TRUMBULL COUNTY SHERIFF Housing of prisoners locally is priority, Altiere's challenger says

The sheriff said more patrols are needed in the northern townships.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Sheriff Thomas Altiere says he is not aware of any major issues in the upcoming election. His challenger, however, can think of quite a few.
Joseph P. Consiglio, Weathersfield Township police chief, who is challenging Altiere for the post, says the closing of the county jail to local inmates, financial accountability and the lack of patrols in the northern section of the county are important issues in the race.
Both men are Democrats and are vying for the $85,000-a-year position.
Consiglio says that on numerous occasions the jail has refused to take local inmates arrested on nonviolent crimes, such as driving under the influence.
"If I'm elected I am going to make it my top priority to make sure that the local prisoners are booked in the jail," Consiglio said. "I will implement the policy that no local prisoner will be refused. "
He noted that he believes the sheriff takes too many federal inmates so he doesn't have room to admit inmates arrested by the local agencies.
The sheriff, however, said that because of the county's financial problems he had to take federal inmates to help keep deputies working.
The jail houses inmates from the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (formerly the Immigration and Naturalization Service) and the U.S. Marshals Service for $65 per inmate per day.
Together, the two categories of federal inmates net the county about $100,000 a month, Altiere said.
Consiglio also was critical that the sheriff did not lay off any administrative employees but furloughed numerous deputies.
"This caused a problem for the people living in the northern townships of the county because it cut down on the amount of deputies in their communities," Consiglio said.
The sheriff agreed that more deputies are needed in the northern townships and said he is working on correcting the situation.
"The people living in those areas need protection and I am doing everything to make sure they get it," Altiere said.
sinkovich@vindy.com