Latest news with #ChrisRothermel
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Primary election 2025 results: Berks County sheriff
Berks County's acting sheriff is one step closer to making the post permanent. Mandy Miller won the Republican nomination in Tuesday's primary, besting retired Reading police officer Chris Rothermel. The two were vying to serve out the remaining two years of a term left vacant when Eric Weaknecht was elected in November to serve as the representative for the 5th Legislative District. Mandy Miller Miller received 12,048 votes while Rothermel received 9,700 votes. Vote totals are incomplete and unofficial. There were no candidates running on the Democratic side of the ballot. However, there were 1,126 write-in votes cast by Democrats in Tuesday's primary. It is unclear if any individual received enough votes to move onto the Nov. 4 general election. Miller has worked in the sheriff's office since 1999, serving as the chief deputy for the last five years. The office is responsible for elements of criminal court, civil court, enforcement of state crimes and motor vehicle codes and has a firearms licensing and enforcement function. It is staffed with 110 employees organized into six divisions: civil, court, patrol, central booking, K-9 and warrants. The county sheriff currently receives an annual salary of $101,694.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Primary election 2025: 2 candidates compete for Berks sheriff
Two candidates are seeking the Republican nomination to be Berks County sheriff. Acting Berks County Sheriff Mandy Miller and retired Reading police officer Chris Rothermel are running in the May 20 primary to fill a vacancy left when Eric Weaknecht won election in November to serve as the representative for the 5th Legislative District. They are running to serve the remaining two years of Weaknecht's term. The office is responsible for elements of criminal court, civil court, enforcement of state crimes and motor vehicle codes and has a firearms licensing and enforcement function. It is staffed with 110 employees organized into six divisions — civil, court, patrol, central booking, K-9 and warrants. The county sheriff currently receives an annual salary of $101,694. We asked the candidates to respond to two questions. Question 1: Why do you believe you are the right person for this position? Question 2: What is the biggest challenge facing the office today and what would you do to address that challenge if elected? Chris Rothermel Chris Rothermel Background: Rothermel retired from the Reading Police Department after 27 years of service, where he supervised criminal investigations and patrol activities. He's a graduate of the Penn State Justice and Safety Institute. He also served as a volunteer counselor and board member for the Pennsylvania State Police Camp Cadet Academy. Age: 52. Website: Response 1: I'm the right person for the job because I'm the most experienced candidate with leadership experience in law enforcement. My time on the job and experience earning my rank through testing and interviews in a competitive environment, rather than having had rank just handed to me, means I've had to learn from my mistakes, and grow from them. I've disciplined others and been disciplined so I understand exactly what it is for an employee to go through those hard times and how to move forward afterward. I believe in constant training, especially at the higher ranks. Without change and growth we become complacent. Response 2: I think morale is low in the department. That's a tough issue in any department. I believe the sheriff needs to back its deputies by backing them up during contract years to ensure fair pay. Promotions under my department would be by board interview, rather than a handshake policy to friends. This would allow deputies who have never been considered to apply and interview for the job. I would use the civil service rules to fairly promote the best candidates for the job. No more political handshakes to hire employees with no experience and give them rank over qualified deputies already on the job with years of experience. Also, even though the sheriff has the ability to hire and fire at will, no one would lose their jobs from deputy to the rank of captain upon my takeover. Politics in the office, any law enforcement office, needs to cease. It creates a hostile environment for employees. I would move forward with the existing people who do the job and modify any policy requiring change as we go. Mandy Miller Mandy Miller Background: Miller is serving as the acting sheriff, having been appointed to fill a vacancy left when Eric Weaknecht won election in November to serve as the representative for the 5th Legislative District. She has more than 25 years of experience working in the office. Age: 47. Website: Response 1: I'm proud to have spent over 25 years protecting and serving the people of Berks County, working my way through every rank — deputy, sergeant, captain, chief deputy and now having the honor of serving as your sheriff. I'm a graduate of Wilson High School, the Reading Police Academy and the Pennsylvania Sheriff Academy at Penn State University. I also recently earned my degree in business management to strengthen the leadership skills needed to run a modern, efficient sheriff's office. Every day, I lead with integrity, transparency and a deep commitment to doing what's right for our