Summit County to elect new sheriff

It’s the end of an era in Summit County as residents prepare to elect a new  sheriff. After his 12th year in office, Summit County Sheriff Drew Alexander will retire Dec. 31, following the Nov. 6 general election.

Alexander, a Republican who vied for office for the first time in 2000, has been re-elected three times since, but has opted to hang up his sheriff’s hat after a career he said he was “blessed” with.

“I’m going to miss the day-to-day operations,” Alexander said. “These are absolutely some of the best people and most professional people I’ve ever been around in my career, they’re very dedicated. The sworn-ins do an absolutely excellent job around here.”

Alexander said despite coming changes, this isn’t a time to mope.

“I’ve had a great career. I tell people the wrinkles on my face are from laughing for years. I’ve never gotten an ulcer,” he said.

The Nov. 6 election will allow Summit County residents to cast their votes for one of two candidates: Democrat Steve Barry and Republican Randy Rivers.

Steve Barry
Barry, the Democratic candidate, spent his entire career, a total of 32 years, working various jobs in the Summit County Sheriff’s Office. Originally from Ellet, he has lived with his wife, a registered nurse, Kathy, in Green for 21 years. They have two kids, Stephen and Emily, who are both in their 20s.

Barry began working for the sheriff’s office when he was 21, and worked his way from a part-time deputy, to a Summit County Jail deputy, to detective, to sergeant, to lieutenant and to captain.

Barry eventually became a hostage negotiator for the SWAT team before he  retired in August of 2011. Barry said he was unable to run for the position of sheriff as an employee of the department, which was partly why he retired.

He has also worked on an organized crime task force, as a resource officer for Green and Coventry schools, served as the administrative captain for the Summit County Jail, and is a certified police academy instructor.

“My first love is that department, it’s been my whole adult life,” Barry said. “From working all the different divisions, as a deputy or a supervisor or a commander, at lieutenant or captain rank, without even realizing it, I’ve been preparing for this.”

Barry spent a substantial amount of time in his career working on educational initiatives, like the Refuse to be a Victim program, where he worked with residents, teaching them about victim safety. He is also a certified instructor for law enforcement academies. Education for both county employees and constituents is key for the candidate.

“I’d like to educate the public about what we do,” Barry said. “It starts with the Summit County Jail, with the men and women who work there. Everybody you read about in the news being arrested for heinous crimes in Summit County ends up at our jail. I want to work at making their jobs better down there, as well as in all the departments.”

The candidate also has a plan to maintain the groundwork that Sheriff Alexander has laid, and to continue upping the ante.

“I want to continue on the course of raising the bar, with some changes,” Barry said.

This is Barry’s first time running for the seat, and has never held the position of an elected official before.

For more information about Steve Barry, visit his Web site at www.stevebarryforsheriff.com.

Randy Rivers
Rivers, the Republican candidate for sheriff, is a retired captain from the Cuyahoga Falls Police Department. He is married to Bernadette, and they reside in Cuyahoga Falls. He has two children, Robert and Rebekah.

Rivers said that he has been a resident of Summit County for most of his life, excluding the six years he spent in active duty with the U.S. Air Force. His father was a lieutenant with the Summit County Sheriff’s Office.

Following his time in the service, he went on to serve 30 years with the Cuyahoga Falls Police Department, where he was a detective, lieutenant and a commander of the SWAT team. Rivers also has degrees in criminal justice and technical education from the University of Akron. He is a certified police academy instructor and an associate member of the Summit County Police Chief’s Association.

Rivers said that if elected, he would focus on bettering the Summit County Jail.

“The No.1 responsibility of any sheriff in any county is the jail,” Rivers said. “Right now there are some concerns. Due to the budgetary cutbacks, (Sheriff Alexander) has had to close down the gymnasium, he’s had to close down the library, he’s had to close down the alcohol counseling, drug counseling and anger management counseling. That concerns me.”

Rivers said that through cooperative efforts with the university, county council and a volunteer program that doesn’t currently exist, he would work to bring those programs back. Rivers also said he’s also strongly interested in maintaining the department’s technology.

“I am a firm proponent of not only training and education but technology,” Rivers said. “Technology provides you with information, which is a key element to any policeman.”

Rivers has never held the position of an elected official before.

For more information about candidate Randy Rivers, visit his Web site at www.riversforsheriff.com.