A longtime member of the Clark County Sheriff’s Office and a Vancouver police officer with decades of experience are running for the position of sheriff in November’s general election.
During an Oct. 10 forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of Clark County, sheriff’s chief criminal deputy John Horch and Vancouver Police Cpl. Rey Reynolds answered questions about the issues the sheriff’s office faces. The two are looking to take over for current Sheriff Chuck Atkins, who declined to run for another term this year.
Growing up in Clark County, Horch has been with the sheriff’s office for 33 years.
“Clark County Sheriff’s Office is my family and Clark County is my home, and I don’t like what’s happening here,” Horch said.
He pointed to an increase in crime and said officers are leaving because of new police reform laws.
“I can’t leave this to anybody, because anybody 21 years or older can run for sheriff,” Horch said.
Reynolds said his 38 years of law enforcement experience gives him “the authority … and also the qualifications” to run for the position. He also pointed to issues of rising crime and laws that have “shackled” law enforcement’s ability to do their job.
“There is no question right now that you are no longer safe in Clark County the way it used to be,” Reynolds said. “Your cars are being taken. Your property is being stolen and it’s happening at a rate that is incredible.”
Reynolds said he would develop a program called “targeted enforcement” if he is elected, which he said would single out the few individuals who commit the majority of crimes. The staffing issues the department currently faces requires the approach, he said.
“We need to arrest and hold people accountable for the things that they are doing,” Reynolds said. “Unless we do it, we will be like Portland.”
Horch said the sheriff’s office has targeted enforcement units but staffing has hindered the department’s ability to run them. When the units are used, they are effective, he said.
“It’s incredible when they stop one (crime ring) how that crime in that area is completely gone,” Horch said.
He also wants to bring back greater coordination with the county prosecuting attorney’s office.
Years ago, the sheriff’s office held weekly meetings with the county prosecuting attorney’s office.
Jail and staffing
The sheriff’s office is working through the ongoing transition of the operation of the Clark County Jail to a newly-created jail services department.
Horch has spoken publicly against the timing of the decision and the limited information on what the change entails.
Horch said he is committed to a smooth transition.
“However we can make this as safe for everybody and to serve our public is what I’m for,” Horch said.
Reynolds, who also previously expressed concerns about the jail services department, is more directly opposed to the idea of jail operations changing hands as a whole.
“I stand absolutely and positively against it,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds said it is “outrageous … that we have allowed our vote, your vote, the citizens’ vote, to be taken away and put into a bureaucracy.” He said the transition will do “nothing to help our safety issues.”
“If anything, it’s going to make it worse,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds spoke positively of David Shook, the former sheriff’s deputy and former candidate for sheriff, who was appointed as the director of jail services.
Staffing issues are a chief concern for both Horch and Reynolds.
Reynolds said because of current management practices, the changes in state law and general funding issues, officers “do not feel safe staying with the sheriff’s office and they are leaving in droves.”
Reynolds said sheriff’s office deputies are paid about a quarter less than officers at the Vancouver Police Department. He said the sheriff’s office lacks incentives like new hire and transfer bonuses.
Horch said the recent contract with the deputy sheriff’s guild rectified some of those issues with incentives and greater pay.
“The problem is we need to stay on top of that, and three years from now, we can’t go back,” Horch said.
Horch said the annexation of unincorporated county land by cities is inevitable and requires collaborative work with entities from those cities for a smooth transition. He said potential annexations take years of planning in advance and noted no officer will lose their job as a result of annexation per state law.
“I’m not against (annexation) … as long as it’s done fairly,” Horch said.
Reynolds said he isn’t in favor of any annexations but he acknowledges they will happen. He said the sheriff’s office doesn’t have strategic planning in place, which would encompass any future annexation.
“Right now we are just literally flying by the seat of our pants, where we just decide one budget for one year looking ahead. That is a management issue which we cannot allow to continue,” Reynolds said.
On the constitution
Enforcement of laws and constitutional rights also drew differing answers from the candidates.
Throughout his campaign, Horch has said he isn’t the “sole authority on declaring whether a law is constitutional or not.”
“I do not have the authority just to say a law is unconstitutional. I will not do that,” Horch said. “We have three branches of government for a reason and each branch needs to stay in their lane.”
Reynolds said he would make sure constitutional rights are upheld in cases of “settled law.”
“There’s a law right now that says your officers are the experts in the constitution,” Reynolds said. “Your officers are the ones that make that decision (of) what our actions are going to be to satisfy that constitution.”
Horch is more cautious about any potential violations of the separation of church and state.
“I think it’s pretty clear we have a separation there,” Horch said, adding he doesn’t bring his own religious views into the workplace.
As the head of a department, it is particularly important for the sheriff to be mindful of other people’s beliefs, he said.
“You don’t know where people’s comfort levels are and people have different beliefs, and you don’t want to impose on that,” Horch said.
Reynolds pointed to the views of James Madison and Thomas Jefferson on religion. He said those men had views of a complete lack of religion in government, which “is not the case at all.”
“We need to have neutrality. Neutrality is the test and that’s where our courts are at right now,” Reynolds said.
Horch and Reynolds join dozens of other candidates up for election this year in various positions. The deadline to turn ballots in is 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 8.
