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Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Loudoun County Sheriff: Three vie for position of county’s top cop
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Loudoun County News
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Date: September 23, 2011 06:41AM
Loudoun County Sheriff: Three vie for position of county’s top cop
Thursday, Sep. 22 by Matt Vecchio
http://www.loudountimes.com/index.php/news/article/loudoun_county_sheriff_three_vie_for_position_of_countys_top_cop123/
Steve Simpson has served as Loudoun’s Sheriff for 16 years. Come November, two men will try to deny him another term.
Challenger Mike Chapman, a former Drug Enforcement Administration agent, is heading the Republican ballot after handily winning the July primary election over Ron Speakman, now running for Sheriff as an independent.
The two challengers will try to leverage their own skill sets, as Chapman has more than 30 years in law enforcement at the state, local and national level, while Speakman served as a Leesburg street cop and spent the last two decades in business.
But Simpson still thinks he is the best man for the job after two-and-a-half decades of protecting Loudoun residents.
“Like me or not, I’ve got 24 years of experience in the Sheriff’s Office, and 16 as Sheriff,” Simpson said.
The longtime incumbent
When Simpson took over as Sheriff in 1996, Loudoun County as we know it was different, still dominated by the agrarian industries out west and not yet a budding suburb of Washington’s metropolis. The Sheriff’s Office was different as well. Law enforcement was less global before Sept. 11, 2001, and Simpson didn’t have to look far beyond the borders of Loudoun to do his job.
“The population in Loudoun has doubled since I took office,” Simpson said. “I think we’ve done a great job keeping up with the changes in this county, not just program-wise, but technology-wise as well. Sure, there’s more we could do with technology, but that comes down to dollars and cents and what the Board of Supervisors will allow us to do.”
During Simpson’s tenure, the Sheriff’s Office deputies have adopted new uniforms, drive new cruisers and communicate on an enhanced radio system. Simpson was at the Pentagon shortly after the 9/11 attacks and saw with his own eyes the aftermath of the destruction. Shortly thereafter, he pushed for funds to outfit the deputy cruisers with M4 rifles and a radio communications system that could, with the push of a button, link them to other counties and precincts.
Crime has dropped, especially during the last three years, as Simpson has put an emphasis on community policing, and being proactive.
“I can’t really take the credit for all that’s happened,” Simpson said. “My most important role has been setting the tone on how we’re going to talk to people and how we treat people. A lot of times, you only get one chance to make an impression, and we need to make sure it’s a good one.”
Despite a drop in crime, which he attributes to “a very dedicated, hard-working group of people,” Simpson said he hopes to see increased funding for law enforcement in Loudoun, particularly to address the overtime issues within his department and add drug investigators and warrant officers.
Simpson’s time as Sheriff has not been without controversy, as he’s recently come under fire for allegations of being a “part-time sheriff” and for accepting campaign donations from former Loudoun restaurateur Osama El-Atari, who scammed millions of dollars from banks and other financial institutions.
Simpson downplays the part-time sheriff comments, saying he is an investor in a small start-up company but doesn’t put much time into it.
“If it wasn’t an election year, nobody would say anything about it,” Simpson said. “People see me all over the county. Sitting in an office is not the way I do business. I am out in the county, having appointments and meeting people, that’s the way I am. The people who stalk me only follow me from 9-5 Monday to Friday; they don’t see when I leave the house at 2 a.m. to respond to a call or meetings that run to 10 or 11 at night. It’s election-year rhetoric, we all know it.”
Simpson said that he had no way of knowing El-Atari’s money was dirty, as his restaurants, which included the Original Steakhouse and Sports Theatre in Ashburn, were doing well. He was not able to return the money right away because it had already been spent in his campaign that year.
“Three years later, I didn’t know he was going to get locked up,” Simpson said. “That money was gone, it was used in the 2007 election.”
In November 2010, the Times-Mirror published an editorial calling into question one particular El-Atari donation of about $15,000 to Simpson in May 2008, after the 2007 campaign and during the time El-Atari was eventually convicted of taking out fraudulent loans. Days after the editorial was published, Simpson donated $15,000 to local nonprofit organizations.
Simpson doesn’t see the other candidates gaining the respect of the deputies in his department.
“Neither one of those guys has the certifications that a brand new deputy has,” Simpson said. “They don’t have the ability to make a traffic stop. How can you run an agency of law enforcement officers when you’ve never been through the academy? I’ve done it, these guys haven’t. Like me or not, these are the options weighed on the table. That’s why I was effective when I first took office; I’ve been here. I know what to do.”
