Barnstable County Sheriff's race: Buckley and Whelan face off in November general election
EDITOR'S NOTE: A correction was made on Sept. 8, 2022, to the list of employment for candidate Donna Buckley.
Sheriff James Cumming is retiring after 23 years in office, and two candidates are vying to replace him in the general election on Nov. 8. The Republican candidate is state Rep. Timothy Whelan of Brewster, who represents the 1st Barnstable District. The Democratic candidate is Donna Buckley from Falmouth, former general counsel to the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office, who resigned in March.
The Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office is one of seven county sheriff’s offices in the state. The Cape department has 325 employees and operates a correctional facility and a communications center in Bourne. The correctional facility houses a maximum of 588 inmates who serve sentences of no more than 2½ years. In FY 2021, the sheriff's budget was $32,685,210, according to the state website.
The sheriff is the custodial provider for prisoners; is in charge of prisoner transportation; provides inmate medical and addiction treatment, including access to vaccinations; designs re-entry programs; provides access to visitors and attorneys; is in charge of phone access and cost; regulates access to voting and is in control of the sheriff department budget.
The Times asked the candidates to provide information about their background, experience and priorities if elected. The candidates are listed in alphabetical order.
Donna Buckley
Age: 62
Residence: Falmouth
Education: Suffolk University Law School, 1985. Admitted to practice before the Massachusetts Courts and 1st Circuit U.S. District Court and Court of Appeals. Suffolk University, cum laude, 1981.
Employment: Until March of 2022, general counsel to the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office, involved in all aspects of the sheriff’s office operations, including audits and compliance, policies and procedures, legislation, litigation, human resources, collective bargaining, inmate issues, and contracts. Prior to that, I operated my own private law practice, providing training and legal advocacy to the National Association of Government Employees, the International Brotherhood of Police Officers and the Massachusetts Teachers Association. I was an administrative law judge with the Labor Relations Commission and taught criminal justice and related courses for 15 years.
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Political Experience: Extensive first-hand experience of the political process from working 37 years with public sector unions and employees and elected officials at all levels of local and state government. My work at the sheriff’s office afforded me the opportunity to assist in writing, interpreting and implementing legislation and regulations, including the 2018 Criminal Justice Reform Act and the 2021 Police Officer Standards and Training Commission (POST) legislation. Legislative liaison to the Massachusetts Sheriff’s Association. Represented the Commonwealth as a Special Assistant Attorney General.
Other Civic Involvement: Board Member of the following: Neighborhood Falmouth, Carousel of Light, Inc., Falmouth Village Association. Former member Town of Falmouth Cable Advisory Committee. Member of Falmouth Community Television Advisory Council, Massachusetts and Barnstable County Bar Associations. Served as a coach and judge for the Massachusetts Bar Association Statewide High School Mock Trial Tournament.
Why are you running? What most motivates you? Barnstable County needs a sheriff who will focus on the care and custody of inmates, our sheriff’s true role. I have the experience and education to provide this essential leadership and much-needed change of direction to the sheriff’s office, and finally, deliver true public safety to everyone in this county.
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The sheriff’s primary responsibility is to ensure that the inmates released back into our communities are prepared to succeed. Providing care and custody means understanding and believing that inmates with access to education, counseling for addiction, medical and mental health services, Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) and vocational training, will live more productively when they rejoin our communities. This role of care and custody is more important than ever in Barnstable County, where 60%-80% of inmates are suffering from the diseases of addiction and mental illness. Like most of us, both addiction and mental illness have touched my family. This is not just a job for me; it is a passion. I have seen the enduring impact on families when a loved one receives the treatment they need. The families of Barnstable County deserve our best efforts to achieve those impacts.
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Investing in correction, treatment and rehabilitation is the only approach that will truly make our community stronger and everyone safer. Under my leadership, our decisions will be data-driven and evidence-based. Our work will be transparent. All positions will be publicly advertised. Our sheriff’s office will be a practical, responsible steward of our taxpayer dollars.
What is the most pressing issue for the sheriff’s office and how would you address it? The inability to retain staff is a tremendous problem, resulting in forced overtime for remaining staff and extensive use of sick leave for overworked, tired employees. I want to provide employees with the tools and training to remain motivated and energized. One of the ways will be by focusing on the true mission of the sheriff’s office. Right now, the focus and mission are muddied by a nebulous desire for the sheriff's office to be a regional law enforcement entity. That use of resources for things other than the sheriff’s core mission — like having a boat — takes away resources that could be used to train, equip, and assist our employees.
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The impacts of that mission creep are real and problematic. There has been an extraordinary number of workers' compensation cases, due in part to the impacts and post-traumatic stress by spreading the resources too thin. Another example is the recent decision to send two corrections officers to the municipal police academy. It is not training related to the job of a corrections officer. Additionally, for those 20 weeks, other correction officers were forced to cover those shifts. That has left the staff and inmates in unsafe and unsecure situations, all to again support the mistaken notion that the sheriff’s office is some sort of regional police agency. It is not, but the sheriff is only accountable to the voters, so this election is an important opportunity to elect a sheriff who understands and embraces the true mission of public safety.
How do you differ from other candidates? What sets you apart? I am the only candidate in this race with the education, experience, qualifications and vision to lead this office. I have been at the table in this sheriff’s office. I know what works and where we need to make changes.
Among the many programs I designed is the medication-assisted treatment program for inmates living with opioid addiction. I understand the difference between corrections and law enforcement. The sheriff’s office must address the issue of recidivism to make our community safer, and support our local law enforcement and public safety agencies by running a modern-day PSAP/Emergency Communications Center and a regional Bureau of Criminal Investigation/Forensics.
