Progressives of Washtenaw

By Conan Smith
In the city, we haven’t paid much attention to the Sheriff’s department in the past.  We contrast the challenges of policing an urban area (murders, drugs, moribund skateboarders) with the bucolic and charming malfeasances of the rural parts of our county that the Sheriff’s department handles.  The distinction is sort of Hill Street Blues versus the Dukes of Hazard.  The men and women in brown, however, are playing a bigger role in Ann Arbor – and the governance decisions of their leadership are impacting our ability to maintain a high quality of life.  Over the past eight years we’ve watched Sheriff Dan Minzey ignore the concerns of city residents and further distance himself from the Ann Arbor electorate that assured his victory in 2000.  Beyond that, Minzey put in a shameful performance over the past eight years, dividing county residents, running grossly over budget, and allowing discipline and pride to dissolve at the department.

This year, we have a rare primary race for County Sheriff that has the potential to restore the relevance of the Sheriff’s department to Ann Arbor – and put the office back on the path to excellence.  Our choice in that race is Jerry Clayton – a twenty year veteran of the Washtenaw Sheriff’s Department with a track record of elevating civil rights, ensuring excellent management and providing leadership to the entirety of the Washtenaw County community.

Clayton, an African American from Ypsilanti Township, served under long-time Sheriff Ron Scheible where he worked with the county’s public defender to develop a robust racial profiling training to combat a disturbing emergent trend across all levels of law enforcement.  Known for his integrity and firm discipline as a commander, Clayton was sidelined by Minzey who slowly dismantled the progressive programs Clayton had built.  The lack of appreciation evidenced in his home county was not echoed across the country (or the world for that matter) and Clayton soon retired from the department to become an international consultant on peace and justice issues.

Ask Clayton what prompted his run for Sheriff and you’ll likely hear an impassioned defense of his fellow men and women in uniform who he feels are suffering from Minzey’s strikingly poor leadership.  He argues that law enforcement officers need resources – he won’t say definitively that the department has appropriate funding from the county – but they also need to have a strong system of accountability.  He believes that delivering Sheriff’s services is about more than just the hours a patrolman spends in a community and must strategically, efficiently and effectively address the residents’ needs recognizing the limitations of shrinking government budgets.

Broad shouldered, Clayton stands an easy six feet and could be an intimidating figure if it weren’t for that engaging smile that resonates in his eyes and his voice.  His eagerness to be a partner with every county and community leader and a role model for the department staff and the citizens is immediately evident.  He readily talks about the value of actively engaging neighborhoods, businesses and community organizations in defining the Sheriff’s role.  He argues that openness and transparency, matched by effective public involvement, will provide the best solutions to the county’s law enforcement issues.

In Jerry Clayton, Ann Arbor and the rest of Washtenaw County will have a Sheriff who will shoulder the responsibility of managing a major department in ways that evidence a commitment to progressive values.  Our tax dollars will be spent cautiously but with an eye to direct community services.  The policies elevating human dignity would be restored.  The budget will be managed in cooperation with other county leaders, ensuring that critical human services are no longer sacrificed to pay for the unnecessary waste and inefficiency in the Sheriff’s department.

We have longed for the leadership that Jerry Clayton offers.  It can only be delivered with a big progressive turn out from the City of Ann Arbor.  Be sure to vote Clayton and help him restore the commitment to excellence in the Washtenaw Sheriff’s Department.

(Conan Smith is a Washtenaw County commissioner and guest writer for POW! .)