Despite the series of recent controversies surrounding Erie County's jails, voters have chosen to give Tim Howard a second term as sheriff.
In the early-morning hours following Election Night, with 95 percent of districts reporting, Howard held a margin of roughly 7,000 votes -- enough to guarantee his victory.
Howard had little to say to the media at Erie County Republican headquarters Tuesday night. He was quick to shoot down his opponent, Cheektowaga Police Captain John Glascott, and local media for, in his words, "exploiting" the Holding Center's problems for partisan political purposes.
"I pointed out during the campaign, the problems that we've had within the Sheriff's Office were very clearly... defined by the media two years ago. Suddenly, only during an election campaign, the cause of those problems because something other than what they were already recognized as being."
Howard reiterated that his office has identified and is addressing its fundamental issues: "...that's a lack of resources that the Sheriff's Office needed -- personnel and financial resources -- in order to get our job done. Since Chris Collins has been the county executive [and] with the legislature we have now, we've finally got the resources we need to begin to make those improvements."
Howard would not comment on the pending Justice Department lawsuit against the Erie County jails, but Collins was extremely vocal on that subject.
"That lawsuit is completely frivolous. It was politically motivated," said Collins. "Their nonsense didn't work."
"This is the civil rights division of the Department of Justice. These are not people wearing badges, these are not people arresting criminals, these are civil rights activists that are trying to push onto the taxpayers of Erie County hotel rooms for prisoners."
Collins went on to say that, under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CIRPA), the federal government has no ability to regulate standards in local jails. He says the lawsuit, which alleges mistreatment of inmates and deplorable conditions in the Holding Center and the County Correctional Facility in Alden, is based on "hearsay."
Collins, Howard and Erie County Attorney, Cheryl Green have filed a motion to dismiss the case. A federal judge is slated to hear the motion on December 16.
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