Marion County's Past Three Sheriffs All Still On The Payroll

An observant reader had an astute reaction to a letter to the editor former Marion County Sheriffs Joe McAtee, Jack Cottey and Frank Anderson submitted to the Indianapolis Star praising their successor, Sheriff John Layton, and defending him from so-called "partisan politics." All three are on Layton's payroll. That's right. The last three sheriffs are all drawing handsome paychecks from the Marion County Sheriff's Office since leaving office because they were limited by the Indiana Constitution from seeking another term after serving two, four-year terms. The three former sheriffs wrote to the Star to complain about the office being underfunded:

Collectively, we have more than 125 years of law enforcement experience. We have served the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Indianapolis Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service. While we are both Democrat and Republican, we feel that public safety is too important for partisan politics . . .

Proper funding for the jail system and inmate medical care remains the crux of the sheriff’s current funding challenges. In office only 18 months, Sheriff John Layton should be commended for his deep commitment to his constitutional obligations and yet administering his office in a frugal fashion.

Having been in his shoes, we appreciate Sheriff Layton’s efforts during these trying financial times. Thus, we fully support the sheriff’s efforts to work with all the stakeholders, Democrat and Republican alike, to properly protect our citizens.
 

Nowhere in their letter do the three former sheriffs note their financial stake in Sheriff Layton's budget. McAtee works as a lieutenant colonel in the sheriff's department. To our surprise, we also learned that both Cottey and Anderson are under contract as consultants to Sheriff Layton. Cottey is paid $2,916.66 a month as a "public safety consultant," while Anderson is paid $2,916.66 a month under a professional services agreement. I would like to see proof that either of these men actually perform any services of value in consideration for their nearly $3,000 a month consulting fees. Perhaps someone in the mainstream media can dig further into this.

Layton also has former Public Safety Director Robert Turner under contract to providing training services. He was paid $12,000 in January and $1,000 a month thereafter to provide training services. Turner is now an attorney in private practice who has represented plaintiffs suing the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. Layton continues to pay out tens of thousands of dollars every month to the law firm of Frost Brown & Todd to represent the sheriff's office in litigation instead of using the services of the city's corporation counsel's office. The firm has been paid more than $350,000 during the first six months of this year. The contracted services are all paid out of the sheriff's commissary fund, which derives its revenues from charges paid by jail inmates for pay telephone usage and food and drink vending services.