As your Sheriff I will restore honor and effectively manage the office that the current occupant has failed.
Ron Bateman should no longer be the Sheriff of Anne Arundel County because he has repeatedly shown he is unable to manage the office. The recent arrest of a civilian employee under his and his Chief Deputy’s direct supervision for alerting known and wanted criminals that they would have Deputies looking for them destroys the effectiveness of the Office and undermines the hard work, dedication and loyalty of the Deputies.
This incident, added to a long list of other problems in the Office, including an audit faulting Bateman for improperly managing federal and county child support enforcement grants, almost ten percent of the Office budget, and the additional audit asserting “significant deficiencies” and the loss of $110,000 in the Sheriff’s Office show he is incapable of the managing the office he is sworn to uphold. Now his Chief Deputy is working as a consultant, while employed by the Sheriff, in the marijuana industry.
Beginning with missing time from his office due to his arrest for domestic violence, and as Sheriff having his gun taken from him, along with time spent occupied with his case he was derelict in his duties. Compounded with spending his time investigating personnel and employee hours in a completely different office not within the scope of his responsibility Bateman has shown an incredible inability to understand his job and to tread into areas outside his jurisdiction. Making the rounds on TV shows discussing school shootings, another area that is not in the scope of his office, shows hubris and disdain and undermines the effort of those whose responsibility it is. And where was Bateman in the aftermath of the arrest of his employee for violating her duties, breaking the law and putting lives at risk? I personally saw him campaigning at polling locations during business hours rather than tending to the crisis.
Ron Bateman has dishonored the Office of Sheriff. He should no longer hold that position. I will be an effective Sheriff, focused on the responsibilities and integrity of the office, not like Bateman whose time is spent dealing with his personal problems, audits, deficiencies and campaigning instead of doing his duties. He shames the Office.
Beth Smith
Candidate for Sheriff
Comments? See our Facebook post.
Donate
