Four Vie For Upshur County Sheriff Position
BY PHILLIP WILLIAMS
Special Correspondent
GILMER — Two Democrats and two Republicans are running for Upshur County sheriff in their respective parties’ primaries Tuesday.
Special Correspondent
GILMER — Two Democrats and two Republicans are running for Upshur County sheriff in their respective parties’ primaries Tuesday.
On the Democratic side, Sheriff Anthony Betterton, seeking re-election to a third term, faces longtime Gilmer Police Chief James Grunden. In the GOP race, police academy director Gerard (Greg) Mandreger is opposed by veteran cattle rancher C. Leon Fatherree.
In interviews with the Tyler Morning Telegraph, all four answered questions ranging from why they were the best qualified candidate to their specific goals if elected.
Betterton, 46, lives west of Gilmer and has been in law enforcement since 1981, including the past seven years as sheriff.
“It’s a job I have taken serious,” he said, stating he had found the sheriff’s office to be “home, and this (his staff) is family.”
Betterton, 46, lives west of Gilmer and has been in law enforcement since 1981, including the past seven years as sheriff.
“It’s a job I have taken serious,” he said, stating he had found the sheriff’s office to be “home, and this (his staff) is family.”
During his tenure, Betterton said, his office has cleared “seven gruesome murders;” has spent $107,000 of money seized from drug dealers on training equipment, saving taxpayers money; and is jailing burglars daily.
The sheriff said he also secured a $95,000 grant to upgrade video cameras in patrol cars to digital and that he put computers in cars that will give directions to the site of an emergency.
The sheriff said he also secured a $95,000 grant to upgrade video cameras in patrol cars to digital and that he put computers in cars that will give directions to the site of an emergency.
Betterton also said he is working with District Attorney Billy Byrd on forming
a drug task force to work solely in the county.
“But we’re gonna stay in the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) task force to work outside this county,” he added.
“The drugs come into this county, and we need to go outside the county and take ‘em out,” he explained. However, he added, “I don’t campaign on drugs because you can’t win the war on drugs.”
The big problem, said Betterton, is the crimes drugs lead to.
As for his goals for another term, the sheriff said “We’ve still got to upgrade our equipment and our training.”
Grunden, 48, of Bettie community, has been Gilmer police chief for the past 12 years. He has been in public safety for 29 years, including about 17 years as a firefighter and/or police officer in Gladewater.
Grunden said he is the most qualified candidate because of his experience and education.
“I just didn’t decide overnight that I was gonna run for sheriff,” the chief said. “I have spent several years preparing myself for it.”
“I think I have a good ability to work with our elected officials,” Grunden added, saying he has worked with four city managers and several city council members in Gilmer and “never one time had a problem.”
If elected sheriff, said Grunden, he would work to develop a narcotics task force solely for the county. He objects to a multi-county task force, saying it would be state-controlled rather than locally controlled, and that it “does spread your men too thin.”
Grunden also said he wanted to have deputies visibly patrolling throughout the county, including rural county roads and residential areas where daytime burglaries occur.
In addition, he said, he wants deputies making a “timely response” to calls, and “I just want to see a closer relationship” between all the county’s law enforcement agencies, including constables.
Grunden said he desires to see the agencies cooperate to make law enforcement in the county as good as possible “with our training, (and) with our passing on information.”
Mandreger, 48, of Big Sandy, has been police academy director and a captain at the International ALERT Academy near that city since 2000. He has also been an adjunct instructor at the Kilgore College Police Academy since 2005.
Between 1984 and 2000, Mandreger was a police officer or firefighter in several Michigan cities, including Jackson City, Waterloo and Leoni. He is also a Texas commissioned police officer.
Mandreger said he is “able to bring in a vision, and innovative ideas.” He also said he has been preparing all his life for this, and said he has about 105 certificates in the fields of law enforcement, firefighting, urban search and rescue, high-angle rescue, and structural collapse rescue.
“I feel that (being sheriff) is a calling ... that this is going to fulfill a calling to serve my lord and savior, Jesus Christ, with truth justice, and judgment,” Mandreger said.
Mandreger has a written list of 10 goals for the department, from having special operations — drug interdiction, active shooter, K-9, dive team, to training a top-notch arson investigation team. His first goal is to establish the sheriff’s office as “the best equipped and trained department in northeast Texas.”
Asked about the idea of a drug task force solely for the county, Mandreger said, “I think I would be against that ... because drugs have no borders.” He said the sheriff’s office must be able to work with other jurisdictions since drugs pass through the county to other counties.
He also said he would build a team and give the staff some goals to stay with the office as a family, rather than moving on to other higher-paying departments, as they now do.
Fatherree, a 70-year-old cattle rancher from Pritchett community, is the only candidate without experience in law enforcement — which he says makes him the most qualified candidate.
Fatherree, who does custom ranch and ranch consultant work, said he circulates around the county in his work and “The people that I talk to ... They’re not impressed with the people that’s got a lifetime of law enforcement behind them.”
