Dear Editor,
Stevens
The elected sheriff assumes three core job duties when taking office:
- Provide law enforcement protection for the unincorporated population of the county and assist, when needed, those municipal and town police departments protecting the incorporated population.
- Operate and maintain the County Jail and Juvenile Detention Center.
- Serve and protect the seven state courts housed in the Government and Judicial Center.
The sheriff’s operating budget is $17.3 million which includes 216 personnel and a fleet of over 100 vehicles. The staff consists of 61 sworn police officers, 131 staff assigned to the corrections operation and 24 civilian staff. The next sheriff will face many challenges:
- Continue to work with the state and local police departments to address the opioid crisis in our community.
- Define an operational program for an expanding jail population impacted by substance abuse and mental health issues.
- Evaluate the most effective strategy for protecting the shrinking unincorporated.
Hamilton County ranks as the fourth largest county by population in the state and continues to be among the fastest growing in the nation. Hamilton County remains the best place in Indiana to live, work, raise a family and enjoy a safe quality of life. The dedicated employees of your Sheriff’s Department have contributed significantly to achieving that goal.
The sheriff will always have county wide law enforcement jurisdiction and should maintain a well trained, professional and dedicated patrol staff to protect our citizens and assist the municipalities where needed. Only the sheriff operates the county jail and only the sheriff protects the state courts housed at the judicial center. Your next sheriff must choose wisely how to spend your tax dollars to operate this $17.3M dollar business while adapting to the reality of the department’s changing operational environment.
Capt. Dennis Quakenbush possesses the common sense maturity, the leadership skills, the business management training and the practical law enforcement experience to meet this challenge.
Dennis will serve the citizens of Hamilton County well. I support Capt. Dennis Quakenbush for your next sheriff.
Sheriff Dan Stevens (retired)
Sheriff, 1987-1994
35 years of service with HCSD
Shame on you Dan Stevens. I really don’t know how you think this is okay. I hope you, and all of the others which know the truth, are just as proud of your endorsement when the truth comes out. To clarify, the truth and real story behind the lies, deception, immoralities, unethical behavior, and cover ups of the current administrative staff at the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office will be published. It will happen after May 8th so no one else can claim that anyone “cost them” what they feel they are entitled to. I guess I will start there. NO ONE is entitled to anything. Dan your nephew, Jason Sloderbeck, felt he was entitled to be the next Sheriff. You spent a year supporting him and were at most of his functions. He failed. He failed himself, he failed his supporters, he failed his staff, his family, his friends, and he disrespected the place he wanted to run. NOT lead, run. Your nephew’s failure was of his own doing. It was because of his own immoral, unethical, and quite honestly illegal acts which caused him to decide to drop out of the race with no explanation after a year of campaigning and just days after officially filing for the office of SHERIFF of this county. Although I understand you where not in country when this occurred because you were vacationing with one of our commissioners when Sloderbeck chose to drop from the race, I also know you are aware of all of these things. Most importantly you are aware of all the facts surrounding his failures and the birth of the Quakenbush “push”. As the Commissioners Secretary you have inside knowledge of what is and has gone on within county government just as the others which have jumped on this big “push”. So you are aware of the real reasons these Captains have “voluntarily” stepped down from their appointed positions and given up several ranks AND several thousands of dollars in pay. I say this because as I’m sure no press release was given, Sloderbeck who decided not to seek the position of Sheriff because he was best suited to be Jail Commander under this Sheriff and the next has now “decided” to go ahead and step down from that position to work late shift as a Lieutenant on the road. Maybe Derrick Thomas could add some more to Sloderbeck’s chapter in this Jerry Springerish story to this administrations book. So I ask you this Dan…. how do you lay your head down at night while you brag about your prior 35 years of service to the Sheriff’s Office and prior position as Sheriff and then condone what has gone on there for the last 7 years 3 months and 25 days? Would you have ever allowed this to go on. How would you have handled it? Those hairs standing up on the back of your knack as you took those pictures, did none of this cross your mind? You see I can not. It makes me angry and hurts my heart to know and see what has happened there and what the current leadership, which the person you say is best suited to lead is a part of and number 3 in charge, has condoned, allowed, and covered up. Think about that. He is the number three person in charge. His position is appointed and at any time he could have walked away because of moral, ethical, and just flat out human beliefs in knowing what is going on is wrong. Just like you and the others involved in this “push”, all of you know it is wrong. And he did not? So do we really want to bring character into this equation? The lies, deception, and fear that your candidate is trying to instill in people is just about as real as your endorsement knowing what you do. The truth is that the guys wearing brown and serving the community like they do every single day will continue doing so, and this community will continue being a safe place to live and play. They will do this because of their dedication to service and what they believe in. NOT because of who the citizens of this county elect to be the next Sheriff. I hope that those of you in county government who have the same knowledge of all these issues yet still “push for Quakenbush” understand accountability for your words will soon come. I hope what all of you are willing to do is stand behind what you have force fed your “push for Quakenbush” to be the next generation of government puppet, after everyone knows the facts about the cover ups and indiscretions, you have allowed to go on. The deleted comments and blocked users on Quakenbush’s Facebook site should speak volumes. Quakenbush has washed his website of all pictures that had Sloderbeck in them however Sloderbeck still has a website for Sheriff? Funny enough the only thing on it for months is Quakenbush. It really does not take a college education or a masters degree to figure this mess out and I leave it to you to do so. When it comes to light please do not allow those which have the knowledge who have stepped amongst the smoke and mirrors the opportunity to slip back behind those same smoke and mirrors. They are not “pubic officials” they are dangerous politicians. More to come…
You must not know this man very well. He is held with great respect and has dedicated his life to this county. I have no doubt in my mind he had no idea of the things you are referring to. I believe he was asked to support Quakenbush after Sloderbeck backed out. Education is a high priority in this county and, I’m sure, wanted by people in the commissioners office. Quakenbush fits that bill. With that being said, we do need to vote for someone that will “drain the swamp”. Morals and ethics should be the number one priority and everyone should be held accountable for their actions. No matter what your rank is. Turning a blind eye is just as bad as doing the act yourself.
I like Russell, Moore and Clifford. I think those three would do a fine job as Sheriff. Nothing will change with Quakenbush. He said it himself.
To #NOMORELIES if you are aware of inpropriieties and you are in law enforcement, then by your own words how do you lay your head down at night and not report these things? You’re aware of illegal activities and you’re just going to sit on it due to politics? It’s hard to tell if your story is legitimate or fake news. Either way you share some culpability in dirty politics.
I’m a Hamilton County Resident who deserves to know that anyone who is part of illegal activity or a cover up, or any law enforcement official or staff who is aware of these things and not reporting them should be investigated. So say your piece, you’ve got everyone’s attention. Let’s hear the truth and also stop hiding. Use your real name.
#dirtypolitics
I will first say that I did not write the #NOMORELIES, but until you work in the law enforcement field, you do not understand the chain of command that has to be followed. If you do not follow this chain, then you yourself are the one in trouble. If the person that wrote that is in law enforcement, how do you know if they reported it or not? Just because something is reported or brought to the attention of someone in a higher position, doesn’t mean that they will do anything about it. Sometimes you can only do so much because you worry about keeping your job. A lot of these issues being brought up are not new, they are ongoing. If you are a concerned citizen, just reach out to some of the people that work there. By the way, I’m using my real name
I do not live in Hamilton County but I do work for Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. I cannot vote in this election. I respect everybody’s right to support and endorse their candidate. I just think it is cowardly to throw people under the bus or talk ill of people without posting your name.