Candidates for sheriff square off at 4C’s
by Joshua Devlin
There will be a new sheriff in town soon.
The current sheriff of Barnstable County, James M. Cummings, is retiring, and Republican Tim Whelan and Democrat Donna Buckley are looking to take his seat.
The candidates took to the Tilden Arts Center stage on Oct. 12 in a debate presented by the League of Women Voters of Cape Cod.
Both candidates have lengthy records as public servants. Whelan is currently a state representative and has also served as a State Police sergeant and in the United States Marines. Buckley recently retired from the general counsel to the Barnstable Country Sheriff’s Office and formerly ran her own law practice, as well teaching criminal justice courses.
Many issues came up during the course of the debate, including jail-based voting and the Work and Family Mobility Act, a law that affects motor-vehicle licenses for immigrants.
In response to jail-based voting, Buckley stressed her focus on increasing both information and support for inmates who are eligible for voting. Whelan said he would “adhere to the established laws” regarding voting rights for inmates who are not convicted felons.
Whelan said he opposes the Work and Family Act because it may increase the potential of immigrants, illegal or otherwise, to create forged documents. This may allow immigrants to change their names, thus circumventing mistakes that may haunt them from their native lands. Buckley is in favor of the act. She said that allowing licenses for immigrants would decrease liabilities in motor-vehicle accidents, including with respect to collateral property damage and insurance claims.
The candidates were also asked to respond to the deaths of three inmates within the Barnstable County Correctional Facility in eight weeks during this past summer. Whelan stressed his support for further training of the sheriff’s office staff, while Buckley responded that her administration would delegate inmate suicide screenings to salaried workers within the sheriff’s office, instead of relying on private companies.
As sheriff, Buckley stressed that she would focus on ethical and humane corrections, especially treating substance abuse and mental health disorders. Whelan’s plan for his administration centered on improving the capabilities of the staff through training and increasing the number of staff members at the correctional facility.
The debate will be rebroadcast on Channels 98 and 99. More information can be found at watch.capemedia.org.
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