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Winters launches sheriff campaign By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune Mike Winters kicked off his campaign for Jackson County sheriff Saturday with a promise that under his direction, the community would be more involved in its sheriff's office. "I'm going to be the coach of the sheriff's office ... but you're going to be the CEO," he told the hundreds assembled at the Medford Armory to support his campaign. Winters, a former Oregon State Police trooper, said the public deserves deputies who are available to respond to the scene of an emergency or problem. Callers to the Jackson County Sheriff's Department should be able to reach a deputy when they pick up the phone, he said. Because hiring more deputies isn't realistic under tight budgets, Winters proposed introducing a reserve officer program. Officers would have the same training as other patrol deputies, but they would volunteer, Winters said. "That's the only way we're going to get coverage," he said. Winters said the volunteer deputies would be joined by a sheriff's posse - also made up of volunteers - who would help with tasks such as traffic control at accident scenes. Winters will face sheriff's Capt. Ed Mayer in the November general election unless another candidate files before the March 12 deadline. In that case, the two top vote-getters in the May 21 primary would square off in November unless one gets more than 50 percent of the vote. Current Sheriff Bob Kennedy has said he will not run for re-election. An OSP trooper for 14 years, Winters also served as a reserve officer with the Ashland Police Department, an emergency medical technician and a volunteer county firefighter. He has owned a construction company for more than 10 years and works on his family's Ashland cattle ranch. Winters said his business experience will bring new ideas and better management to the sheriff's department. The Jackson County Sheriff's Employees Association pitched its support for Winters in June 2000. Bob Stark, president of the association, said he believes Winters will create needed advancement and career opportunities for the department. In March last year, the employee's association presented county commissioners with a no-confidence vote in Sheriff Kennedy. Kennedy called the no-confidence vote politically motivated. Kennedy supports Mayer's bid to take his place in 2003. Retired Sheriff C.W. Smith, state Sen. Lenn Hannon, Medford City Councilman Sal Esquivel and retired Ashland police chief Vic Lively support Winters' campaign. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.