September 08, 2006

DuBois deserves a second term
GOP primary will decide Orange County sheriff's race.

Tom Carton describes himself as a cop running for a cop's job. The job is sheriff of Orange County and, the thing is, it's also a demanding administrative job and there happens to be someone doing it who wants to keep doing it. That's Carl E. DuBois, another former cop, who has done a pretty good job as sheriff since 2003. Certainly good enough to deserve re-election to a second term.

Dubois and Carton are Republicans. Carton has bucked his party's wishes by forcing a primary contest with DuBois. Since Democrats were scared off by past defeats in elections for this office, offering no candidate for the post, the GOP primary election Tuesday is the election for Orange County sheriff. Some Republicans may be upset with Carton for forcing the primary campaign, which has been testy at times, but voters should be grateful. Anytime an incumbent, however qualified, is forced to justify and explain his actions and tell voters why he deserves to be re-elected, voters are better off.

But again, Carton's problem is that DuBois has more than enough reasons to offer for his re-election. And Carton, for all his diligence to detail about DuBois' job performance, comes up short himself on administrative experience. Carton, 45, retired as detective sergeant in charge of the New York City Police Department's Midtown North robbery squad. That's a responsible position, but not the same as running a multimillion dollar department with 400-plus employees and overseeing a new, state-of-the art county jail.

One might have said the same thing about DuBois' credentials when he first ran for sheriff, and some did. But that's four years and a lifetime ago as far as the office is concerned. A retired lieutenant with the Middletown Police Department, DuBois also took on an incumbent Republican - Frank Bigger. Bigger's tenure was marred by scandal and serious mismanagement. Even his party leaders were unhappy with him. DuBois, 52, offered a squeaky clean image and promised to get rid of the cronyism, favoritism and lax management that marred Bigger's reign. DuBois also had experience as a village and town justice and as a systems analyst for Frontier Communications. It was enough to win the primary and general elections. The rest, he's learned on the job.

He has made sincere efforts to change the way the Sheriff's Office operates, improving communications with the public and other agencies and getting rid of the good old boy network that ruled under Bigger. DuBois got a handle on the office's overtime hours and recalled courtesy badges issued under Bigger's name. Both were the source of embarrassment for the office. DuBois has also made his office a greater resource for other police agencies and, in fact, has restored a good deal of confidence in the office.

Has he been perfect? No, but he has been quick and willing to learn from missteps. That's an about-face from the denial and defensiveness of his predecessor. DuBois, ever politically cautious, says he sees no likelihood of a countywide police force in Orange County "in our lifetime." He won't even say if he thinks one is needed in the rapidly growing county, home to 32 separate police agencies. At the same time, his office has expanded its services to the county to meet new demands, and, when pressed, he admits he could use more personnel.

He can hash that out with county legislators at budget time next year. Having replaced politics with professionalism in the Sheriff's Office, he deserves to be there.

Copyright © 2006 Times Herald Record