INDIANAPOLIS -- The race to be the next Marion County sheriff is crowded. Five people, three Republicans and two Democrats, are running.
The Republican candidates have a tough challenge. Democrats have held the title of sheriff for the last 16 years in Marion County.
Tom Vaughn, 49, wants to break that trend. Currently the Southport police chief, Vaughn oversaw the tragedy of losing Lt. Aaron Allan in July 2017. Vaughn called the dedicated officer a "teddy bear."
"I'm a police chief now," Vaughn said. "I've ran a police department. I've created a budget. I've managed that budget. I came in under budget. Having these skills that other candidates don't have -- that is a learning curve that I don't need to learn."
Since the merger of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and the sheriff's department, the primary function of the sheriff is to serve warrants, tax collection, monitoring people on the sex offender registry, and maintaining security at the jail. Another candidate for sheriff, Brian Durham, says changes need to be made at the jail.
"I want to reduce the working hours from 12-hour shifts back to 8-hour shifts," Durham said. "[I want to] be able to give pay raises to all of the employees at the sheriff's department."
Durham, 48, has been endorsed by the Marion County Republican Party. Durham is currently a detective with IMPD's Human Trafficking Division.
The third candidate is 58-year-old Jim Grimes. He's been with the sheriff's department for 8 years.
Grimes said he wants to see improvements made, and he won't necessarily toe the party line.
"My job is to make sure the citizens are safe," Grimes said. "We spend the money wisely and we take back our streets. If that means I sometimes merge away from the party and go down the middle of the road. That's the way it is."
Democrat Bill Benjamin, currently the director of safety and security at Tindley Accelerated Charter Schools, served with IMPD for 27 years. His childhood friend and North Central High School friend, Kenny Edmonds also known as "Babyface" was on the stump for him last week.
"He asked for some help and I was glad to give him help," Edmonds said. "I think he's a good guy. We need good guys about right now."
The Marion County Democratic Party endorsed Kerry Forestal for sheriff. He has served 35 years in the sheriff's department and 5 years as the United States Marshal in the Southern District.
Forestal has the backing of Mayor Joe Hogsett, Prosecutor Terry Curry, and Congressman Andre Carson. He says he is the man for the job.
"It's a job interview," Forestal said. "That's what I plan to do is take it to the public and let them decide who they think they want to go to sleep at night as their sheriff."
The next sheriff would usher in the proposed $570 million criminal justice center, which would include a new jail. It's completion date is projected to be 2021.
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