New ideas from the international arena
Chapman is the sole Republican on November’s ballot after beating Speakman in July during the Republican convention. Originally elected as a Republican, Simpson switched to an independent after losing the Republican nomination in 2007.
Chapman has a vision of where this county needs to be, and he believes it’s not there yet.
After a career in law enforcement that included moves every few years as he climbed the ranks of high-powered government agencies, Chapman finally has the chance to settle down and do what he wants to do – get involved in the community. Since moving to Loudoun, Chapman has volunteered with the Loudoun Crime Commission and the Advisory Commission on Youth.
He doesn’t think Simpson has what it takes to lead Loudoun anymore.
“After four terms, he’s taken it as an entitlement,” Chapman said. “I’ve seen where Simpson wasn’t engaged with the community or his men in uniform.”
Chapman said the long hours and hard work on the campaign trail are nothing new to him, he’s been in law enforcement for 30 years (23 years in the DEA, seven with local law enforcement).
Chapman’s experience has led him from managing offices overseas to working on drug enforcement in Los Angeles.
“As someone who has been on the front lines all over the world in a variety of organizations, I’m used to work,” Chapman said.
He’s got a lot of ideas about leveraging his experience in federal agencies into improving technology and efficiency in the Sheriff’s Office. If Chapman gets elected, his first order of business will be to take a look under the hood and assess what he has to work with.
“The deputies feel like they’re not being heard, not being listened to,” Chapman said. “They’re afraid they’re going to lose their jobs.”
Chapman has seen a bevy of top-of-the-line technology during his tenure in law enforcement that he thinks can help Loudoun.
“We clearly don’t have enough here in a post-9/11 world,” Chapman said. “We need to look at not just what works today, but what works tomorrow. With me, you’ve actually got a deep and diverse understanding of law enforcement.”
Chapman said he thinks the county could expand on Simpson’s theory of community policing, saying deputies should be getting out of the car and really getting to know the communities better. He thinks hyper-targeted phone messages or emails to houses near a crime are a beneficial way to better integrate the community into the fight against crime.
In the end, Chapman’s message points to the modernization and globalization of the Sheriff’s Office, utilizing the resources that are out there to help crack down on drugs and violent crime.
“It’s understanding that something that happens internationally can actually have an impact here,” Chapman said. “It’s knowing what to look for, and there are resources we can pull from to attack that.”
If elected, Chapman will strive to do five things right off the bat. First, he will engage proactively with the public. Next, he will focus on technology, using technology the county has or can get access to without cost. The next order of business involves efficiency, looking at the department and determining if it’s designed in a way to give the most efficient services. Finally, Chapman will strive for professionalism and training, and also target drug awareness in educational environments, not just at the elementary school level, but in middle and high schools as well.
Chapman and his supporters hope that his last stop on his globe-hopping law enforcement tour is as Loudoun’s Sheriff.
Independent assessment
Despite losing the Republican primary, Speakman is still confident he can win the vote of the general public on Nov. 8.
“I want to change the culture of Loudoun law enforcement,” Speakman said. “To protect the citizens of Loudoun County, you have to have a well-led police force.”
Speakman, a former Leesburg street cop, has been out of law enforcement for two decades as he pursued building a mortgage company. Now, he’s turned his eyes to the Sheriff seat.
He said one of the main issues with Loudoun crime prevention is the lack of proactive action.
“In eastern Loudoun, deputies aren’t taught to be proactive at all, instead waiting until they’re called,” Speakman said. “We need to change that, you shouldn’t be criticized for developing cases.”
Similar to Chapman, Speakman said he thinks Sheriff Simpson has simply run out of gas.
“I really believe Simpson did a good job for the first 10 years, then he got tired of it,” Speakman said. “Just like I got tired of running my business.”
For Speakman, it was a no-brainer to run as an independent, announcing his candidacy to the Times-Mirror on Aug. 16.
“Do you want a sheriff who is part-time, or do you want someone who will protect the citizens of Loudoun County regardless of whether they are Democrat, Republican or independent?” Speakman asked.
If he wins the Nov. 8 election, Speakman plans to target certain behaviors to help avoid violent crimes before they happen. He would do this by raising emphasis on enforcing minor crimes, especially in certain areas of the county.
“When you stop that guy with an open container in Sterling Park, maybe you will find a knife on him and prevent him from further crime,” Speakman said.
