The Northeast Ohio Public Safety Foundation held a news conference Monday morning to educate and engage the public about returning the Cuyahoga County sheriff's job to an elected position.
The organization is calling its campaign "Safety and Accountability: Elect Our Sheriff."
You can watch the news conference in the player below:
The campaign seeks to "initiate a vital public conversation about amending the Cuyahoga County Charter to establish the Sheriff as an elected office. The goal is to ensure an independent and accountable Sheriff’s Office by involving the people in selecting Cuyahoga County’s Sheriff."
Organizers call the current system where the sheriff is appointed "broken."
Over the last 12 years, there have been six sheriffs or interim sheriffs who resigned from the position. There has been a total of nine sheriffs.
Critics blame the rampant turnover on voters passing a measure in 2009 that took away the elected sheriff and created layers of bureaucracy for appointed leaders. Calls are increasing for the county to return to an elected sheriff.
Cuyahoga County is the only one of the state's 88 counties to have an appointed position.
CLICK HERE to read more about the call to restore the sheriff's position to an elected post.
The Ohio Capital Journal contributed to this report.
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