An Interview with Hamilton County Sheriff Simon Leis, Jr.
No Regrets and No Intention of Retiring
Publisher's note: This interview was done for QCF Magazine in 2004. - Interview by Steve Fritsch, publisher
When I was escorted into the big office of Simon Leis I could not help but feel a little intimidated. To start off with, I'm at the Hamilton County Justice Center, not always a comfortable place to be. Secondly, Sheriff Leis has an intense and intimidating reputation. Sitting behind his gigantic, neatly arranged desk wearing his perfectly tailored shirt and tie, it felt like I was meeting a general more then a sheriff. This feeling I had would be reaffirmed later during the interview when he told me that he has "always been a Patton-type of guy." For 32 years, the Hamilton County Sheriff has instilled his tough and disciplined brand of leadership on a community that has seen its fair share of national controversies. Leis' name has been associated with the Jerry Springer/prostitute incident, Larry Flynt's porn adventures, and the infamous Maplethorpe exhibit (the latter two turned into Hollywood movies in which Leis' character was portrayed). He has enraged those who disagree with his methods and has even angered those who normally are on his side. "You're either for me or against me," he says confidently, knowing that he does what he feels is best for the county. He states that he is "obligated" as sheriff to "enforcing the laws" that are in the books and that "people can call me everything they want to call me but I'll keep doing it." It is this stubbornness and strong belief in his core values that make Simon Leis not only a admired and respected sheriff, but also a man who can look back on his career and have no regrets. "I wouldn't change a thing," he told me. Lately, the rumor around town was that the 70-year-old sheriff was going to retire at the end of his term in 2004, ending an era of county law enforcement that he has personally molded and making his opponents cheer with relief. However, they are in for a big disappointment. Sheriff Leis says that he is in good health, enjoys the job, finds it challenging, and that he's going to run again. "You're going to have me around for a while," he said emphatically, while knowing that though he has his critics, he certainly has a large group of supporters who are with him and loyal to him. And this should come as no surprise. Like George S. Patton, the both legendary and controversial World War II general whom the sheriff calls his "idol," Leis, a former Marine, is a man that thrives on providing leadership. One can even say that he has a gift for it. Successful leadership in any field of life, whether it's the President of the United States or the president of a business, always starts at the very top. Every single detail of a leader eventually trickles down to those whom he is leading. If a leader is unorganized, undisciplined, unprofessional, and sloppy in appearance, then there is a great likelihood that those who follow him will be as well. Sheriff Leis has made the opposite impact on the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office. County law enforcement personnel are kept to strict and very high standards on conduct and physical fitness. They also are always made to maintain a very high standard in personal appearance (in 1991, the department received national recognition as "Best Dressed County Sheriff's Office"). "Image is a very important factor in law enforcement," he says. "You know you can have a officer respond to a situation and if he's a sloppy looking officer and fat and out of shape, he doesn't get much respect. But if you've got an officer respond to a situation and he's well groomed, sharp, handles himself well, then by his very appearance a lot of times that can settle the situation." In addition to the high standards he sets for his officers, Sheriff Leis also does his best to give his department the right tools to do their jobs successfully. Whether it was the purchase of two helicopters (1989 and 1994), three boats and two wave runners for the Marine Patrol (established in 1988), or the latest technology available for all aspects of law enforcement, these have enabled the county to be properly prepared to face any situation that occurs. Even more impressively, these purchases by the county have come at minimum expense to taxpayers, as the funds largely come from the use of ODNR grants and drug forfeiture monies. However, despite the many positive things that Sheriff Leis has done for Hamilton County, there are still those who vehemently oppose his methods and look forward to the day that he decides to retire. Much of the criticism that Leis receives comes directly from the media. Jim Borgman, the Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist of the Cincinnati Enquirer, has a history of picking on Leis, whom he calls the "philistine sheriff." Borgman has said that due to the sheriff's "hilariously short fuse" it is "rewarding" to poke fun at him through his work. The Cincinnati Post and City Beat are also local publications that have been critical of Sheriff Leis. Some area writers have even gone as far as saying that Leis is a "fascist." Nationally, where Cincinnati is generally classified as a conservative, family-oriented city, Leis' name, and character, have often been used to represent the "right-wing moralists" that supposedly run the town. For Dirty Pictures Craig T. Nelson played the sheriff in a movie about the Maplethorpe exhibit. In The People vs. Larry Flynt starring Woody Harrelson, former Bill Clinton political advisor James Carville played the role of Leis, who was Hamilton County Prosecuter at the infamous trial. When I asked the sheriff about Larry Flynt he said he couldn't understand "how people could support a guy like that," remarking that since most of the media is "occupied by liberals" who share (Flynt's) philosophies, they "certainly will criticize my position and support Flynt." To this day Larry Flynt, along with his brother Jimmy, continue to try and push the envelope in Hamilton County and get under the skin of Sheriff Leis. This past June, the Flynt brothers, accompanied by porn queen Jenna Jameson, were in town for a nationwide Hustler promotional tour and recieved almost a hero's welcome at Club Clau. So despite the sheriff's perplexity on the support the Hustler publisher receives, it is undeniable that the majority of liberals and young people take Flynt's side. This is a direct response from what the media have unfairly sold as Leis: suppressor of free speech and Flynt: a champion for the First Amendment.
