By DEBRA HAIGHT
BCR Correspondent
ST. JOSEPH – Berrien County Interim Sheriff Chuck Heit is drawing criticism after a recent appearance with former President Donald Trump at an event on border security and illegal immigration in Grand Rapids.
Shoreham residents Mike and Val Schnable came to last week’s Berrien County Board of Commissioners meeting to question Heit’s participation in a roundtable discussion and campaign rally with Trump. Trump was in the state to talk about crime and immigration issues and Heit was in pictures and videos of the events.
“I’m aware that elected officials all have personal and political lives,” Mike Schnable said, noting that he is a former Shoreham village official. “They also take an oath of office and the 153,000 people [they] represent deserve to know that they are not using their position to promote personal or political gain.”
“I take personal exception that someone is giving the appearance of, in full uniform, of supporting a candidate,” he added. “We all can support a candidate in our personal life. But supporting a candidate while in uniform is a whole different animal. There should be a policy in the county that you can’t do that … We owe it to the public that we are above the appearance of impropriety.”
“I want to agree with what he said about the sheriff’s appearance at the campaign rally,” Val Schnable said. “Regardless of who we support as individuals, we need to make sure the people we serve have our trust.”
“When I saw the picture, I felt, ‘Gosh, do I really trust our sheriff’s department? If they come to my door, will I feel comfortable answering my door?’ ” she added. “I really feel if you’re supporting somebody, and it doesn’t matter who, you should find your own suit and tie to wear.”
Heit responded to them later in the meeting. “I wasn’t planning on speaking,” he said. “I want to say I respect their opinions, but they don’t see in the pictures and video that we had [a] 45 minute roundtable discussion before that event. What I would say, if I had same invite from the current president, I would absolutely entertain that same opportunity.”
“I can’t fix the border, but we know there is a crisis at the border. All I can do is talk to people who could be in the position to do that,” he added. “I will tell you in our county that the increases we are seeing in fentanyl and meth here and around the state is a concern for me when it comes to the public safety of residents of Berrien County.”
“The only thing I will clarify is about talk of the Hatch Act,” he said. “It was talked about by the Office of Special Counsel in 2012 and 2018. The sheriff holding an elected office is entitled to the title and the uniform. I respect people’s opinions and I do represent everyone regardless of their political views.”
The Schnables weren’t the only ones criticizing Heit after his appearance with Trump. Four people wrote letters to the editor to an area newspaper, including two area residents and two members of the Interfaith Action of Southwest Michigan organization.
One woman wrote that Trump’s message was not one of unity and that Trump was not following the rule of law. “We need the sheriff and his office to work with the community, not against it,” she wrote. “Do better.”
In other news, at last week’s meeting, commissioners learned about the ongoing efforts to upgrade the county’s information technology systems for the courts and prosecutor’s office.
As announced earlier this month, the Berrien County Trial Court is in the final phase of switching over to a new case management system. That final phase in will start next Monday. Also adopting a new software system is the Berrien County Prosecutor’s office, it was reported last week.
The Trial Court’s changeover will mean that people will see delayed responses from the Trial Court Finance Office and the criminal divisions at the St. Joseph courthouse operating with reduced dockets. In addition, records requests in the criminal and family divisions will be held until after May 1.
“The Trial Court staff ask for the public’s patience as we learn a new way of processing our highest volume of cases,” Trial Court Administrator Carrie Smietanka-Haney said in a press release.
“While we anticipate a positive experience for the public and court users as we move forward, there may be some bumps along the road as the staff, judicial officers, and our justice partners learn a new system. We appreciate the support of the community as we move forward in following our mission to serve the public ensuring fair and timely justice for all.”
County Administrator Brian Dissette said that the county is “living on borrowed time” when it comes to their mainframe computers. He said county staff have stockpiled parts and supplies to make it through the end of the year and that the mainframe is long past its useful life.
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