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The recent use of the sheriff’s boat for a private wedding has become a hot-button issue. This is an example of how my opponent and I differ in our approach. I have stated publicly that I will decommission the boat and divert those resources to much-needed inmate-centric programs. My opponent has taken the political approach and publicly stated that he will study the issue. Barnstable County deserves an experienced public safety professional who is unafraid to make decisions.
I would move to end the agreement between the Barnstable County Sheriff's Office and ICE. This agreement does not make Barnstable County safer. No other agency in Massachusetts has such an agreement. Taxpayer dollars are being used to defend the refusal to rescind the 287 (g) agreement. My opponent supports the continuation of this agreement. My first act as sheriff will be to cancel this agreement.
What other information would you like voters to know about you or your policy positions?
The purpose of incarceration in our criminal justice system is correction, rehabilitation and treatment. I am ready for this position on day one.
Under my leadership, Inmate Services will be elevated to an executive-level position — treating rehabilitation as an equal partner with safety and security. We will design pre-release programming so inmates about to be released are prepared to return to their communities. We will implement internal addiction and mental health treatment programs that are linked to the nonprofit, clinical and medical communities so inmates have a continuum of care after release. Inmates who have a pathway to success are less likely to reoffend. We will revive programs like community work crews that provided inmates with important training and community engagement and also benefitted the communities and nonprofits on Cape Cod.
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Female inmates will have the same access to treatment and programming as males, and we will institute specific programming for veterans, recognizing that those who were once prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice for our nation face unique challenges.
We will modernize our mission, train and equip our team, and shift our focus so that the men and women who come to the Barnstable County House of Correction — and the men and women who work there — all have a chance at success.
We will be a community partner by ensuring climate-friendly decisions including solar power and electric vehicles. And we will commit in writing to support local police departments by agreeing to house arrestees pre-arraignment.
Timothy R. Whelan
Age: 54
Residence: Brewster
Education: Associates of Science equivalency for professional educational incentive purposes, based upon over 75 college credits accumulated. College credits are a mix of Quinsigamond Community College, Western New England College and Western New England University. Western New England College changed its name to Western New England University July 2011.
Employment: State Representative 1st Barnstable District, Retired Massachusetts State Police sergeant, former corrections officer, Worcester County Sheriff’s Office.
Political Experience: State Representative, 2015-present
Other Civic Involvement: Former member, Brewster Council on Aging; Former girls junior varsity basketball coach at Nauset Regional Hugh School; Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision council member overseeing interstate parole.
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Why are you running? What most motivates you? I am running for sheriff because I have dedicated my entire life to public service and public safety, and I want to bring my decades of experience to work on behalf of our beautiful Cape Cod community. My motivation comes from my understanding of just how important our sheriff's office is. The Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office is a recognized national leader in providing mental health and substance use services to incarcerated persons, and job training and re-entry support to get people reunited with their families and on the right track. The department also provides important, regional support services for our state and municipal law enforcement and fire service that help keep Cape Codders safe. These missions are so critical to our community that the department must have professional, experienced leadership in the next term. I am that leader.
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What is the most pressing issue for the Barnstable Sheriff’s Office and how would you address it? I have had so many conversations with employees of the sheriff's office and the number one issue that I hear, over and over, is the need for more staff. The staffing shortages result in an abundance of forced overtime, hurting morale and causing some staff to leave for other employment. When I was a state trooper, there was a stretch of time when my colleagues and I were being forced to fill overtime shifts, so I know firsthand how this negatively impacts the workspace. Recruiting has been difficult across all of law enforcement, not just in county corrections, as any local police chief will attest. I will make recruiting a top priority and build on the strong relationships I've already built with local educational institutions, veteran groups, the Massachusetts National Guard leadership, and MassHire leadership to enhance our ability to find the very best candidates. The staff will be relying on me to do my best and I will not let them down.
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How do you differ from other candidates? What sets you apart? I believe my extensive experience in public policy and public safety uniquely positions me to be your next Barnstable County Sheriff. I worked for nearly five years as a corrections officer at the Worcester County Sheriff's Office, reaching the rank of lieutenant when I left to join the Massachusetts State Police. I spent 21 years there, reaching the rank of sergeant and was a shift commander at both the Bourne and the South Yarmouth barracks, overseeing patrol functions across all of Barnstable County. I've managed law enforcement personnel, overseen scheduling, payroll, training and all of the stuff that's boring, but also very important for organizational success. And lastly, my service over these past eight years as a state representative has given me important experience in legislating and budgeting. I've built strong, trust-filled relationships with my colleagues in the House and Senate that will help me be your best advocate for the resources our sheriff's office will need to help fulfill our public safety mission. I am also a proud veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps.
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What other information would you like voters to know about you or your policy positions? I am deeply driven to provide the best of services and programming to incarcerated persons so they can rejoin their families and have productive and happy lives. I was raised by kind, loving parents who worked hard and did their best to be a great example to our family, but both of my parents were alcoholics and my mother was diagnosed with manic depression. I understand the curse of addiction and untreated mental health diagnoses on a very personal level. I've seen how the grip of addiction can harm very good people, and the people who love them, and I've also seen the power of recovery as both of my parents found their freedom from addiction. As your next Barnstable County Sheriff, I will do a full review of the services the department offers and will take a look at other departments across the commonwealth and nation to look for new, effective programs to ensure we are doing our very best for the inmates entrusted to our care.
Contact Denise Coffey at dcoffey@capecodonline.com. Follow her on Twitter: @DeniseCoffeyCCT.
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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Donna Buckley, Timothy Whelan face off for Barnstable Sheriff Nov. 8