But whatever your opinion is of Simon Leis, and most people in Hamilton County have one, it can correctly be said that he does not care what you think either way. He says that he has been "quite clear" on his positions of public office and that he has "not varied" from those positions. His job as sheriff is to enforce the laws that currently exist. "I've stated my positions and stick by my positions; people with the opposite view point obviously are not going to care for what I do." His message to those who don't like it: "If they don't like (a specific law) enforced, what they ought to do is get the Legislature to change the law." Until that happens he will simply keep doing his job. "I won't change," he says. Translation: Don't hate the player - hate the game. (Special thanks to Dave Rechtin) Interview Excerpts: Sheriff Leis... on concealed weapons "I'm neutral on the issue. I'm not a supporter of the legislation, nor am I against the legislation... Handguns are a big pain in the rear-end to carry. Why do people want to carry hand guns?... Legally, they can carry it right now. All they got to do is walk down the street with the weapons exposed and there is no violation of the law... If (the legislation) passes, fine. If it doesn't, fine. I think the pluses and minuses on both sides equal out." ... on the letter he sent to the Secret Service for their leaving the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office out of security for President Bush's visit
"They acknowledged the letter, but nothing of any consequence came out. We have been doing that for a long time (providing security). Senator Glenn was charged, Bush in his first visit here when he ran for office was charged and paid. Clinton was charged, but he refused to pay. I filed a lawsuit with my people, the sheriff's department filed a lawsuit... After a long period of time he (Clinton) dismissed the lawsuit on his own saying he represented me and said I couldn't file a lawsuit on my own... And then it died out." ... on the problems the city and the county have in working together to improve Cincinnati and Hamilton County
"I think we have major problems confronting both city and county. There's a conflict between city philosophy and county philosophy. I'm a firm believer that the way we solve all the problems that exist in our county is with metro government. We eliminate city council, we have one government for the entire county. That also eliminates some villages and municipalities and townships. This has been very successful in places that have gone to it. I'm a firm believer in it. Tax payer-wise, it's a big savings to the taxpayers to have one law enforcement agency and one fire agency. Do you recognize the savings we would have just in those two areas?"
"Plus, you have much better government. You won't have all this constant fighting all the time. We have a problem now in the county because we have two former city councilmen on there and we have a lot of in-fighting right now over here. They seem to have nothing but in-fighting over there on city council." ... on the county's crime problem and if policemen are afraid to act because of the negative press from media and no support from City Council
"No question about it. Officers are very concerned about taking the initiative because if they take the initiative and something happens they don't get the support of the government. When we have a situation in the county we look at it real closely. I don't sit back and wait for them to make a decision. If the officer acted within the rules of law they are exonerated.That wouldn't have happened if they (the Cincinnati Policemen who were involved in the "incidents") were my officers.
"(There should be more police on foot downtown, working with community leaders). When you have a crime problem in a specific area you flood the area with police."