Sheriff Dart mum on Chicago mayoral plan

Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart won't say whether he's going to run for mayor of Chicago, but he is running for a second term as sheriff.

What happens if he is re-elected, and then a few weeks later declares his candidacy for mayor?

“When I announce my intentions, it will be done with the best interest of voters in mind. I have never played games in my entire political career and I'm not going to start now, Dart said in an e-mail.

When asked if he's not going to run for mayor, he responded: “No, I won't say that. I didn't choose the timing of (Mayor Daley's) announcement. I have talked about running for mayor in the past and I'm continuing to talk about it now.

Dart's opponents for sheriff – Chicago Police Officer Frederick Collins and Cook County Sheriff's Deputy Supervisor Marshall Lewis – are disgusted by the idea that he'd be willing to leave the job within weeks of the election.

“It is very disingenuous to ask people for your support, when that's not what you want to do, said Collins, the Republican candidate for sheriff. “If (mayor) was your dream job, then why were you continuing to be a sheriff?

Lewis, of the Green Party, agreed.

“Either you're going to be obligated to that office, or you're not going to run, Lewis said. “I'm not going to deceive the public. I'm not going to have them vote me in and then abandon them.

If Dart is re-elected sheriff, and goes on to win the mayoral race, it would be up to the Cook County Board to appoint his successor, said Courtney Greve, a spokeswoman for County Clerk David Orr's office.

Dart, a 48-year-old father of five from Chicago's South Side, served as a Cook County State's Attorney, a state representative, and a state senator before being elected sheriff in 2006.

In a Daily Herald questionnaire, he listed his top priority as addressing the problem of recidivism by exploring alternative sentencing options, and wants to look into building links between the jails and community groups. He proposes using mapping software to highlight hot spots and movement of gangs, in an effort to stop the spread of violence.

In the past year, Dart said he made cost-saving moves like encouraging judges to put more people on electronic monitoring. Now he's proposing to reduce courthouse operating hours to save money.

Dart declined an interview request, but the Cook County Sheriff website touts his accomplishments, including one that made national headlines when he refused to let sheriff's deputies evict people facing foreclosure until there were safeguards in place for them.

The website also describes his crackdown on corruption in Ford Heights, improvements in operations at the county jail, and legislation he helped pass on topics such as improved child welfare and tougher penalties for crimes involving guns.

Collins, 41, a decorated, third generation Chicago police officer from the South Side, says he wants to become sheriff to do a better job of tackling crime, in part by forging a new relationship between police and the community.

A strong supporter of conceal and carry gun laws, Collins vows to set up two training facilities where citizens could learn how to safely use a gun for self-protection. Collins also supports controversial Maricopa County, Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his outspoken, tough approach to cracking down on illegal immigrants.

“It's a matter of national security, Collins said. “As a Chicago police officer, I've arrested individuals who are illegal and have more than 50 arrests ... and every time they get sick, they go on our medical. Who pays for that? We do. Every time their kids go to school? Who pays for that? We do.

Eliminating what he sees as blatant waste – such as the $2 million a year the county spends on rental cars – is another one of Collins' priorities. He said the top-heavy budget is filled with patronage positions that need to be cut, as do money-wasting procedures like allowing sheriff's deputies to drive their squad cars home rather than turn them over to the next shift.

“I would also have every officer, whether he was a correctional officer or a sheriff's deputy, be required to keep a copy of the Constitution with them. It would be required for them to know it backward and forwards, he said.

Collins wants to use technology to improve the department's efficiency, including online case reports, and supports eliminating the DARE program and instead start a 3-hour after school program for teens.

Green Party candidate Marshall Lewis, 54, of Chicago's South Side, has worked in nearly every division of the county sheriff's office during his 29-year career, and currently works in the county jail.

He ran for sheriff in 2006 as an independent write-in candidate, but this time joined the Green Party because he believes they're “for the people.

He vows to end favoritism for jobs and contracts, and said he'd use his experience working in the department to bring safety to the streets and create a fair, balanced budget.

“I want to put the fear within the criminal's minds that they'd have to deal with me, he said. “Those with felony warrants? We will come after you and we will find you.