Nov 10, 2013 3 min read

With the general election now a rapidly fading memory, we draw your attention to the fact that one new face will soon be among the group of elected officials in Greene County.

And that new face will be Bryan Tennant, a former Waynesburg Borough police officer who ran unopposed Tuesday.

The sheriff’s job became available when Richard Ketchem, who had served as Greene’s sheriff since 1990, announced he would not seek re-election. He said his decision was based on health reasons, and now that his successor has been decided, we wish Ketchem well.

Historically, the sheriff’s department, particularly in Greene County, has operated under the radar, unless some controversy rears up that puts it in the spotlight. We don’t expect that to occur under Tennant’s watch.

Basically, the department’s responsibilities involve transporting prisoners, serving court documents and providing security at the courthouse when it is required. Tennant, however, believes it is capable of doing much more. He said, “Our county is in dire need of more law enforcement and I think our sheriff’s department should be more of a law enforcement presence throughout the county.”

We have heard this argument many times before, not just from Greene County sheriffs and previous challengers for the office, but from sheriffs in neighboring counties. While we may agree with Tennant that his office could do more to bolster protection for county citizens, he must be aware, and we are sure he is, that he doesn’t control the purse strings; that onerous job rests with the county commissioners.

For any significant changes to take place in the sheriff’s department, it is paramount Tennant and the commissioners establish a sound working relationship from the outset, keep the lines of communication open, and that Tennant present options to the board that are reasonable and can be implemented.

Tennant said he would like to see the department conduct patrols, increase warrant service and address illegal drug use, one of the biggest problems the county faces. While a member of the borough police department, Tennant worked as the department’s K9 officer, and he plans to bring his dog, Dagen, with him to the department. The dog is certified in narcotics detection and tracking and can be used for drug searches in homes, vehicles and schools, for article searches and for tracking missing persons or suspects. This is something the commissioners need to recognize and we urge them not to readily dismiss any suggestion Tennant may have to upgrade drug enforcement in the county.

As a candidate in the spring, Tennant stressed that improving courthouse security was important. “The only time there is security in the courthouse now is during high profile cases,” he said. “But I think something is just as likely, if not more likely, to happen in family court on a Wednesday when they’re trying to take away somebody’s children.” Since then, security evaluations at the courthouse and other county buildings have started under the direction of retired Waynesburg Police Chief Tim Hawfield, Tennant’s former boss.

Tennant is well-known throughout most communities in the county and, with his police background, we think he is the perfect fit for the job. Voters made a wise choice last spring, and we are looking forward to a new era in the sheriff’s department.