Pubdate: Thu, 12 Jun 2008
Source: Herald, The (SC)
Copyright: 2008 The Herald
Contact:  http://www.heraldonline.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/369
Author: Charles D. Perry

OUSTED CHESTER COUNTY SHERIFF HAS NO REGRETS

Benson Says 'A Lot' Of Those Who Voted Him Out Were Once Arrested

CHESTER -- Chester County Sheriff Robby Benson heard  Wednesday why 
voters overwhelmingly chose to replace  him.

A day after Fort Lawn Police Chief Richard Smith  defeated the 
two-term incumbent in the Democratic  primary, the buzz around town 
was that Benson hadn't  done enough to control the county's drug problem.

But the man who will be sheriff until January has a few  theories 
about why he lost.

"A big issue," he said, "is that a lot of the people  that did vote 
against me are the ones we've arrested,  and their family members. 
.. We continue going after  them, and I think we've got a lot of 
those people  upset. I think they're looking at, if they get me 
out  of office, their cases will go away."

Smith disagreed with that notion.

"People want a sheriff that they can get a hold of," he  said. "They 
want something done with these drugs and  gangs. ... Convicted felons 
can't vote -- 2,000 people  done spoke up."

Smith won by nearly a 2-1 margin, collecting more than  2,700 votes, 
according to unofficial results. He'll  face no Republican opposition 
in November.

Benson said he couldn't think of anything he would have  done 
differently in office. He admits he was surprised  at how lopsided 
his loss was, but he said some people  just don't understand what his 
deputies have done.

In the past two years, Benson said, his office has  arrested nearly 
500 people on drug charges, including  those accused of serious 
offenses such as trafficking.  County drug agents have taken more 
than a dozen cases  to federal court.

He also noted that his office doesn't set bonds or  prosecute cases. 
The judicial circuit that includes  Chester County has an extensive 
case backlog that  results in many offenders being released on bond 
and  committing other crimes.

"I don't know if they had blinders on or what the  situation is," 
Benson said of those who contend he's  not fighting the drug battle.

The events leading up to the sheriff's race didn't bode  well for 
Benson, who campaigned under the cloud of a  drug war raging between 
five neighborhood groups. In  April, this violence prompted four 
shootings in three  days, including a homicide.

Benson also had to cope with the issue of the county  jail, which has 
failed state inspections for 17  consecutive years and will be shut 
down by state  officials next year if it isn't brought up to code.

Some voters at the polls Tuesday said Benson seems  unresponsive to 
their needs. They also fear the  sheriff's office has too few 
officers in the community,  one of Smith's campaign messages.

"Top heavy," is how former Chester City Councilman  George Guy Jr. 
described the sheriff's office, although  he wouldn't reveal the 
candidate he voted for. "Too  many executives and not enough patrolmen."

Sometimes a combination of frustrations -- not a public  scandal -- 
compels voters to remove an incumbent, said  Scott Huffmon, a 
political scientist at Winthrop  University. Add to that a challenger 
who appears  concerned, and there is a strong catalyst for a leadership change.

"They have done enough things that have annoyed enough  people in 
different ways that it's just built up this  coalition of 
discontent," Huffmon said, speaking  hypothetically. "What could have 
been the absolute  tipping point is when they saw one person 
appearing to listen to their concerns when felt the incumbent 
hadn't  been listening."

Benson, 48, said he's now considering careers in law  enforcement and 
private security that he might pursue  when his term ends.

During his remaining months in office, Benson said  he'll continue to 
work on drug cases and serve the  people who elected him in 2000 and 
2004, although not  this year.

"I'm gonna be fine," he said. "Financially, I'll  probably be better 
off, to be honest with you."

The sheriff serves a four-year term and is paid an  annual salary of 
$56,010.66.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom