BRENTWOOD, N.H. — The Democratic candidate for Rockingham County sheriff claims the Sheriff's Department is fraught with mismanagement and morale problems.
But David Lovejoy, 44, of Hampton has had his own legal troubles, ones he said shouldn't be a campaign issue in his bid to unseat County Sheriff Dan Linehan.
Lovejoy filed for bankruptcy twice in 2004 and 2005, according to records filed with U.S. Bankruptcy Court. A review of court records shows he and his businesses were sued a dozen times between 1992 and 2004. Most of those lawsuits involved financial disputes.
Lovejoy sued nine people or businesses during approximately the same period. Those lawsuits also involved financial disputes.
Lovejoy chalks up this history of litigation to being in business for the last 25 years. He said his 2005 bankruptcy, in which he claimed $276,000 in unpaid debt, was the result of him being out of work for two years after being struck by a drunken driver. His bankruptcy the year before was filed under his limousine company, Coastal Transportation, which claimed it could not pay $251,525 in debt.
"I have a friend who owns an apartment building and he is in court five to six times a week," Lovejoy said. "Does that make him a bad person or disqualify him from running for office? Absolutely not. Have I had some personal issues? Absolutely. And am I a bad person? Absolutely not."
Linehan, a Republican from Danville, said Lovejoy's explanations are questionable.
"What concerns me is that he has demonstrated an inability to handle his own money," Linehan said. "That should frighten any taxpayer. My budget is $4.5 million. ... He's saying this is merely an administrative post. But in this job, you're like the chief of police, but with broader authority."
Linehan said his 2008 operating budget was 14 percent lower than the year before and 2009's will be 3 percent lower. He said that speaks to his accountability and ability to improve the use of technology while still reducing the budget. His office has 25 full-time deputies and a total of 100 employees. His agency, which handled 10,000 inmate transports last year, also is responsible for County and District Court security.
Lovejoy touts his experience as founder and president of Execuguard International LLC, the parent company of Superior Security and Superior Investigations.
"For the past 15-plus years, I have had the privilege of working with, leading, managing and directing some of the best trained and educated senior-level retired law enforcement officers and military personal (sic) in my security consulting firm," Lovejoy says on his campaign Web site.
Private investigators and companies that provide security services must be registered with the state police. Lovejoy's company is not registered.
He said such registration isn't necessary because his firm strictly does consulting and no longer employs security guards. He said his company once employed 58 full-time guards who monitored buildings, parking lots and airplane hangars. But he refused to name any past or present clients, insisting that information was confidential. Lovejoy insists the company has been active in the last 15 years.
Linehan said the business doesn't exist.
"He's perpetrating a fraud. I don't know a single retired cop or firefighter who has ever done any work for him and I've been in this business for 30-plus years," Linehan said.
Lovejoy, too, claims a long association with law enforcement. His father worked as a Hampton police officer and a New Hampshire state trooper. Lovejoy himself was never a police officer.
Linehan, a 23-year veteran of the state police, became the county sheriff in 1997. He was appointed after Wayne Vetter left the post to head the state Fish & Game Department.
On his Web site, Lovejoy says he was a finalist for the job. There were 20 applicants for the position and 10 were interviewed, including Lovejoy, according to published reports.
Lovejoy says he is building a network of support to unseat Linehan, including former deputies, dispatchers and even people once arrested by Linehan.
"A lot of people have brought legitimate concerns. ... I was going to rise above this," Lovejoy said. "I don't like the slandering and typical politics."
Linehan said the only requirements for running for county sheriff are that candidates are under age 70 and have no felony convictions.
"But I think the voters deserve more than that," he said.
