Sheriff, Rivals Disagree On Need For Full-Time Crime Investigator Benewah County Challengers Cite Burglaries, Vandalism

Sheriff Rodney Thormahlen and his two election rivals disagree about the need for a criminal investigator in big, rural Benewah County.

Thormahlen faces off against Republican Joe Blackburn and independent Edgar Ashton on Nov. 5.

Both challengers say the county needs one officer assigned to deal with a rash of burglaries and vandalism.

But Thormahlen, a Democrat seeking his third term, says business burglaries in particular are down because of the increased use of alarms. An exception cited by Blackburn - the Benewah Market in Plummer - is on the Coeur d’Alene Indian Reservation and not under county jurisdiction, he said.

“I can’t see that it’s feasible to have just one person handling the few burglaries we do have,” Thormahlen said. “Most all of my people are trained to handle all cases.”

The Sheriff’s Department includes nine officers, five jailers and two marine deputies.

The sheriff’s job pays $35,167 a year and includes a contract to serve as St. Maries police chief.

“Our biggest problem is domestic violence,” Thormahlen said. He is proud of his role in establishing a child abuse task force, with its hotline and plans for a safe house for battered women.

The undersheriff handles most drug-related cases, which Thormahlen said are starting to include more serious narcotics. Officers go into elementary and junior high schools to preach an anti-drug message as part of the DARE program, and Thormahlen hopes to get DARE into St. Maries High School, too.

That’s not enough for Blackburn.

He said he’d look for grant money to hire a drug resource officer to work full time in the schools. He also would assign an existing officer to be a full-time criminal investigator.

He would look for money to upgrade the department’s fleet, too. “We don’t even have a four-wheel-drive vehicle,” he said.

The retired conservation officer promised to take a close look at policing priorities. Traffic enforcement may not top the list for most residents, he said.

“From what I hear, they’re more concerned with all these burglaries and vandalism and drug problems than they are having these deputies out chasing taillights all the time.”

Ashton, a retired security officer and jailer, said a patrol officer can’t be expected to do the job of an investigator. He’d also hire a narcotics officer and institute drug-free zones around the schools.

“Lewiston, Moscow, Coeur d’Alene - all these big towns are hitting these drug dealers harder. And guess where they’re coming? Benewah County, because they have mediocre law enforcement.”

Ashton said he’s running to give a choice to voters who are tired of Republicans and Democrats. “We need different ideas.”

He also said no public official should serve more than eight years, which happens to be the amount of time Thormahlen has been sheriff.

“We don’t have to wait for term limitations,” he said. “Just elect Ed Ashton.”

, DataTimes MEMO: See individual profiles by name of candidate.