community. I know the sheriff's office inside and out because I've worked in every division and faced the real challenges that come with serving the public. Since taking office, I've focused on delivering real improvements — streamlining operations, expanding hours for our license to carry firearms section, building stronger community partnerships and ensuring that every resident receives the highest level of service and protection. I have also seen the incredible results we achieve when law enforcement and the community work together. I'm not just talking about leadership — I'm delivering it. And I'm ready to continue building a safer, stronger Berks County, side by side with the people who call it home. Response 2: One of the biggest challenges facing the sheriff's office today is the growing lack of respect for law enforcement, which makes it harder to recruit and retain qualified deputies. As sheriff, I've already taken action to combat this. I recently won a battle to increase our deputies' pay, ensuring that they are compensated fairly for the difficult and dangerous work they do. This was a critical step in showing our team that we value and respect them. But it doesn't stop there. I'm also strengthening our community relationships and increasing transparency so the public sees the professionalism and dedication of our deputies. When we rebuild that trust, we rebuild respect — and that will help us recruit the next generation of law enforcement leaders. Inside the office, I'm continuing to focus on creating a culture where deputies are supported, valued and given opportunities to grow in their careers. We've also ramped up our recruitment efforts to bring in new deputies from our community — people who are passionate about serving others and making a real difference. Respect is earned, and I'm committed to earning it — both for our deputies and for the community we serve.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Retired Reading police officer running for Berks sheriff
After a long career in law enforcement, Chris Rothermel has announced his intention to be the next sheriff of Berks County. Having retired from the Reading Police Department in December after 27 years of service, Rothermel said he thinks his extensive background in law enforcement will make him an ideal candidate to lead the office. That's why he's seeking the Republican nomination in the upcoming primary to fill a vacancy left when Eric Weaknecht won election in November to serve as the representative for the 5th Legislative District. The winner of the race will serve out the remaining two years of Weaknecht's term. Weaknecht had been sheriff since 2008, winning reelection just last year. Rothermel will face Mandy Miller, who is serving as the acting sheriff, in the May 20 election. Chris Rothermel 'I think the office is a great fit for me,' Rothermel said. 'I can parlay my experience as a police officer to the position and run the department as a law enforcement agency.' The office is responsible for elements of criminal court, civil court, enforcement of state crimes and motor vehicle codes and has a firearms licensing and enforcement function. It is staffed with 110 employees organized into six divisions — civil, court, patrol, central booking, K-9 and warrants. Rothermel said that thanks to his previous roles overseeing the criminal investigations, special services and patrol divisions of the Reading Police Department he has the skills needed to serve as sheriff. The Robeson Township resident said he knows how to implement policies to improve efficiency, he understands the importance of collaborating with other law enforcement agencies and he believes strongly in fostering a positive work environment. He said those skills are needed to be an effective sheriff. 'I would say that it's an advantage for me having been in law enforcement because there's a lot of complexity to the job,' he said. And while he may not have the 25 years of experience working in the Berks County Sheriff's Office that his opponent does, Rothermel said that bringing a fresh perspective to the post may be a good thing. 'I think that as far as experience goes I have a little bit more to bring to the job as far as diversity and I think that will be good for my campaign,' he said. 'Coming into any new job like this you're going to sit down with your command staff, get to know everyone who's there and have open and honest conversations with the people who have been there the longest think is broken and how they believe we can fix it.' Rothermel said that, if elected, he will ensure deputies are highly motivated, expertly trained and fully supported by county government. He added that part of achieving that mission will be advocating for a better contract for the union representing deputies, noting that they are often the most underpaid members of law enforcement and therefore are prone to high turnover. The county sheriff currently receives an annual salary of $101,694. Meet the candidate Candidate: Chris Rothermel, 52, Robeson Township. Position sought: Berks County sheriff. Website: Background: Rothermel retired from the Reading Police Department after 27 years of service, where he supervised criminal investigations and patrol activities. He's a graduate of the Penn State Justice and Safety Institute. He also served as a volunteer counselor and board member for the Pennsylvania State Police Camp Cadet Academy.
