Although the official filing period for the 2018 race for Lake County sheriff does not begin until January, candidates have already started getting their names out to voters.
Four candidates have announced their candidacy to fill the position current Sheriff John Buncich will leave, as he’s hit the two-term limit to run for the position. Lake County Clerk Michael A. Brown, Schererville police Chief David Dowling, Richard Ligon and Dan Murchek, the Lake County Sheriff’s Department deputy police chief, have started their campaigns well ahead of when filing begins.
Jim Wieser, chairman of the Lake County Democratic Committee, said it’s premature to talk about what the race might look like in 2018, but he anticipates a number of people running.
“I certainly think there will be multiple candidates when filing opens in January,” Wieser said. “I think mainly because there are really well-qualified people who want it.”
Wieser said that as people approach him or he hears about people considering running for the position, he sees a lot of qualified candidates.
“That’s a good thing,” Wieser said.
As party chairman, Wieser said the more people that are interested in running for an office, the better off Lake County voters are.
Michael A. Brown
Brown said running for the sheriff’s office is the next step in his career of more than two decades in county government.
“From my standpoint, I have been extremely fortunate to work in county government for over 20 years. You really get an understanding of the day-to-day operations, what employees go through,” Brown said.
The clerk, who previously served as county coroner and recorder, said the elected offices, including sheriff, are administrative positions.
“It is your responsibility to work with the (county) commissioners, the council and the rest of the government body, as well as the public, in a way to efficiently run the various offices,” Brown said.
He said it would be his responsibility as an administrator to ensure the department’s leaders — like the chief of police — are experienced and qualified law enforcement professionals.
“My responsibility is to choose (personnel) and give them the tools they need to do their jobs,” Brown said.
Brown said he has a demonstrated record of fiscal responsibility throughout his elected career and would continue that commitment to being a good steward of taxpayer dollars if elected sheriff. Safety of both officers and the public will remain a priority for the department under his leadership.
“People want to be safe. I agree with that,” Brown said.
He wants to bring “fresh eyes” to the Sheriff’s Department, an approach he said he brought with him to the clerk’s office when he first ran for office. Brown is finishing his second term as clerk, and term limits prevent him from running for the office again.
Brown said the field of Democratic candidates beginning to line up to run in the primary represents a group of individuals very qualified to run for public office. He said his experience in county government is what sets him apart from the field. Brown said he has worked his way from an employee to an administrator and has the ability to work with people regardless of their political affiliation.
“It’s really about service,” Brown said. “The best thing about working in county government is the people, the people that work there and the people we serve.”
David Dowling
Dowling said he’s already begun crisscrossing the county and is pleased with the reaction he’s getting to his candidacy.
Originally from Hammond, Dowling said his family has a history in law enforcement and public service, which gave him a desire to work in the public’s interest.
Dowling has been with the Schererville Police Department since 1984, with much of that time as a supervisor and administrator, and said he always thought about running for sheriff.
“It’s always been one of my professional goals,” Dowling said.
The Schererville chief said there’s a real need and interest in having a fresh set of eyes at the Lake County Sheriff’s Department and creating a new approach to how work is done there.
“I just feel that we need someone with law enforcement background that has administrative experience to get the job done,” Dowling said.
Dowling said he’s involved with the community, serving on the board of directors for St. Jude House and the Northwest Indiana Urban League. Dowling is also the president of the District 1 Law Enforcement Council.
“It’s important not just to say you’re involved but show you are,” Dowling said.
Dowling said that with his experience he thinks he can make a difference at the Sheriff’s Department and move it in a positive direction.
In an open year without an incumbent, Dowling said he’s expecting a number of candidates to run.
Richard Ligon
After the 2014 sheriff’s race, Ligon, of Gary, wasn’t sure he’d run again.
But encouragement from friends, veterans, police officers and voters throughout the county led the former federal law enforcement officer and military veteran to consider another run in 2018. Ligon said his experience will bring both a strong law enforcement background and administrative skills to the office of sheriff.
“It’s really about making positive changes to our county,” Ligon said.
Ligon said he’s acquired a lot of law enforcement and administrative experience through his life in the armed services and later in his career as an officer with the U.S. Postal Service.
Ligon spent 36 years in the U.S. Army and National Guard, obtaining the rank of colonel. Ligon said that during his last post as a brigade commander, he oversaw 1,700 soldiers.
With the Postal Service, Ligon said he worked for 23 years as an investigator and supervisor. He was also a parole officer and juvenile probation officer.
Ligon said he attended Kentucky State University, Valparaiso University and numerous military colleges.
“It’s embedded in me how things should be done,” Ligon said.
“Whatever I say, I’m going to do,” Ligon said.
Other candidates will say any number of things, Ligon said, but his experience and ties to other agencies means he’ll be able to get things accomplished.
“I know it needs to be a partnership with all other agencies,” Ligon said.
One of his primary goals is to provide more training for Lake County officers, Ligon said, and bring veteran officers together with younger ones to provide better police services.
“The key to a lot of this is good, solid training,” Ligon said.
Ligon said he thinks voters are looking for a qualified candidate who is not a friend of politicians to move the department forward and restore public trust.
“Right now, I think integrity is a big part,” Ligon said. “It’s time for a change.”
Dan Murchek
Murchek said he has had the ambition to run for sheriff for many years and had been planning a 2018 run because he will have 20 years in with the Sheriff’s Department at that time.
“I believe in service to the community, in doing the job because I want to make a difference,” Murchek said.
He describes himself as a career policeman with administrative experience who had the opportunity to work his way from the bottom of the department to the top.
“I still go out and put my uniform on when we are shorthanded. I believe you should always remember your basic roots when you are a policeman,” Murchek said.
He is also president of the United Federation of Labor and a board member for various organizations.
He said he is a strong believer in a regional approach to policing that goes beyond sharing manpower to sharing resources to purchase equipment and training for officers that can benefit the entire region.
“I believe this is one of the futures of law enforcement. You can’t be a stand-alone agency. Everybody has to work together. The sharing of information, officers and resources is a much more efficient way to do things,” Murchek said.
Murchek said law enforcement is a customer service business, whether some in law enforcement agree or not.
“The taxpayers are our customers. Our job is to provide the best and most services for the dollar,” he said.
Murchek said addressing the issue of crime will take a regional approach across different agencies, including law enforcement, the courts, social service agencies and schools.
“I do not believe we can arrest our way out of our situation. Jail is meant to be a place to put bad people, hardcore criminals,” Murchek said.
He said he supports alternative programs like monitoring and community service for nonviolent first-time offenders.
Murchek said it also is important to look to the diverse communities the department serves from which to recruit its new members.
“We need people from those communities who want to step up and help their communities,” Murchek said.
Carrie Napoleon is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