“We no longer focus on the community and ordinary citizens,” Speakman said. “Let’s get back to that.”
Thursday, Sep. 22 by Matt Vecchio
http://www.loudountimes.com/index.php/news/article/loudoun_county_sheriff_three_vie_for_position_of_countys_top_cop123/
Steve Simpson has served as Loudoun’s Sheriff for 16 years. Come November, two men will try to deny him another term.
Challenger Mike Chapman, a former Drug Enforcement Administration agent, is heading the Republican ballot after handily winning the July primary election over Ron Speakman, now running for Sheriff as an independent.
The two challengers will try to leverage their own skill sets, as Chapman has more than 30 years in law enforcement at the state, local and national level, while Speakman served as a Leesburg street cop and spent the last two decades in business.
But Simpson still thinks he is the best man for the job after two-and-a-half decades of protecting Loudoun residents.
“Like me or not, I’ve got 24 years of experience in the Sheriff’s Office, and 16 as Sheriff,” Simpson said.
The longtime incumbent
When Simpson took over as Sheriff in 1996, Loudoun County as we know it was different, still dominated by the agrarian industries out west and not yet a budding suburb of Washington’s metropolis. The Sheriff’s Office was different as well. Law enforcement was less global before Sept. 11, 2001, and Simpson didn’t have to look far beyond the borders of Loudoun to do his job.
“The population in Loudoun has doubled since I took office,” Simpson said. “I think we’ve done a great job keeping up with the changes in this county, not just program-wise, but technology-wise as well. Sure, there’s more we could do with technology, but that comes down to dollars and cents and what the Board of Supervisors will allow us to do.”
During Simpson’s tenure, the Sheriff’s Office deputies have adopted new uniforms, drive new cruisers and communicate on an enhanced radio system. Simpson was at the Pentagon shortly after the 9/11 attacks and saw with his own eyes the aftermath of the destruction. Shortly thereafter, he pushed for funds to outfit the deputy cruisers with M4 rifles and a radio communications system that could, with the push of a button, link them to other counties and precincts.
Crime has dropped, especially during the last three years, as Simpson has put an emphasis on community policing, and being proactive.
“I can’t really take the credit for all that’s happened,” Simpson said. “My most important role has been setting the tone on how we’re going to talk to people and how we treat people. A lot of times, you only get one chance to make an impression, and we need to make sure it’s a good one.”
Despite a drop in crime, which he attributes to “a very dedicated, hard-working group of people,” Simpson said he hopes to see increased funding for law enforcement in Loudoun, particularly to address the overtime issues within his department and add drug investigators and warrant officers.
Simpson’s time as Sheriff has not been without controversy, as he’s recently come under fire for allegations of being a “part-time sheriff” and for accepting campaign donations from former Loudoun restaurateur Osama El-Atari, who scammed millions of dollars from banks and other financial institutions.
Simpson downplays the part-time sheriff comments, saying he is an investor in a small start-up company but doesn’t put much time into it.
“If it wasn’t an election year, nobody would say anything about it,” Simpson said. “People see me all over the county. Sitting in an office is not the way I do business. I am out in the county, having appointments and meeting people, that’s the way I am. The people who stalk me only follow me from 9-5 Monday to Friday; they don’t see when I leave the house at 2 a.m. to respond to a call or meetings that run to 10 or 11 at night. It’s election-year rhetoric, we all know it.”
Simpson said that he had no way of knowing El-Atari’s money was dirty, as his restaurants, which included the Original Steakhouse and Sports Theatre in Ashburn, were doing well. He was not able to return the money right away because it had already been spent in his campaign that year.
“Three years later, I didn’t know he was going to get locked up,” Simpson said. “That money was gone, it was used in the 2007 election.”
In November 2010, the Times-Mirror published an editorial calling into question one particular El-Atari donation of about $15,000 to Simpson in May 2008, after the 2007 campaign and during the time El-Atari was eventually convicted of taking out fraudulent loans. Days after the editorial was published, Simpson donated $15,000 to local nonprofit organizations.
Simpson doesn’t see the other candidates gaining the respect of the deputies in his department.
“Neither one of those guys has the certifications that a brand new deputy has,” Simpson said. “They don’t have the ability to make a traffic stop. How can you run an agency of law enforcement officers when you’ve never been through the academy? I’ve done it, these guys haven’t. Like me or not, these are the options weighed on the table. That’s why I was effective when I first took office; I’ve been here. I know what to do.”
