Candidate for
Sheriff; County of Hamilton

PERSONAL DATA:

• Born June 12, 1934, Cincinnati, Ohio.

• 1948-1952 St. Xavier High School, Cincinnati, Ohio
• September, 1952 through January, 1954, Holy Cross College, Worchester, Massachusetts
• February, 1954 through June, 1956, Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio; Bachelor of Science Degree; History Major, English Major
• 1960-1965 Salmon P. Chase Law School, Cincinnati, Ohio, Juris Doctorate Degree

• Active Duty January, 1957 to March 1960, - holding rank of Private First Class, Second Lieutenant, First Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps
• Participated in the landing and operations of the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, in Beirut, Lebanon in 1958.
• Honorable Discharge, U.S. Marine Corps, 1971, rank of Captain

• March, 1961 to March 1966, Court Constable for Common Pleas Judges Charles E. Weber and Fred L. Hoffman.
• July, 1966 to October, 1968, Assistant City Prosecutor for the City of Cincinnati.
• October, 1968 to November, 1969, Assistant City Solicitor for the City of Cincinnati.
• November, 1969 to January, 1971, First Assistant United States Attorney for Southern District of Ohio.
• January, 1971, appointed Prosecuting Attorney of Hamilton County, Ohio.
• November, 1972, 1976, and 1980, elected to four year terms as Prosecuting Attorney of Hamilton County, Ohio.
• November, 1982, elected Judge, Court of Common Pleas.
• June, 1987, appointed Sheriff of Hamilton County, Ohio.
• November, 1988, elected Sheriff of Hamilton County, Ohio.
• November, 1992, 1996 and 2000 re-elected Sheriff of Hamilton County, Ohio.

Since acceptance of the Office of Sheriff in June of 1987, Sheriff Leis has brought the agency a long way. Following are just some of the major accomplishments and achievements under his administration:

• Established a rigid departmental physical fitness and weight standard for personnel, requiring continued compliance and has provided out of drug forfeiture monies several physical fitness facilities for his personnel to maintain those standards, to the benefit of the individuals and the public they serve.
• Established strict personnel appearance standards which resulted in national recognition of Sheriff's Office in 1991 as "Best Dressed County Sheriff's Office."
• Obtained federal court authorization for partial double cell-ing of inmates in the Just Center to minimize the need to early release prisoners due to overcrowding, and continues to seek building of a new detention facility as replacement for the temporary Queensgate facility, to assure overcrowding and early releases do not again occur in Hamilton County.
• Increased law enforcement coverage to the townships in Hamilton County through both County and Township contract funded units.
• Increased security to Hamilton County courts through addition of a special court security and response unit within the Sheriff's Court Service Division; and will in the near future provide even greater security through mandates of the courts and county commissioners.
• Sheriff's Office law enforcement and corrections training programs have been upgraded; recognized statewide for excellence; and are used by other agencies. A new Patrol Training Academy facility was at virtually no expense to taxpayers, through use of drug forfeiture funds.
• Establishment of Sheriff's Aviation Unit with purchase of first helicopter in 1989; obtaining of a second helicopter in 1994; all out of drug forfeiture funds. This unit provides aerial support not only for Sheriff's Office but in assistance of adjacent jurisdictions also.
• Established Sheriff's Marine Patrol in 1988 with the obtaining of Sheriff's first boat. The Marine Patrol Unit currently has 3 boats and 2 wave runners, providing much needed enforcement and patrol of the Ohio River and tributaries in Hamilton County. This was accomplished at minimal expense to taxpayers, through use of ODNR grants and drug forfeiture monies.
• Enhanced the capabilities of the Sheriff's Hazardous Devices Unit through specialized training of additional personnel and securing of an updated bomb transport trailer and a new van.
• Initiated use of motorcycles for specialized and high visibility patrol purposes, currently having 4 cycles, one of which is part of the Symmes Township contract.
• Expanded upon the regional concept of drug enforcement, through reorganization of a previous regional drug unit into the current Hamilton County - Cincinnati Regional Narcotics Unit (RENU); and in 1994 with the initiation of a 4 car / drug dog unit "Highway Interdiction Squad" assigned to RENU.
• Established the "Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) Program" within school districts served by the Sheriff's Office.
• Enhanced and expedited prisoner processing and criminal identification of offenders, through obtaining latest technology mugshot system and participation in the countywide Automated fingerprint Identification System (A.F.I.S.).
• Increased Sheriff's K-9 units from 1 to 4, two of which are drug dogs serving patrol, corrections, courts, and highway interdiction needs.
• Initiated an on-going program of internal computerization of Sheriff's Office administrative and statute recordkeeping responsibilities.
• Obtained latest technology in specialized investigative equipment including voice stress analyzer, covert tracking systems, etc..
• Established "Underwater Search & Recovery (DIVE) Team," providing for most of the necessary equipment and the boat through use of drug forfeiture monies.
• Established ceremonial color guards within both the Patrol and Corrections Divisions, and in 1993 formed the Sheriff's Bagpipe and Drum Corps, all of which are in demand for ceremonial and other functions throughout Hamilton County and adjacent areas.
• Established community service work details whereby incarcerated inmates may volunteer for service projects to the benefit of several local government and charitable entities.
• Further utilizing the regional concept of law enforcement, created the Regional Electronics Computer Intelligence Task Force; a unique blend of local and federal law enforcement with a corporate advisory committee. The task force was designed to combat high-tech crime and offer high-tech forensic services to the law enforcement community, both locally as well as federally.