Strada challenges sitting sheriff

Newton — The reign of Sussex County Sheriff Bob Unteg is being challenged by Mike Strada. Strade, a Mount Olive Township police officer, is mounting the challenge early in the campaign season, if not before it actually begins. Waiting for only five days after the 2006 election, Andover Township resident Strada announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for sheriff. Speaking from the gazebo in Newton’s center square Sunday morning, Strada was surrounded by friends and family. His sister had driven down from Cape Cod that morning to support him. His mother, also from Massachusetts, was watching Strada’s two sons as his wife, Kim, stood by his side for the announcement. Speaking from a prepared text, Strada nonetheless diverted from his typed copy several times. After the announcement, he told the press he had been hearing from a number of people around the county that the sheriff’s department needed new leadership. A county resident for six years, he said he has seen the need for “new vision.” Citing several areas in which he feels he can improve the sheriff’s department, Strada spoke about coming up with fresh ideas to serve the growing county while keeping costs down. In many counties, the sheriff’s department handles prisoner transport. Strada believes that can and should be done in Sussex County. He said there is not a shortage of officers for transport, but the existing staff is not being utilized efficiently. As supervisor of the county jail, he said he would develop an inmate work program. He suggested using low-risk offenders for road clean-up after storms or filling sand bags in the event of a flood. Taking a cue from Morris County, he also suggested developing a parcel of county open space as a farm so inmates can grow their own fruits and vegetables with the surplus donated to county food banks, churches or directly to needy residents. The 38-year-old has been a police officer for 11 years and is now a detective. Prior to his service for Mount Olive, he worked for the Morris County Sheriff’s Department for two and one half years. A Desert Storm veteran, he served in the 82nd Airborne Division as a sergeant in a parachute infantry division, leading eight men in battle. He said he accepts that the campaign will be a challenge as well as time consuming, but he said he is prepared to take a leave of absence from his job if necessary. Kim Strada, a homemaker and sales representative for a log home company, said she was prepared to handle the logistics of a campaign and two small boys. Shane is 2 ½ and Dylan is seven months.