Ruben D. Marté is Monroe County's new sheriff. He is also the county's first Afro-Latino sheriff.
Marté, a Democrat, took the seat with 19,757 votes against Republican challenger Nathan Williamson, who garnered 13,364 votes.
Marté has said, as sheriff, he wants to address the need for a new jail, and tackle jail recidivism through social service programs. He hopes the county’s plans for a new jail will be “forward thinking.”
“Not that you put more people in there, but you have more programs that help people who need to be assisted when they find themselves in hard times," he said. "And, you know, if we have programs to help someone not to come back, that’s what we want to do.”
Marté was raised in New York City’s South Bronx, served as a correctional officer at Rikers Island for two years, and eventually entered the New York Police Department academy. He has worked for the Indiana State Police for the past 31 years.
The Monroe County sheriff’s annual salary is about $159,000. The sheriff’s duties include managing a crew of deputies and overseeing the county jail.
This story has been updated.
