Sheriff Jamie Patton believes the lessons of the past have prepared him to lead in the future.
Patton, 54, says that after being appointed in 2011, he “led the Sheriff’s Office through the difficult recovery period” that included layoffs and several years of budget cuts. He said the last couple years, with COVID and the ‘defund the police’ movement, have also been difficult.
“Tough times like what we’ve experienced in the past 12 years call for strong leadership and I think I have clearly demonstrated that kind of leadership in leading my staff through those challenges,” Patton said.
Patton lives outside of Richwood with his wife, Michelle, and daughter Hailey, on their family farm. He said he has been involved in the community as a part of many local and state organizations, both fraternal and professional.
The sheriff has been in law enforcement for 34 years. He said he has served in various assignments.
“As a result of my knowledge, work ethic and abilities, I was promoted to staff sergeant and then to the rank of lieutenant and commander of the Investigations Division,” Patton said.
Patton graduated from the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command and has attended “hundreds of hours of leadership and management training” he said.
In 2011, Patton was appointed sheriff. He was first elected in 2012 then again in 2016 and 2020. He said he’s had a balanced budget every year and “maintained an office with high ethical and performance standards.”
“I’m running for re-election in 2024 because I am passionate about leading the Union County Sheriff’s Office and engaging with our community so that together we can make Union County a great place to live, work and raise a family,” Patton said.
He acknowledged that events of the past four years “have put many law enforcement agencies in a very difficult position.”
He said the office has had difficulty retaining and recruiting deputies, but those problems “are not unique to the Union County Sheriff’s Office.”
He said agencies across Ohio are engaged in non-stop recruiting and retention efforts.
The sheriff explained that in November the county signed a new wage agreement with the Deputy’s Labor Union that increased salaries.
“We are already seeing experienced law enforcement officers from other jurisdictions apply for open deputy positions and this is a direct result of us being able to offer a more competitive wage,” Patton said.
He said he also implemented a deputy cadet hiring program that allows the agency to hire non-certified candidates and send them to a full-time peace officer training academy. Patton said that since the program’s inception in 2022, the sheriff’s office has had three cadets graduate with two more cadets set to graduate later this year.
“We have and will continue to invest in our employees, providing them with professional development opportunities, in-service training and training to meet our state-mandated requirements,” said Patton.
Patton said he sees “many threats and concerns” in the future. He said criminals are “smarter and more sophisticated” at stealing money and information; drug use and trafficking will continue to be a threat and the community is dealing “almost daily” with increased family violence, people in mental health crises and the traffic challenges that come with a growing population.
He said that’s why he will “continue to partner” with the Union County Prosecutor’s Office and the Marysville Division of Police in operating the Multi-Agency Drug Enforcement Task Force.
He said he will be “a sheriff who represents all the residents of Union County.”
“During these challenging times in our society, we need a sheriff with experience who has a proven record of success, who is resilient in the face of adversity, and who is ready to tackle the challenges that come with explosive community growth,” Patton said.