Last Update: Danville City Sheriff’s Race – Update #1
We’re right at the 30-day mark until the election, so let’s see what’s happening in this race.
News: Mike Mondul seems to have the front-runner status, but Thelbert Childress is starting to get his campaign rolling along. Wayne Booth has increased his advertising but he’s in a distant third place right now. Both Mondul & Childress have done the standard “Group of supporters on City Hall steps” photos. Mondul’s photo had a lot of law enforcement personnel in it, while Childress’ photo had more of a community support to it. Childress has picked up the endorsement of former Danville Chief of Police Neal Morris, but I’m not sure how much that means. Morris failed in his bid to be elected to Danville City Council immediately after his retirement, and he doesn’t carry that much community support. In an election that has a high potential to be broken down by racial lines, Childress now has the support of Neal Morris, while Mondul has the support of Derrick Mercer. Maybe Danville can rise above the usual racial divide?
Mondul and Childress have both started television ads. All three candidates have signs in place with Mondul having the very large advantage in that category. Mondul has opened up a campaign office that is staffed with an excellent volunteer network.
>>>>>
Issues: I’m still convinced that most of Danville has no idea what the Sheriff’s Office actually does.
Mondul has brought up an issue that makes sense: Sheriff’s office employees doing the booking of arrested individuals. Mondul says that the same information is entered into the system multiple times in the current process and that police officers would be back on the street a lot quicker if the booking was handled by the Sheriff’s office. Mondul also has proposed that Sheriff’s Office employees get “road school” training and it can be paid for with grant money. These ideas make sense.
Childress has proposed a female inmate work crew and more community involvement.
Booth has proposed expanding programs like the Good News Ministry and the GED initiative.
>>>>>
Thoughts: Although there are three candidates, it’s really a two-man race now. Booth really doesn’t have the qualifications that Mondul & Childress do. He seems like a good guy, but he can’t win this election. Childress can’t win this election either if he continues to play catch-up with everything Mondul has done or is doing. Mondul can easily put this election on cruise control and slide into a win but he doesn’t seem the type of candidate to do that.
>>>>>
Prediction of the popular vote: Mondul 53%, Childress 39%, Booth 7%
>>>
OddsMakers of the candidate winning the election: Mondul 85%, Childress 15%, Booth 0%
One month to go until election day… will anything change?
It is time for a CHANGE in the Sheriff’s office. It is not necessary for the Danville Police officer to go down stairs when he makes an arrest and process the suspect. then turn him over to the sheriff’s office and they turn around and do the exact same thing. That is bull. It only takes one time. Mike wants to eliminate that.
If elected he wants the dept to start getting out more in the community. Working with the youth. Working better with the Police dept. Take away some the the inmates good things they are getting. Aren’t they in jail cause they did wrong. They do not need to be rewarded for being there!! It is not the Hilton. You do the crime, do the time.
So a vote for Mondul is the right thing. If you vote for the other 2 nothing will change.
I am happy that there seems to be less focus from the candidates on the premise that the inmates need to be treated more harshly. Surely anyone with a child is aware that privileges are there to be taken away as a method of keeping control.
I am very much undecided in this race, but I do think one unsaid factor that should be discussed is continuity. How much of the staff will remain if Mondul wins? I would imagine that Lt. Childress and Deputy Boothe at minimum might leave. This has positive and negative implications for both Childress and Mondul. If the leadership does leave in a Mondul administration, it may be easier for him to implement new policies but more difficult to make a smooth transition. Childress would have the opposite pros and cons.
Mondul has said many times that the inmates are getting to many things handed to them. If elected he will see that it ends. He will also look at the work release program as well. If i am not mistaken he also said that if an inmate is on work release and gets paid then some of the pay will go towards that inmates housing at the jail. Do the crime do the time. Pay for it as well I think it ought to be. And if Mike is elected he is not going to Fire Childress or Booth. He is not that kind of person.