Longtime lawmen seek sheriff's post

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by Mike Sever

Record-Courier Reporter

Two Democrats are seeking support to run for Portage County sheriff.

Both have been in law enforcement for decades. David Doak is a long-time sheriff's department employee who said he decided to run when he became frustrated by a lack of input with the department.

Jeff Buck, the chief of police in Reminderville, said he can bring cooperation among local departments and governments to better serve county residents.

A Ravenna native, Doak has been in law enforcement since 1969 when he started his career with the Kent State University Police Department.

He also worked in Geauga County before being hired in 1975 as a criminal investigator for the Portage County prosecutor's office, then as a patrolman for the Kent Police Department, where he rose to the rank of lieutenant in 1991.

Buck has been in Reminderville since 1993. He worked narcotics from 1993 to 2001 with the Portage County Drug Task Force, the Geauga County Drug Task Force and some task forces out of Cleveland.

Doak said wants to rebuild morale at the sheriff's office, which he says has suffered because of a lack of progress.

"There was a time that place was moving forward. This last term [of Sheriff Duane Kaley] the pace has surged to a stop," Doak said.

HE SAID the biggest problem is "a lack of communication with staff and with the community."

Doak said he believes he could use a pool of part-time people to handle some duties, such as taking reports, to free up deputies for more road patrols.

"We may need to rely on special deputies again, but they need to be trained," he said.

Doak said he would like to update cruisers with mobile data terminals to speed up communication and take some load off dispatchers, but has no idea of the cost.

While he was chief deputy, Doak said he had "absolutely no input" into the department's annual budget preparation.

Buck said his goal as sheriff is to reorganize and modernize the department for efficiency and improved service. He said his ideas seem to be getting a welcome response.

"Talking to people at township and council meetings, they're all happy that somebody new is running, and they might have a voice in getting an extra patrol car, or that somebody might respond when they call," Buck said.

Buck said he's hearing "horror stories" about residents not getting a response from the sheriff's office, or follow up on incidents and crimes.

Buck said he would reorganize how the department is arranged to put more cars on the road.

"I'VE LOOKED at the budget with two different accountants and I believe I could put 15 to 17 deputies back on the road," Buck said.

He also is stressing more cooperation by the sheriff's department with local governments

"I think it's real important there is more cooperation within the county, with other agencies, the fiscal people, everybody," he said.

Modernization includes putting mobile data terminals in the cars and outfitting deputies with Tasers.

"MDTs save you dispatch time and gets you more time on the road, faster communication," Buck said. "And Tasers protect your people and the suspects. We're not going to be hitting guys with batons and flashlights."

He said he also would work with other police departments to build programs, such as a child abduction response team, with members from all area departments.

"One of the biggest things I've learned in the past six months [talking with township trustees] is, sometimes they have no police protection," because of a scarcity of road patrols.

Buck said he would increase the use of "outposts" or township offices for deputies, to keep patrols closer to where they're needed.

Buck said he also would be more proactive on helping people, like letters to senior citizens about current scams directed at seniors.

"They do it in other jurisdictions. Simple things like that," Buck said.

E-mail: msever@recordpub.com

Telephone: 330-296-9657