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| Ron Molnar |
Ron Molnar speaks frankly when it comes to the Racine County Sheriff’s Department.
“There’s a lack of leadership and a lack of managing resources,” he said.
As the only Republican candidate who doesn’t work for the department, he doesn’t have to worry about hurting his co-workers’ feelings or returning to a job where he challenged superiors. He’s using that freedom on the campaign trail to raise pointed concerns about Sheriff Bob Carlson and the direction the Sheriff’s Department has gone in the past four years.
“I’ve met with police chiefs throughout the county,” Molnar said. “There’s an obvious need for improved relations.”
Improving relationships starts with dialogue, he said.
“Every relationship starts with dialogue and that leads to relationships and relationships lead to trust,” Molnar said. “That’s what’s missing. Trust.”
Specifically, Molnar criticized the Sheriff for losing $710,000 when the state Department of Corrections cancelled its contract with Racine County. County Board members, including Molnar, have tried to investigate what happened for six months, but have made little progress.
“Information about why and what’s being done is sketchy, at best,” Molnar said.
“Citizens I’ve talked to are outraged,” he added about the lost contract.
Molnar also said the Sheriff’s Department needs to stop using the Racine County Jail as a “penalty box” for wayward staff. Right now deputies are reassigned to the jail when they get disciplined or rub someone the wrong way.
“That needs to stop,” Molnar said. “It needs to be a professional occupation. It needs to be a career path.”
There’s no love loss between Molnar and Carlson. The two ran head-to-head in 2006 with Carlson winning by about 6,200 votes. Four years later, Molnar feels the Sheriff’s Department needs a “new direction.”
If elected, Molnar said he would work to improve the Sheriff’s Department’s relationships with Mount Pleasant, Caledonia, and Sturtevant. Right now the Sheriff’s Department handles many incoming calls from the villages and assigns their deputies to take the cases. In one instance, Molnar said, a deputy was called from Waterford to an armed robbery in Mount Pleasant at the same time that there were six Mount Pleasant police officers on the street.
Cases like these lead to tension between the villages and the Sheriff’s Department, Molnar said. He’d address those tensions by re-writing the Sheriff’s Department patrol plan to give the villages more control over their calls for service and using Sheriff’s deputies for backup.
“We need to eliminate the duplication of services, primarily on the east end,” Molnar said. “We’re not in competition with Sturtevant, Mount Pleasant and Caledonia. Our job is to supplement.”
The new patrol plan should free up resources for the Sheriff’s Department to track down the more than 560 people wanted on felony warrants, report illegal immigrants to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and to cross-train deputies on various jobs, such as water patrol.
Joint dispatch plays an important role in this plan, Molnar said. Right now the Sheriff’s Department handles all incoming 911 calls from cell phones, which is one reason deputies and not village police are dispatched to calls. Moving to a combined dispatch would route all calls to the officer or deputy closest to the scene.
“Consolidated dispatch will help reduce the feelings of frustrations from the communities,” Molnar said.
Molnar is running his second campaign of the year and his third since 2006. He was elected to the Racine County Board in April. His district, No. 14, contains parts of Mount Pleasant and Racine.
He’s now making a run at a full-time elected position that matches up with his career experience. Molnar graduated with a degree in criminal justice from MATC in Madison. He’s also a trained emergency medical technician and a volunteer fire fighter in Kansasville.
Molnar grew up in DeForest the second oldest of five siblings, including four brothers. His Dad worked for the Dane County Sheriff’s Department and his grandpa was a police officer on the East Coast.
Molnar got hired in 1985 by the Department of Corrections and bounced around the state taking promotions and learning different skills. He wound up in the Racine area after the Racine Correctional Institution opened in Sturtevant.
Molnar, who lives in Mount Pleasant, was elected to the Racine County Board this spring. He now works at the Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility. Per state law, he’s on a leave of absence from his job until after the campaign.
Molnar’s job performance became news last month after the JT reported he was demoted by the Department of Corrections for rules violations. Molnar said the demotion was political retribution for running against Carlson in 2006. Carlson was appointed sheriff by Gov. Jim Doyle in 2004.
Molnar said his 25 years of experience in working in state prisons qualifies him to manage large budgets, schedule employees, handle evaluations, negotiate contracts, address grievances, oversee training and develop staff.
“I’m not a patrol deputy and I make no apologies for that whatsoever,” Molnar said. “I have enforce state law and statutes and worked with people out in the community.”
Molnar has been campaigning for the Republican nomination since June. He spoke highly of his opponents, Chris Schmaling and Gonzalo Gonzalez.
“I like both of my opponents,” Molnar said. “They’re both good people. If you’re a victim of a serious crime, I would hope Chris was working on your case. I’ve known Gonzo for 15 years. He’s a very good person.
“Each of us thinks we’re the best, each of us thinks we can win.”
Molnar said he’s a true conservative, noting he ran for sheriff as a Republican in 2006. He’s earned several endorsements from local government leaders, including a key endorsement from former sheriff and now County Executive Bill McReynolds.
Molnar said his law enforcement experience outside of the Sheriff’s Department makes him the most qualified for the job.
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