What's in this Guide
Kalamazoo County Sheriff
State Representative, 61 District
Kalamazoo County Sheriff
Four-Year Term — Vote for 1
1. Why are you running for office? [75 word limit]
2. What are the responsibilities of the office you are seeking? How can voters know whether those responsibilities have been met? [100 word limit]
3. What are your top three priorities for the office you seek? What do you hope to accomplish? [150 word limit]
Republican
Michael J. Anderson
Republican. Age 66. Sheriff. Master’s in Public Administration, WMU; Bachelor’s degree, police administration, MSU. Sheriff since 2003; Undersheriff, 1986–2003. Michigan State Police, 1963–86. Campaign website has full résumé: www.sheriffmikeanderson.org
1. I am running for office because I firmly believe I am the most qualified person to continue moving the Sheriff’s office forward into the future and providing the highest quality law enforcement and jail services for the citizens of Kalamazoo County. All my education, training and experience have been dedicated to professional administration and management of law enforcement.
2. Under the State Constitution, the Sheriff is responsible for maintaining law and order in areas of the county not adequately policed by local authorities and responding professionally to calls for assistance from the citizenry. In Kalamazoo County, this involves being the primary service provider for over 90,000 citizens living within 500 square miles of 14 townships. The Sheriff is also responsible for operating the county jail and serving civil process. The Sheriff is the only elected police agency head and as such, the Sheriff reports directly to the voters regarding successes and failures in his/her administration of the office.
3. (a) The Sheriff, above all, holds a public trust that must be continuously earned through demonstrated integrity and competence. To that end, I am dedicated to ensuring that the citizens we serve receive professional law enforcement and jail services. (b) The Sheriff must play a strong role in seeking community consensus on resolving long-standing problems within the criminal justice system that relate directly to insufficient jail capacity. While we must continue to work on solutions for the causes of crime, maximizing community safety will never be realized with our current jail. (c) Road patrol staffing has not increased in 35 years forcing the Sheriff’s Office to become more and more reactive to crime rather than remain fully engaged in proactive crime prevention. As Sheriff, I will continue to steadfastly work with the community in developing ways to improve police protection and services.
Ricky L. Combs
Republican. Age 47. Please see my website
Democrat
Richard Fuller
Democrat. Age 44. Sergeant, Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Dept. A.D., law enforcement, Kellogg Community College; 800+ hrs, law enforcement continuing education certificates; Marshall H.S. Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Dept since 1989. Currently: Coordinator of AED/CPR Instruction, Methamphetamine Clandestine Laboratory Unit and Project Life Saver Unit; A Child Is Missing Instructor; Sergeant Uniform Services Section; Supervisor Field Training Officer Operations. Previously, Homer Michigan Police Dept, Marshall Police and Fire Depts. Married, two children; born/raised, Marshall. Volunteer: National Huntington’s disease, March of Dimes, church camp counselor.
1. I am running for Sheriff for Kalamazoo County because I am an experienced law enforcement professional dedicated to serving and protecting the citizens of Kalamazoo County. I believe it is time to address the need for more road patrols, for youth programs that foster understanding and cooperation with the law enforcement agencies and real solutions for repeat offenders. I am the leader with the experience, dedication and drive to bring effective change to the Sheriff's office.
2. The Sheriff is a constitutional office. A Sheriff is a peace officer under Michigan Law. In Michigan to be a police officer you must be Michigan Commission of Law Enforcement Standards Certified (MCOLES). The Sheriff not only provides road patrol for all areas of the county, but they must maintain a jail and provide court security. The Sheriff is constitutionally mandated to provide Law and Order to their county. I am MCOLES certified and have served with the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Department for nearly twenty years. I currently serve the citizens of Kalamazoo County.
3. (a) A Youth Outreach Program. I aim to foster understanding and cooperation. I want to work with community leaders to provide programs for kids. Sheriffs used to have programs to get in touch with the youth and stay in touch with them. I plan on bringing them back. These programs can be athletic as well as academic. I would like to teach people at an early age that they can resolve conflict without resorting to violence. (b) We need a higher presence of patrols. I hope to change the current situation of three patrol cars for the Sheriff’s Department a night on certain shifts. (c) I will work with state and local organizations to bring back an inmate rehabilitation program. This program will be designed to help people with addictions. I will use their time incarcerated constructively. I want to help them become more productive citizens when they leave jail so they never return.
Ray Roberts
Democrat. Age 41. Kalamazoo Township Police/Fire Dispatcher, Cooper Township Ordinance Officer. Continued studies: criminal justice. Born in Kalamazoo County; raised by my parents, alongside my sister and younger brother. Kalamazoo Township fire/police dispatcher, 14 yrs; Cooper Township ordinance officer, 5 yrs; Kalamazoo Township Police Reserve, 10 yrs; Sergeant, United States Air Force, 4 yrs.
1. Everyone is called upon in his or her life to be a leader. When I look at the way our current administration is reacting to crime, safety, and keeping promises, I refer to my experiences in public safety and discussions with friends and co-workers about the state of affairs within the sheriff’s office. My experiences and discussions allow for me to see opportunities where my skills and desire can lead to a progressive Sheriff’s Department.
2. The Sheriff’s Department takes more of a figurehead role by representing the department. The responsibilities of the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s office include administration over jail operations, inmate and employee safety, community representation, responsible budget implementation, and management ofº departmental assets. After my election to this office, citizens may need only to compare past administration practices to the platform that I have presented. I will enable transparency for citizens to see what the Department has accomplished.
3. Because the current administration appears to be politically motivated, it is my general opinion that the administration is unconcerned about the welfare of the workforce under his command. An example, cutting pay and benefits in an effort to save money instead of eliminating frivolous programs that exist today. In an effort to spend money as fiscally responsible as possible, I intend to create an inmate release program for inmates of lower offenses to reduce jail time. I also intend to increase the amount of deputies seen on our county roadways, to guarantee the citizens of Kalamazoo County are protected to their fullest extent. I also propose a plan that will increase patrols in rural areas, decreasing the time that it currently takes a deputy to respond to an emergency call. Finally, I plan to encourage community involvement in law enforcement by emphasizing community watch programs.