By Jim Hannah
The Cincinnati Enquirer
NEWPORT - The race for Campbell County jailer pits Democratic incumbent Greg Buckler against Republican Jim Sawyer.
Mr. Buckler, 40, of California, Ky., says he is most qualified and points to his several improvements to the jail to increase operational efficiently.
But Mr. Sawyer, 61, of Newport, said any jailer who lets a prisoner walk away from a doctor's office couldn't be running a very efficient operation.
Jason Woods of Dayton, Ky., was able to escape from an orthopedic surgeon's office despite having a broken leg. Mr. Woods, who was arrested after a minor altercation at a neighbor's home, has since been captured.
Mr. Sawyer said he is concerned the public wasn't promptly notified of the escape, which didn't become public until weeks later after a reporter learned of the incident.
"I have a problem that the escape was not initially publicized," he said. "Citizens have the right to know when someone is not where they are supposed to be."
Mr. Sawyer, who is retired from Thomson-MacConnell Cadillac in Walnut Hills, said he has the business and management experience to run the jail.
Mr. Sawyer said he would focus on training, and report happenings in the jail to the community, no matter how minor the incident might be.
"We have to be held accountable," he said.
The jail has 135 beds, but like most county jails in Northern Kentucky, it is faced with overcrowding problems. On Oct. 8, there were 195 inmates at the facility.
Mr. Buckler defends his record. He said a series of odd coincidences led to Mr. Woods' escape. Mr. Woods, who had never been convicted of anything more serious than theft and burglary charges, got away after an automatic door at the doctor's office jammed between him and the deputy escorting him.
Among improvements Mr. Buckler has made during his term include installing a computerized jail management system. He said the computer system is able to track inmates by charge, cell location, court date and bond amount. The system can even create photo lineups for police departments.
Mr. Buckler said under his administration, jail staff began fingerprinting suspects brought in by police, which allowed officers to return to their beats more quickly.
Mr. Buckler also implemented a two-week basic training course for all newly hired deputies, for which members of his staff were trained as certified instructors. This allows new deputies to obtain in-house training thus saving the jail time and money, he said.
Mr. Buckler said one of the biggest challenges facing the next Campbell County jailer is the crowding issue. If re-elected, he plans to continue working with judges to get those convicted of misdemeanors on a home incarceration program.
E-mail jhannah@enquirer.com
