Jackson County residents have told me they don’t feel crimes committed against them were being thoroughly investigated, particularly crimes of vandalism, he said. Also, I’ve spoken with several county residents who live in remote areas and they say they never see county deputies drive by. I would certainly concentrate on patrolling those remote county roads, said Lindsey, who has been a patrolman with the University Police for the last 24 years.

The 58-year-old Carbondale native said he would not only make better use of deputies by patrolling back roads, but would keep them away from patrolling U.S. 51 and Route 13. He said the big roads are for the state police to patrol and the sheriff’s deputies should not be on them unless they need to get from one remote area to another.

On the Nov. 6 ballot voters will be asked to vote on a 911 referendum, but Lindsey said the county doesn’t need the system because it’s too expensive. He said he doesn’t know how much the system will cost but The way the money crunch is right now it’s something we can afford to put off for awhile.

There are areas of spending that need to be cut to fight declining revenues and Lindsey said he’d start with simple things like the light bill.

I’m a firm believer in using only what is needed. The July light bill for the Jackson County Jail was almost $16,000, he said. So help me I’ll cut that down.

If there are lights on in a room of the jail not being used then I’ll make sure they’re turned off.

He added there are other small things that can be done to decrease spending.

If an officer is writing a ticket or monitoring traffic he can cut his engine and save gas, he said. That may seem minor but over a long period of time that’s a large saving.

Lindsey said members of the Jackson County Board have told him certain areas of administration should be cut back, but he did not elaborate.

He said he doesn’t plan any departmental expansions because of the budget crunch but

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said he would like to see deputies wear hats on formal occasions, such as parades.

Of course they don’t have any hats and the department would have to purchase them, he said.

He said if he were elected sheriff he would try to maintain a relationship of mutual cooperation with the county board.

If I have a disagreement with the board then I’d want to sit down and discuss the issue with them before voicing my opinion to the press, he said.

Lindsey said he has no new programs planned but is willing to discuss any possibilities with town mayors or citizens.

Jackson County Sheriff’s deputies are mandated to 60 hours of yearly in-service training. Lindsey said he would like to see that much training continue with an emphasis in the latest law enforcement techniques.

Also, I’d want sheriff’s deputies to take refresher courses and participate in the many seminars SIUC offers, he said.

Lindsey said he doesn’t think crime in Jackson County is any different than any other county. He said auto and residential burglaries are probably on the rise. He attributes residential burglaries to a possible increase in marijuana use and rising unemployment.

He said because of an increase in public awareness and a rollback in bar hours from 4 a.m. to 2 a.m., DUI arrests are down.

Lindsey said he doesn’t think the proposed keg registration for Carbondale would pose any problems to county law enforcement except that students will go outside Carbondale to purchase alcohol.

The only problem I foresee with that is if students pop the keg before they get it back to their residence, he said.

Overall, Lindsey said the county has an excellent sheriff’s department, but there should be just a few changes with emphasis on a decrease in spending.

Lindsey, a Korean War veteran, worked for two years as a building subforeman for the SIUC Physical Plant before starting his career in law enforcement with the University Police.

As an SIUC police officer he has gained experience in investigating complaints, traffic control, report writing and various other law enforcement duties. He has received in-service training in riot control, defensive driving and court case preparation.

He is a member of the Illinois Police Association, a referee for the Illinois High School Association, secretary for the Unity Point School Board and a member of the Farm Bureau.