- As in Jackson, so in Hillsdale: two Republicans — incumbent Scott Hodshire and challenger Jon-Paul Rutan — square off in the race for County Sheriff on August 6.
- Incumbent Hillsdale County Sheriff Scott Hodshire asks whether you want a general or a civilian leading the charge into a war, stressing his law enforcement experience.
- Challenger Jon-Paul Rutan says a sheriff's number one job is to protect people's rights, and that he can provide better management and financial stewardship.
- Video shows both answering questions and discussing their views and qualifications.
(The following is a transcription of TWO broadcast stories)
In Hillsdale County, Jon-Paul Rutan is challenging incumbent Sheriff Scott Hodshire with a platform Rutan says offers better financial stewardship and a greater focus on protecting people's rights. I talked to Rutan about his ideas for the office he has been seeking since 2012.
"The sheriff is the only elected law enforcement....He doesn't answer to the county board. He doesn't answer to the governor. He answers directly to the people," Rutan notes. "His number one job is to protect their rights — from overreaching federal, state, and local government."
In Rutan's view, many problems can be traced to a Sheriff who only sees himself as a servant of judges or other government agencies — including overcrowding at the county jail.
Rutan thinks this is due, at least in part, to executing judges' warrants without prioritizing them using the sheriff's own discretion.
"It's the power of discretion to do what's in the interest of justice, is what Madison tells us…That provision is there so that when we run into situations like what we have in Hillsdale, that the sheriff can classify, under the ACA [American Correctional Association], dangerous felons from non-dangerous felons, and do what they need to do to make sure that the dangerous people are behind bars, and that the non-dangerous people aren't," says Rutan.
Rutan also believes better financial stewardship would free up resources to offer better pay.
"When we buy things that we have to put money into maintenance-wise and equipment we don't need like a Humvee, that's a waste of taxpayer dollars," he notes.
Rutan cites his leadership experience as a sergeant in the military, his business degree, and his work in a state penitentiary as particular qualifications:
"I've worked in a prison for 8 years, so I understand which was one of the main jobs of the Sheriff is to maintain the jail…I understand inmate classification way better under the ACA, I also know how to manage and maintain a jail better."
Rutan also believes the work environment in the Sheriff's office needs to change. He claims deputies have confided in him that it feels unsupportive and involves too much politics. Rutan thinks this — not just low pay — can be another cause of retention problems, and promises to change that.
"To be a good officer, 90 percent of your job is diplomacy….But when you get a chief law enforcement officer that's not diplomatic at all, it's a breakdown, it's a culture that gets created in that department," argues Rutan.
How does he rate his chances in his fourth run for sheriff?
Rutan responds: "People are…they know somethings wrong. They may not be able to put their finger on it, but they know there needs to be a change. And that's what I'm seeing in the community. So, I think my chances are better this time than they ever have been. Every time I run, I always gain more support."
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In Hillsdale County, Sheriff Scott Hodshire is running for reelection, emphasizing his many years of law enforcement experience over that of his challenger, Jon-Paul Rutan.
"If we go to war, would you have a civilian lead you into war, or would you have a general lead you into war?" he asks.
I spoke with Hodshire about his achievements, challenges, motivation, and plans for another term.
"I have brought this office to the 21st century. And we're not going to stop," he says.
Among his accomplishments, Sheriff Hodshire lists over half a million dollars in grants and new equipment, like 800MHz radios and body cameras, two K-9s trained for drugs, and what Hodshire says are inroads in the local war on drugs.
"We were successful in shutting down the Camden apartments that housed nothing but drug-infested people, we were successful in getting over a pound of meth off the streets…we've, taken four vehicles off the streets that were transporting drugs…we are working on it," he says.
Based on information from suspects turned informants, Hodshire says bigger busts are coming.
The biggest challenge he faces?
"Recruitment."
Hodshire tells me he's losing deputies to better paying departments. But he's keeping up by recruiting young people locally.
"We have to handpick that special group that want to be police officers," he explains. "We want to get them while they're young."
His greatest accomplishment, in his own view? Bringing back community service.
"I worked out a deal with District Court that if someone's getting sentenced for 3-5 days here, they'll work 3-5 days on my work program. I don't have to house them, I don't have to feed them, I don't have to medicate them. They come in on a Saturday, work 8 hours until their commitment is fulfilled, and it benefits the entire community," he notes.
Another is the high school diploma program inside the jail — to help participants get their lives on a better track.
Bail reform notwithstanding, Hodshire says he still has a jail that's filled to capacity.
"We have over 500 warrants that Michigan state and us and the city police could pick up on, but I do not have the jail space," says Hodshire.
Contrary to his opponent's claims, Hodshire says he doesn't have non-dangerous suspects taking up jail space.
"We're getting the dangerous people off the road, you know, off the streets, and we're making your community safer," he tells me.
I ask him if he's saying that the people he's holding in the jail need to be here. No question in his mind?
"Absolutely, yes. Yes," comes the response.
His plans, if reelected, include restarting a community watch program and one more police dog — for explosives.
Asked to compare himself to his challenger, Jon-Paul Rutan, Hodshire says:
"I am the only one that's law enforcement-certified. I'm the only one that's been here for 25+ years — as your law enforcement officer."
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