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Photo by Dan Spalding, Times-Union

(L to R) Sheriff's candidate Jeff Bronsing , moderator Jim Brooks and sheriff's candidate Ron Barley shake hands during last night's candidate forum at the Blue Lion Coffeehouse.

PIERCETON - With the absence of one candidate, Wednesday's forum for Democratic sheriff's candidates in Kosciusko County became a two-man show, with much of the spotlight on Jeff Bronsing.

Bronsing and Ron Barley provided a friendly discourse of the issues and ended the night with what appeared to be a sincere, friendly handshake.

Missing was Glenn Canter, who told Democrat Party Chairman Steve Haines he was too busy to participate.

The winner of the Democrat primary May 5 will face one of the five Republican candidates in the fall election.

Barley and Bronsing answered questions posed by moderator Jim Brooks and then fielded a few from nearly 50 people packed inside the meeting room of Blue Lion Coffeehouse.

Barley conceded early in the evening that he's more of a "doer" than a speaker, and he spent much of the forum listening to Bronsing, a 26-year veteran of the sheriff's department.

Bronsing noted he has the most experience of any of the eight candidates seeking the office and that only retiring sheriff Al Rovenstine has been with the department longer.

Bronsing touted his accomplishments. He helped establish the K-9 unit and the reserve unit, and wrote various grants including one that established the drug task force 10 years ago.

In recent years, he's specialized in gang awareness information and works to provide details for other police agencies and schools.

Barley said he worked for 10 years with law enforcement in Marion and has also been a bounty hunter and worked security.

But Barley suggested he's not as qualified for the job as Bronsing.

Both suggested Republicans have run the sheriff's department for too long and that a change is needed.

Bronsing said he would "not just be a yes person to the parties that be."

Barley's few proposals were short and to the point, while Bronsing offered various ideas and in-depth explanations.

Barley said the department is understaffed and overworked and pledged to double the number of patrols used at any one time from three to six. He would place two patrols in the northern, central and southern districts of the county at all times.

He said he would seek to see less spent on computers for the courthouse and more for patrols.

Bronsing also advocated increased patrols. He would first adjust schedules to better reflect crime patterns and continue to use grant money to hire officers.

If more patrols are still needed, Bronsing said, he would urge the community to support him in making a proposal to county council for more funding.

Bronsing said he believes calls are not being answered, claimed the conviction rate on burglaries and thefts is too low, and said more patrols would help reduce what he considers to be a high number of traffic fatalities in the county.

Bronsing said the department needs to be pro-active, use community policing and improve interdepartmental relations.

Barley responded by saying, "He nailed the coffin shut there."

Bronsing pledged to increase highway patrols, increase presence on area lakes during the summer, and increase the war on drugs.

Both candidates pledged to provide an environment of cooperation to overcome strained relations between police and the prosecutor's office.

"You have to have teamwork. If you don't have teamwork, you might as well throw it out the window," Barley said.

Barley was asked what he would do to reduce juvenile crime. "Slap parents upside the head to start with," he said, noting that most problems begin at home.

He said juvenile need a recreation center "to blow off steam." [[In-content Ad]]