Candidate Q&A: Tippecanoe County sheriff, Goldsmith vs. Huber
Sheriff Bob Goldsmith, a Democrat running for a second term, faces Republican Jason Huber, executive director of Tippecanoe County Community Corrections, on the Nov. 8 ballot.
Sheriff Bob Goldsmith, a Democrat running for a second term, faces Republican Jason Huber, executive director of Tippecanoe County Community Corrections, on the Nov. 8 ballot.
Here, Goldsmith and Huber answer questions about their approach to the four-year position that oversees the Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office, including patrols, investigations and the jail.
For more: Find bios of each candidate, along with information about where and when to vote, along with links to other candidate Q&As in other races, at the end of this article.
Why are you running?
Bob Goldsmith: I am running for re-election to continue building on what we have accomplished so far and continue moving our office in the right direction. Building positive relationships with our citizens has been and will continue to be a priority while I am in office. Making this community safe is priority No. 1, and being born and raised in Tippecanoe County makes it even more important to me.
Jason Huber: Twenty-six years ago, I walked through the doors of the Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office and knew I wanted to one day become the sheriff of Tippecanoe County. Everything I have done in my personal and professional life has prepared me for this day and to be your next sheriff. I am running because like you, I am a parent, a spouse, a coach and an active community member, and when I watch what is happening around our great nation it concerns me. When I see the deterioration of our national sovereignty, the increase in deadly drugs invading our community, our cities becoming crime scenes, lawlessness and the lack of respect for our fellow man, it concerns me. It concerns me that over the last three-plus years we have watched the erosion of our rights across this land, and I have felt no assurance or confidence I will be secure in my rights, my freedom or the safety of my life or my family’s life in these difficult times. I will be that sheriff. I see the danger and challenges and will stand to defend you, so you don’t have to be concerned.
What are two priorities you want to get done during your term, if elected? And how would you get those done?
Bob Goldsmith: Staffing is a major issue. We have been fortunate to be able to continue having people apply and not be short-staffed in all areas of our office, but we still need to do something about the pay scale to continue attracting qualified applicants and retaining them. Staffing at our office has not grown in relation to the county population, I will work with Tippecanoe County Council and commissioners to continue growing our staff and increasing the salaries of those on my team.
Diversity on our team. We must have a more diverse team that is more representative of the community we serve. I will continue talking with local leaders and groups to do all we can to attract more diverse and qualified applicants.
Jason Huber: I will publish two, two-year strategic plans that will outline our goals and pathway to success over the next four years. Our three top priorities will be becoming an accredited law enforcement agency, instituting a professional command staff training program, which includes sending shift level supervisors to the Northwestern University Police and Command School and executive staff to the National FBI Academy, and addressing our department staffing needs, which will be defined through interviews, research and a professional staffing analysis to ensure we have the appropriate number of staff in all divisions of our agency and that they are properly compensated based on their peers as well as exploring additional funding opportunities for education reimbursement, shift differential pay, longevity pay and increased specialty pay.
What is the biggest challenge facing Tippecanoe County law enforcement in the next four years? How would you propose to solve or deal with it?
Bob Goldsmith: I would have to say it is staffing. Our team has not grown in relationship to the population of the county. We must continue to add positions in all areas of our office to keep up with the law enforcement needs of the county as the county population continues to grow.
Working with the County Commissioners and County Council to continue creating more positions and increasing their pay to attract and retain team members. We have numerous specialty teams and other opportunities within our office which helps attract and retain team members, but their salaries must be competitive with local and surrounding agencies.
Jason Huber: There are several issues that I would address, starting with the staffing shortages in the jail and the significant increase in medical transports of inmates. To address these two issues, I would first look to civilianize our jail operations, creating a career pathway from corrections officer to jail commander for those entering the corrections profession. This would also free up three command merit positions that could be restructured into the patrol division. I would also look to stand up two EMT/Correction Officer staffed ambulances within the sheriff's office to handle medical transports.
Do you consider Greater Lafayette a safe community? And what can your office do to maintain or improve upon that?
Bob Goldsmith: I do consider Greater Lafayette to be a safe community, but I am also not blind to the fact that there are some types of crimes that have increased in recent years. Now, we have been fortunate that we have not seen an increase in those crimes in our jurisdiction and in order to keep it that way, we must continue building and maintaining positive relationships with our citizens and law enforcement partners. Communication, patrolling and educating our citizens is a must, and we will continue to do those things.
Jason Huber: Tippecanoe County is an amazing and safe community to live, work and visit. That being said, I see concerning increases in drugs invading our community and our streets becoming crime scenes. Starting day 1, I will be proactive, not reactive to crime. I will institute a three-pronged approach to crime – a department approach, a multi-agency approach and a community-based approach. Our department approach will establish a special operations unit focused on proactive policing initiatives including violent felony warrant sweeps, directed criminal interdiction patrols, and the use of data driven purposeful policing. I will collaborate with local, state and federal agencies to create a unified violent crime reduction initiative, and I will bring together a diverse group of community stakeholders and form a Community Safety Advisory Council to collectively tackle some of our most pressing community challenges.
Name two ways you’d have the sheriff’s office deal with population and housing growth around Lafayette and West Lafayette?
