Oct. 24, 2022 8:30p
(WGTD)---Personal credentials, and the overall state of the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Dept.--- were hot topics in a spirited WGTD debate between the two candidates for sheriff.
Republican Dave Zoerner and Democrat James Simmons answered questions from Community Matters host Len Iaquinta in a program that aired Saturday. It's now archived at wgtd.org .
Zoerner has been a supervisor in the department for nearly half of his 24-year tenure. He says he’s worked in virtually every area.
Simmons, although he lives in Kenosha, has been employed as a deputy in the Lake County Sheriff’s Office for over 17 years. Simmons says he’s supervised the department’s tobacco enforcement initiative, and has experience in patrol and as a detective. "I have all the knowledge I need to make sure that Kenosha is moving in the right direction because right now I believe Kenosha County (sheriff's dept.) is playing catchup to the rest of the state," he said.
Zoerner hotly dispute that characterization. "We're innovative. We do trainings all over the state. I take exception to what he says. I think our agency is fantastic and does amazing work," Zoerner said.
Simmons, who is African-American, alleges that the department lags in community engagement, wasn’t prepared for the 2020 civil unrest and needs to work on diversifying its workforce.
Zoerner said the department is making strides since the riots.
He also expressed enthusiasm for an after-incident study that’s expected to take a close look at government’s response to the riots and other recent, major events.
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