LODS OPPOSES SHERIFF TAKEOVER OF JAIL

Says Move is an Election Year Tactic

(VINELAND, NJ) – GOP commissioner candidate Victoria Lods today spokeout in opposition to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office taking over the county Department of Corrections, criticizing the sheriff for his tone deaf comment, and Director Barber’s lack of leadership.

“What we have here is a structural change in county government. An alteration of this magnitude demands deliberation and discussion.  Director Barber is using a seismic shift in the structure of government as a patch job, and a bad one at that,” said Victoria Lods, a local educator in the Bridgeton School District.

“Placing the sheriff’s office above the already redundant administrative structure is unnecessary and costly,” Lods continued. “Cumberland County taxpayers expect a more global solution on the jail, not short-term political fixes that do nothing to address the larger issues.”

Lods has been a consistent supporter of keeping the jail open, securing the endorsement of PBA #231 in 2020 when she ran for Freeholder.

“The hard working men and women of PBA #231 deserve better than this – and quite frankly so do the taxpayers of Cumberland County,” Lods added. “We’re all tired of the excuses and knee-jerk decision making.”

According to a comment made by Sheriff Robert Austino in the April 25, 2022 edition of The Vineland Daily Journal, he said, “You know, I have ideas,” referring to him running the jail.

“People are literally dying in the jail and Sheriff Austino is holding back ideas,” said Lods. “Where’s the leadership? This is a trainwreck and it hasn’t even begun. Just awful.”

The full board of Commissioners is expected to vote this evening on a resolution to transfer all administrative and policymaking authority of the county jail to the county sheriff’s office.

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