Ben Arancibia
Columnist
It’s no secret that Richmond isn’t the safest city in the U.S., but the citizens of Richmond do their best in selecting people to help make Richmond a safer place.
By electing Sheriff C.T. Woody, Jr., Richmond voters made an unfortunate mistake in trusting someone who has abused the power of his position. Under his leadership, the sheriff’s department has made some serious mistakes. Richmond city officials need to demand that Woody fix his mistakes, and when election time arrives, Richmond voters need to elect a new sheriff for the city.
According to a Richmond Times-Dispatch article published on Sept. 29, Sheriff Woody has hired at least 10 family members since being elected: two sisters, a daughter, a son, a nephew, a niece, three granddaughters and a brother-in-law. Woody has been facing political pressure from the Richmond City Council saying that hiring relatives reflects poorly on the city, especially since the three other constitutional officers have agreed to comply with the nepotism policy.
Woody has responded by asserting that since he is an elected constitutional officer, he answers to Richmond voters and not the city council. Woody is not complying with the nepotism policy and he is using his position of power to exploit the sheriff position in order to help his relatives. According to a Times-Dispatch analysis, his hired relatives earn a combined annual salary of $442,584. Granted, times are tough because of the economy, but this level of nepotism is unacceptable.
At a news conference on Sept. 27, Woody said that if the Richmond City Council asks him to comply with the city’s nepotism policy that he would so. However, the council should not have to ask Woody to comply, he should do so on his own accord.
Woody has not only exploited his position of power, but he has also failed in leading the Richmond City Sheriff’s Office.
Two weeks ago, a suspected bank robber was “inadvertently released” from the Richmond City Jail as he awaited transfer into federal custody. Since the inmate had already dressed in civilian clothes, he was mixed into a group of inmates who were to be released, and he was freed. The inmate was apprehended within two hours and charged with a second bank robbery. If not for the inmate’s decision to rob the same bank twice, the inmate could have been free much longer.
Mistakes like this cannot happen.
Woody has been a disgrace as sheriff so far by exploiting his position of power and being a poor leader for the Richmond City Sheriff’s Office. If Woody does not step down, the Richmond City Council should look into ways to relieve Woody of his command and replace him. If there is no way to cut the sheriff’s term short, Richmond voters must elect a new sheriff to replace him because of his mistakes in office.