He said he admires career peace officers, but “They work with the criminal element all the time, and they are not used to working with the citizens of the county.” He said citizens “tell me they’re ready for a change (in the sheriff’s office), and they would like to have one of the local boys there.”
Fatherree declared he has “what I think is some tremendous ideas to make it all better,” including changing jail visitation to make it more convenient for visitors. He also said he would like to work on establishing a women’s crisis center in Upshur County, “and I would like to have something for the young people to do here.”
His five written goals also include establishing a society for the prevention of cruelty to animals in the county, and having more Crimewatch meetings to inform citizens what to be aware of.
Fatherree cites his civic work as a qualification for office, saying he helped establish the Pritchett Volunteer Fire Department and the Pritchett Water Supply Corporation.
As for his views on a drug task force solely for the county, Fatherree said, “I’m kinda undecided on that.”
a drug task force to work solely in the county.
“But we’re gonna stay in the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) task force to work outside this county,” he added.
“The drugs come into this county, and we need to go outside the county and take ‘em out,” he explained. However, he added, “I don’t campaign on drugs because you can’t win the war on drugs.”
The big problem, said Betterton, is the crimes drugs lead to.
As for his goals for another term, the sheriff said “We’ve still got to upgrade our equipment and our training.”
Grunden, 48, of Bettie community, has been Gilmer police chief for the past 12 years. He has been in public safety for 29 years, including about 17 years as a firefighter and/or police officer in Gladewater.
Grunden said he is the most qualified candidate because of his experience and education.
“I just didn’t decide overnight that I was gonna run for sheriff,” the chief said. “I have spent several years preparing myself for it.”
“I think I have a good ability to work with our elected officials,” Grunden added, saying he has worked with four city managers and several city council members in Gilmer and “never one time had a problem.”
If elected sheriff, said Grunden, he would work to develop a narcotics task force solely for the county. He objects to a multi-county task force, saying it would be state-controlled rather than locally controlled, and that it “does spread your men too thin.”
Grunden also said he wanted to have deputies visibly patrolling throughout the county, including rural county roads and residential areas where daytime burglaries occur.
In addition, he said, he wants deputies making a “timely response” to calls, and “I just want to see a closer relationship” between all the county’s law enforcement agencies, including constables.
Grunden said he desires to see the agencies cooperate to make law enforcement in the county as good as possible “with our training, (and) with our passing on information.”
Mandreger, 48, of Big Sandy, has been police academy director and a captain at the International ALERT Academy near that city since 2000. He has also been an adjunct instructor at the Kilgore College Police Academy since 2005.
Between 1984 and 2000, Mandreger was a police officer or firefighter in several Michigan cities, including Jackson City, Waterloo and Leoni. He is also a Texas commissioned police officer.
Mandreger said he is “able to bring in a vision, and innovative ideas.” He also said he has been preparing all his life for this, and said he has about 105 certificates in the fields of law enforcement, firefighting, urban search and rescue, high-angle rescue, and structural collapse rescue.
“I feel that (being sheriff) is a calling ... that this is going to fulfill a calling to serve my lord and savior, Jesus Christ, with truth justice, and judgment,” Mandreger said.
Mandreger has a written list of 10 goals for the department, from having special operations — drug interdiction, active shooter, K-9, dive team, to training a top-notch arson investigation team. His first goal is to establish the sheriff’s office as “the best equipped and trained department in northeast Texas.”
Asked about the idea of a drug task force solely for the county, Mandreger said, “I think I would be against that ... because drugs have no borders.” He said the sheriff’s office must be able to work with other jurisdictions since drugs pass through the county to other counties.
He also said he would build a team and give the staff some goals to stay with the office as a family, rather than moving on to other higher-paying departments, as they now do.
Fatherree, a 70-year-old cattle rancher from Pritchett community, is the only candidate without experience in law enforcement — which he says makes him the most qualified candidate.
Fatherree, who does custom ranch and ranch consultant work, said he circulates around the county in his work and “The people that I talk to ... They’re not impressed with the people that’s got a lifetime of law enforcement behind them.”
He said he admires career peace officers, but “They work with the criminal element all the time, and they are not used to working with the citizens of the county.” He said citizens “tell me they’re ready for a change (in the sheriff’s office), and they would like to have one of the local boys there.”
Fatherree declared he has “what I think is some tremendous ideas to make it all better,” including changing jail visitation to make it more convenient for visitors. He also said he would like to work on establishing a women’s crisis center in Upshur County, “and I would like to have something for the young people to do here.”
His five written goals also include establishing a society for the prevention of cruelty to animals in the county, and having more Crimewatch meetings to inform citizens what to be aware of.
Fatherree cites his civic work as a qualification for office, saying he helped establish the Pritchett Volunteer Fire Department and the Pritchett Water Supply Corporation.
As for his views on a drug task force solely for the county, Fatherree said, “I’m kinda undecided on that.”
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