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Getting to know Clermont County Sheriff Leahy Sheila Vilvens svilvens@enquirer.com
There’s a new sheriff in Clermont County. Robert Leahy officially took over as the county’s new sheriff Jan. 2 replacing Sheriff A.J. “Tim” Rodenberg who retired after 20 years in office. While he’s been with the sheriff’s department since 1991, many people might not be familiar with Leahy. To help get acquainted with the new sheriff, here’s a list of five things to know about the new boss. He always wanted to be a cop As a child growing up in Middletown, he said, he was “lucky to be one of those kids who knew” what he wanted to be when he grew up. He wanted to be “a cop.” Florida or Ohio After graduating from Eastern Kentucky University with a bachelor’s degree in police administration and a minor in traffic safety, Leahy said that he dated a flight attendant who lived in south Florida. He went through the process of joining the police force in Miami, Florida. “I love the south, and the warm weather,” he said. “Then I got caught in a hiring freeze.” While he was waiting to get on with Miami, a friend informed him that the Butler County Sheriff’s Department was hir-
ing. He went through the police academy in Butler County, but soon learned about job openings with the Clermont County Sheriff’s Department where he was hired and has remained. The county’s biggest challenge for law enforcement Hands down the opioid issue is the biggest challenge facing the department and Clermont County, Leahy said. “This is a problem that knows no boundaries and has such a ripple effect in services that not only we provide but other county services. It destroys lives and families,” he said. Leahy speaks from experience. Following an accident, a close family member became addicted to painkillers, he said. It mushroomed from there. “And I really know, you know, from personal experience the impact that this has on homes and families... So I know you that you can’t just throw people’s asses in jail because that doesn’t solve it. Though our job is to protect life and property, you also have to understand addiction is really real. It isn’t a cop out.” The sheriff’s department will continue to battle the epidemic through enforcement. “In early 2016, we started a directed patrols operation which has been very successful,” Leahy said. “The operation includes members from our narcotics unit, traffic enforce-
SHEILA VILVENS/THE COMMUNITY PRESS
Robert Leahy is the new Clermont County Sheriff.
ment unit, and K9 unit. The operation targets hot spots in the county that are known routes used to transport narcotics to and from Clermont County. “We will also continue to equip our deputies with Narcan. In 2016 deputies saved 30 lives by responding to overdose incidents using Narcan.” The department remains committed to addressing the epidemic through continued partnerships with groups such as the Clermont County Opiate Task Force and use of the alternative sentencing program. Changing laws and body cameras The department will take a good look at technology and
changes in public record laws, specifically in the area of body cameras. Currently, the department doesn’t have body cameras. In the past, Leahy said, he couldn’t justify the cost. They are needed in some communities to provide transparency but not necessarily in Clermont County, where the sheriff’s department has a good working relationship with the public, he said. Leahy’s open door Clermont County has had just two sheriffs in 40 years – John VanCamp and Rodenberg. Leahy served a few years under VanCamp and the bulk of his career under Rodenberg. “I could never say anything
that was contradictory to Sheriff Rodenberg. I’m just really steady. I’ve been a policeman for so many years. I get it. I understand. I’m about accountability and transparency.” He has an open door policy for staff and the community. He said he wants the community to know, he’s approachable. “I’m not a politician. I’m not a person who really likes standing in front of people talking for an extended period of time,” he said. “But stuff I have a passion about, I’ll talk to you all day about it. I think people elect you in this position to be the chief law enforcement person in the county and not to be a celebrity. I don’t want to be a celebrity.”
West Clermont in midst of search for new principal Forrest Sellers fsellers@communitypress.com
UNION TOWNSHIP – An announcement of the top candidate for principal of the new West Clermont High School could come as early as next month. The West Clermont Local School District is in the midst of interviewing candidates for the position. The first round of interviews with teachers and parents began in early February. Several other rounds of interviews will be conducted throughout the month. The second round of interviews will be with district office directors and coordinators such as the directors of educational services and special services among others. The final round of interviews will be with Superintendent Keith Kline and Treasurer Alana Cropper. A recommendation of a candidate for the position is tentatively scheduled to be made to the school board at its March 13 meeting. “I am hopeful through (this) process the candidate that is brought to the board for recommendation or approval to hire is the best candidate of the pool,” Board President Tammy Brinkman said. “With a brand new high school our kids deserve nothing less than the best candidate available to them.” In the fall the school board contracted
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FILE PHOTO
The search for a principal for the new West Clermont High School, shown in this illustration of the front entrance, has begun. A candidate for the position could potentially be announced during the March Board of Education meeting.
with the Hamilton County Educational Service Center, which has expertise in facilitating searches for administrative positions.
Their role was to collect all of the applications and do a prescreening of all candidates prior to the interviews, Brinkman said.
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Brinkman said 32 people applied for the position. This number was then narrowed by the Hamilton County Educational Service Center to eight candidates. Brinkman said the Hamilton County Educational Service Center selected the candidates based on feedback from the district following question and answer sessions with teachers, parents, students and other community members. A news release issued by the district stated the following qualities were essential in a candidate: strong instructional leadership, high quality personal characteristics, the ability to collaborate, visibility and effective communication. “We want to make sure we have a principal who is capable of moving the needle on academics to a higher level of achievement,” Brinkman said. Brinkman said applications were received from outside the Tristate area and that candidates from within the district participated in the first round of interviews. The new high school will also have three assistant principals, two of whom will come from Glen Este and Amelia high schools. West Clermont High School will have upwards of 2,000 students. The first day of school at West Clermont High School will be Aug. 30.
Vol. 36 No. 48 © 2017 The Community Press ALL RIGHTS RESERVED