Bob Goldsmith: Communication is key.
I have been in a few meetings about the building of subdivisions and been able to talk about how the population growth effects traffic, schools and timely response to calls for service in those areas. I will continue to do what I can to attend these meetings, so my team is aware of what is coming.
Continue working with the County Commissioners and the County Council to add more positions to our team so we can provide the law enforcement services this county needs, expects, and deserves.
Jason Huber: The two best ways to deal with this growth is through collaboration and communication with local and state stakeholders. We must not only be able to meet the current demands of our growing community but also forecast future needs. I will work with local stakeholders to ensure public safety needs as growth is planned, and I will communicate any increased public safety needs with county officials to ensure the quality of life we have come to know and expect is not compromised.
What is your plan to help reduce recidivism for those who wind up in the Tippecanoe County Jail?
Bob Goldsmith: I have helped our inmate medical provider with a program called Q360. This program is voluntary for the inmates and has seen tremendous success. Of the 21 that have completed it, 19 have stayed sober, employed and out of jail. That number might sound low, but remember, this is a temporary holding facility where the average days stayed is around 11 days. We will continue to grow this program, and my plan is to partner with Ivy Tech so inmates can begin obtaining their apprenticeship online while they are here. We will always be forward thinking and look at ways to reduce recidivism and utilize services within our community.
Jason Huber: This has been a top priority of mine during my tenure as executive director at community corrections. I have built a state and nationally recognized innovative ecosystem of care and recovery for justice involved individuals focusing on mental health and substance use services as well as life skills, harm reduction, and educational opportunities with the goal of reducing recidivism. I will take this ecosystem and expand it into the jail along with a re-entry program so the system of care and services is comprehensive and seamless for those wanting to invest in their recovery and themselves as they move through the criminal justice system and back into our community.
What is your plan to maintain and improve safety in schools in the sheriff’s jurisdiction?
Bob Goldsmith: This has been something that we have really built on in my first four years and we will continue to do so. We now have five School Resource Officers, a panic button in the hands of every school employee, training opportunities for families and an outstanding relationship with the Tippecanoe School Corp. staff and students. We are going to keep building this program with the help of the Tippecanoe School Corp. We are all a team and together we will do whatever we can to make sure our children and staff have a safe place to work and learn.
Jason Huber: School safety is a priority of every community. As your sheriff you will feel confident your children will be safe while attending school. I will work hand-in-hand with all school corporations to work on school safety policies and procedures as well as responses to school violence. I personally ensure you there will be no hesitation in action, no lack of equipment or training, no lack of wiliness to do any and everything possible to keep your children safe. I will also establish a Youth Advisory Safety Council to hear the needs and concerns of our youth and to foster a trustworthy and positive police-student relationship.
What are one or two things that separate you from your opponent and make you the best fit for the job?
Bob Goldsmith: Experience being sheriff for four years. During my first four years, my team has become the best trained, best equipped and been better prepared than we have ever been. We are more transparent and have a better relationship with the community we serve than ever before.
Ability to adapt and lead under all circumstances. Law enforcement has faced some challenges over the last several years, but the Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office continues to move forward under my leadership, through a sincere dedication to serving our citizens, a positive and supportive work environment, and a highly skilled and trained team of professionals.
Jason Huber: I have 26 years of diverse and recognized law enforcement and corrections leadership in Tippecanoe County. I have the most extensive training, education and experience to be proactive, not reactive. I have transformed a community corrections center that is recognized throughout the state and nation for addressing mental health and substance use challenges for justice involved individuals and will do the same within our jail. I pledge to stand at the gates of our community to defend your rights and freedoms, to protect our children, our citizens, and to stand arm-and-arm with our community to address our most challenging issues.
BALLOTS, ETC.: Who will be on your ballot? Need to check your voter registration? That and more, available at Indiana’s voter portal, Indianavoters.in.gov.
EARLY VOTING: For a list of early voting sites in Tippecanoe County ahead of the Nov. 8 election, here’s the schedule.
Candidate bios
Bob Goldsmith
Age: 49
Occupation: Sheriff of Tippecanoe County
Education: Graduate of Lafayette Jefferson High School. Attended Purdue University and Ball State University.
Elected offices: Elected Sheriff in 2018
Immediate family: Wife of 24 years, Danielle. Son, Sam, 22. Daughter, Grace, 20
Campaign site online: I am on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. All “Re-elect Bob Goldsmith for Sheriff.”
Jason Huber
Age: 52
Occupation: Executive Director, Tippecanoe County Community Corrections
Education: B.S. in Criminal Justice with an emphasis in Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, Kaplan University, A.S. in Criminal Justice, Vincennes University, Harrison High School
Past elected positions, if any: First time running for an elected position
Immediate family: wife Katie, daughter Alexandria, and son Henry
Your campaign site online: www.huberforsheriff.com
FOR EVEN MORE: A SHERIFF CANDIDATES DEBATE
Here are links to a Tippecanoe County sheriff’s debate WLFI hosted Sept. 29 at McCutcheon High School
Segment 1
Segment 2
Segment 3
Tips or story ideas? I’m at davebangert1@gmail.com. Also on Twitter and Instagram.