Reelect experience of Paul Monroe for Trumbull sheriff
The Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office is either a well-oiled machine that has been running at peak performance under the direction of incumbent Sheriff Paul Monroe or it is an entity that is in dire need of culture change and reform.
It all depends on who you choose to believe — Monroe, who is seeking a third term, or challenger Mike Wilson.
Wilson, a Republican, spent a portion of his interview with this newspaper’s editorial board criticizing Monroe’s leadership of the county’s top law enforcement agency, specifically citing Monroe’s status as one defendant in a federal lawsuit filed by outgoing county commissioner Niki Frenchko after her arrest during a July 7, 2022, meeting.
A misdemeanor charge against Frenchko was dropped a few weeks after her arrest, but U.S. District Judge J. Philip Calabrese eventually ruled that the arrest violated her civil rights.
“I have a problem with law enforcement when they don’t work within the rules that we expect everyone else to follow,” Wilson said. “Our sheriff violated First and Fourth Amendment rights of our sitting commissioner, and that’s proven from this federal civil court case and the judge’s ruling.”
While Frenchko’s lawsuit is still working its way through the courts, Monroe told the editorial board that the allegations were fabricated.
The Democrat incumbent also refuted Wilson’s accusation that he destroyed evidence in the case by deleting text messages. Monroe said text messages between him and a television reporter were not related to Frenchko’s arrest and were deleted before a court order to preserve them was issued.
“There is no evidence to destroy,” Monroe said. “The conspiracy they’re alleging never happened.”
The sheriff also defended his leadership over the past eight years, saying the county jail went from 40% compliance on Ohio jail standards to 100% compliance on his watch.
“We increased training for our corrections staff and made sure they know what’s expected,” Monroe said. “We hold people accountable.”
The sheriff also pointed to drops in two important categories during his two terms.
“We put the hammer down on enforcement,” Monroe said. “Overdose stats are finally starting to drop, and violent crime is not at the level it was eight years ago.”
Monroe also mentioned a domestic incident involving Wilson in the late 1990s, when he was an Ohio State Highway Patrol officer. Wilson reportedly went to a home in Howland Township — while on duty — and forced his way inside when his wife answered the door. He was not charged, but Monroe’s campaign has run a radio commercial that leads with the incident.
Monroe also downplayed Wilson’s experience with the OHP, characterizing him as primarily a “ticket writer,” while stressing his own time as sheriff and previously as a patrol officer, detective and police chief in Howland.
“I’m a policeman, not a ticket writer,” Monroe said. “I’ve investigated homicides, rapes, child abuse, drug crimes. My opponent doesn’t bring any of that to the table.”
Wilson cited a need for change in the sheriff’s office.
“The culture needs to change,” he said. “People need to know they can trust their sheriff, and that starts with following the same rules and laws we hold everyone else to.”
Wilson is right about that, but we’re endorsing Monroe primarily because of his leadership experience as sheriff and as chief in Howland.
Wilson also has a lengthy career with the OHP, but not as much experience in running a department and a jail, which are critical to being sheriff.
We’ll be monitoring Frenchko’s lawsuit and Monroe’s involvement in it. He told the editorial board that he had “nothing to do with” the arrest. Perhaps, but it was certainly a bad look that we’d like to see isn’t repeated by whichever man wins on Nov. 5.