Staunton sheriff faces 1st opponent

After nine years as Staunton sheriff, Alex Caldwell Jr. will face an opponent.

“I have dedicated the past 10 years of my professional law enforcement career to court security,” said challenger Michael Painter, an Augusta County Sheriff’s Office court bailiff. “It’s kind of my specialty area. I’ve gone as far as I can go with the county and it’s the next natural step for me.”

The city sheriff’s responsibilities include maintaining court security and delivering court papers.

The toughest part of the job is doing more with less, said Caldwell, referring to recent budget cuts.

“Most of the time this job is very, very enjoyable,” said Caldwell, a 22-year department veteran. “In this job you come into contact with all sorts of people from all walks of life.”

During his tenure, Caldwell said he added a metal detection system and worked to re-route traffic to create one entrance and exit to the court building.

“Everyone is now screened before they come in,” Caldwell said.

There are a lot of questions to answer while campaigning, Painter said, especially when running against a successful incumbent. A lot of people ask why Caldwell should be replaced, Painter said.

“The sheriff hasn’t done anything wrong per se,” he said. “I saw something and I think it’s a place where I can make an improvement.”

Painter said he wants to set procedures to dictate how the department works. He also wants to work more closely with Middle River Regional Jail, in Verona, he said.

The jail transports inmates to Augusta County and Waynesboro courts, Painter said. But the Staunton Sheriff’s Office still retrieves inmates for Staunton court proceedings. He said he’d work with the jail to have inmates transported to Staunton court to save manpower.

Painter said he’d transfer the manpower he’d save for the delivery of paperwork the Staunton Police Department currently distributes.

No matter the election outcome, Painter and Caldwell said they respect efforts by each other.

“I told someone the other day, whether I win or lose it’s been a winning experience for me,” Painter said.