New ideas from the international arena
Chapman is the sole Republican on November’s ballot after beating Speakman in July during the Republican convention. Originally elected as a Republican, Simpson switched to an independent after losing the Republican nomination in 2007.
Chapman has a vision of where this county needs to be, and he believes it’s not there yet.
After a career in law enforcement that included moves every few years as he climbed the ranks of high-powered government agencies, Chapman finally has the chance to settle down and do what he wants to do – get involved in the community. Since moving to Loudoun, Chapman has volunteered with the Loudoun Crime Commission and the Advisory Commission on Youth.
He doesn’t think Simpson has what it takes to lead Loudoun anymore.
“After four terms, he’s taken it as an entitlement,” Chapman said. “I’ve seen where Simpson wasn’t engaged with the community or his men in uniform.”
Chapman said the long hours and hard work on the campaign trail are nothing new to him, he’s been in law enforcement for 30 years (23 years in the DEA, seven with local law enforcement).
Chapman’s experience has led him from managing offices overseas to working on drug enforcement in Los Angeles.
“As someone who has been on the front lines all over the world in a variety of organizations, I’m used to work,” Chapman said.
He’s got a lot of ideas about leveraging his experience in federal agencies into improving technology and efficiency in the Sheriff’s Office. If Chapman gets elected, his first order of business will be to take a look under the hood and assess what he has to work with.
“The deputies feel like they’re not being heard, not being listened to,” Chapman said. “They’re afraid they’re going to lose their jobs.”
Chapman has seen a bevy of top-of-the-line technology during his tenure in law enforcement that he thinks can help Loudoun.
“We clearly don’t have enough here in a post-9/11 world,” Chapman said. “We need to look at not just what works today, but what works tomorrow. With me, you’ve actually got a deep and diverse understanding of law enforcement.”
Chapman said he thinks the county could expand on Simpson’s theory of community policing, saying deputies should be getting out of the car and really getting to know the communities better. He thinks hyper-targeted phone messages or emails to houses near a crime are a beneficial way to better integrate the community into the fight against crime.
In the end, Chapman’s message points to the modernization and globalization of the Sheriff’s Office, utilizing the resources that are out there to help crack down on drugs and violent crime.
“It’s understanding that something that happens internationally can actually have an impact here,” Chapman said. “It’s knowing what to look for, and there are resources we can pull from to attack that.”
If elected, Chapman will strive to do five things right off the bat. First, he will engage proactively with the public. Next, he will focus on technology, using technology the county has or can get access to without cost. The next order of business involves efficiency, looking at the department and determining if it’s designed in a way to give the most efficient services. Finally, Chapman will strive for professionalism and training, and also target drug awareness in educational environments, not just at the elementary school level, but in middle and high schools as well.
Chapman and his supporters hope that his last stop on his globe-hopping law enforcement tour is as Loudoun’s Sheriff.
Independent assessment
Despite losing the Republican primary, Speakman is still confident he can win the vote of the general public on Nov. 8.
“I want to change the culture of Loudoun law enforcement,” Speakman said. “To protect the citizens of Loudoun County, you have to have a well-led police force.”
Speakman, a former Leesburg street cop, has been out of law enforcement for two decades as he pursued building a mortgage company. Now, he’s turned his eyes to the Sheriff seat.
He said one of the main issues with Loudoun crime prevention is the lack of proactive action.
“In eastern Loudoun, deputies aren’t taught to be proactive at all, instead waiting until they’re called,” Speakman said. “We need to change that, you shouldn’t be criticized for developing cases.”
Similar to Chapman, Speakman said he thinks Sheriff Simpson has simply run out of gas.
“I really believe Simpson did a good job for the first 10 years, then he got tired of it,” Speakman said. “Just like I got tired of running my business.”
For Speakman, it was a no-brainer to run as an independent, announcing his candidacy to the Times-Mirror on Aug. 16.
“Do you want a sheriff who is part-time, or do you want someone who will protect the citizens of Loudoun County regardless of whether they are Democrat, Republican or independent?” Speakman asked.
If he wins the Nov. 8 election, Speakman plans to target certain behaviors to help avoid violent crimes before they happen. He would do this by raising emphasis on enforcing minor crimes, especially in certain areas of the county.
“When you stop that guy with an open container in Sterling Park, maybe you will find a knife on him and prevent him from further crime,” Speakman said.
“We no longer focus on the community and ordinary citizens,” Speakman said. “Let’s get back to that.”