work in the Erie County Sheriff’s Department and have casually asked them about Sheriff Howard. I won’t disclose specifically what was said, because it was a casual conversation, but their general thoughts are that he’s a great person, but not a good manager.

Howard can complain all he want that he’s being singled out, or unfairly targeted. But the fact remains that under his watch an inmate escaped the county jail and shot three state troopers, one of which later died; an inmate was erroneously released and raped a woman; a holding center inmate recently escaped to the roof; the sheriff refuses to let federal Department of Justice officials inside the jail to investigate complaints, but allowed Hollywood types in.

Sheriff Howard (or his supporters) have shot back recently with their own allegations about the Cheektowaga Police Department, including a suicide there in 2004. It’s always disturbing to read about a suicide, in jail or elsewhere. But here’s something to think about: There have been nine in the Erie County Holding Center since 2003.

Two years ago a Cheektowaga police shotgun fell out of a patrol car. It was found and returned, but it gave the department a black eye. Glascott was on vacation when the incident happened but when he returned to work, he explained what happened and admitted they made a mistake. Furthermore, the department issued new procedures to ensure a similar incident wouldn’t happen.

For Howard, it all adds up to too much in a short period of time. Glascott brings answers. Howard offers excuses or plays the blame game. I don’t buy it, and I’m not convinced he should be running the sheriff’s department. Erie County needs a change, and I’m voting for John Glascott.

John Hopkins is the night city editor of the Tonawanda News. His column appears Thursdays. Contact him at john.hopkins@gnnewspaper.com.