Holden challenging Hildenbrand for sheriff

Geauga County Sheriff Scott A. Hildenbrand is being challenged by retired University Heights Police Lt. Jimmy Lee Holden in the March 17 Republican primary election.

There are no Democratic candidates filed for the position. The winning candidate will serve a four-year term that begins Jan. 4, 2021.

There are 65,069 registered voters in the county eligible to vote in the race, according to Geauga County Elections Board records.

The News-Herald sent questionnaires to the candidates. Here are some of the answers they provided:

Hildenbrand

Hildenbrand has served as sheriff since 2017 and was the department’s chief deputy prior to that.

In addition to serving as sheriff, he also is the Hambden Township fire chief.

He said that the department has a “great team of investigators, dispatchers, corrections officers, court service deputies, civil staff and other staff.”

“I want to continue to support them all with the tools, equipment and training they need to continue to provide professional service that the residents deserve,” he said.

Hildenbrand added that

he has a great working relationship with all of the county’s judges and elected officials, “which makes for a great county.”

“We have brought into the County over $15 million dollars since the Jail opened in 2005, we purchased a full body scanner for the jail, to improve safety, for $130,000 at no cost to the taxpayers. We shared in the purchase and training of two drones used by all safety forces in the County. We changed to a Public Safety priority cell service for our Deputies improving coverage and saving to county money at the same time. Working with the Schools we added a School Resource to the Berkshire School System. I have lived and worked in this County for most of my life and I really care about the residents and visitors of this great County. There is no one more dedicated to public safety than I am.”

Holden

During his career, Holden served on a multijurisdictional SWAT team for 12 years.

While with the University Heights Police Department he earned a teaching certificate from the Ohio Police Officer Training Academy and has been instructing since 1988. He currently volunteers with the Cleveland Heights Police Academy.

If elected, Holden said one of his focuses would be on the drug problem in the county. That work would include creating a drug task force dedicated to fighting trafficking. The task force would partner with other local law enforcement agencies.

That work would also include establishing training for deputies, work with community-based organizations and seeking funding to “provide the tools that we need to arrest drug traffickers.”

Holden also wants to address the jail. He said the current staff is not being supported with necessary training and is understaffed for the number of inmates it houses annually.

The jail is in need of repairs and he said the sheriff’s office currently charges less than the local and national average when renting jail space to out-of-county inmates. That money could be used for improvements and staffing.

He also said that serious crimes are being underreported and under-investigated. He said deputies need better training and tools to assist the community with investigations such as burglaries, thefts and fraud.

Holden said he would focus on training so “they will have the skills necessary to provide quality service to the residents of Geauga County.” He also wants to provide citizens with community outreach programs.

“My goals include bridging the community with the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office,” he said. “The residents give us the awesome responsibility to provide them with Law Enforcement, dispatch, court and corrections services. We as Law Enforcement professionals need to do everything, we can to ensure that our residents feel safe and confident that their cares and concerns are being taken seriously. As Sheriff I will conduct community forums around the county on a regular basis to allow residents to share their concerns and learn how to improve their community.”