European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 18, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse                                New York times Ken Katsaris sheriff of Leon county fla., does t fit image of ill educated Good Ole boy. The Southern sheriff in still nut Ita Hele Tenty by Wayne King new York limes Here s a Story they Tell in the South about a new yorker vacationing in Alabama who pulls off a country Road Tor a bite to eat. He enters a country roadhouse. Orders eats his Catfish and hush Pup , while he is relaxing a big Man with � toothpick n his Teeth bellies up to the table smiles says Howdy ind introduces himself As the did. Of delightful says the visitor. The us fish was Ery Good. You prepare food very Well not As Greasy Asne comes to expect Down Here a  the smile fades As the big Man hitches his Belt sex nets the toothpick and explains again real slow that he i the chef the chef. Well us i liked the collard greens  says the vis Tor and the iced Tea and. No dammit boy the big Man explodes pounding the table. I m Tot chef the chef i run Ihli whole dad blamed county i m the Catt the chef of this county whether it is  the Way they say it in parts of Al Bania and Georgia or surf the Way they do in coast j Carolina the Southern sheriff is indeed Likely to be thenan who runs the whole county. He is also a Man swaddled in legend a hero to some a wheezing villain out of the heat of the night and a Hundred television late shows to others. The Southern sheriff of legend is White , a Home town boy and typically Southern n Short a Good Ole boy or a redneck depending Ontie s Point of View. To separate the Shadow from the substance two re archers at the Florida technological University of or Ando an conducting a study of the Southern sheriff. Some of their preliminary findings the Southern sheriff of reality is White Middle aged ill educated a Home town boy Aad typically Southern in Short. Neither or. Charles m. Unkovic chairman of the sociology department nor his fellow researcher. Or. Roge Handberg jr., put it precisely that Way. But Handberg does note in a professorial Way that the sheriff is  the study based on questionnaires filled out by 198sheriffs in Florida Georgia Alabama Mississippi and South Carolina found that they Are typically Middle aged average age 47white male with a 12th-Grade Educa Tion although 20 percent have less than a High school Edu cation and 20 percent have College degrees. Almost half 40 percent received military training anymore than 80 percent had some kind of police training. The older ones tended to take office without previous experience the younger ones with other police experience or military service. Sheriffs tend to be local boys made Good said Handberg noting that nearly half i percent were born and reared in the county in which they Are now sheriffs. One third were bom in the same state and Only 4 per cent were born outside the South. While the Survey tends to reinforce the stereotype of the Southern sheriff. Handberg and Unkovic found that like much else in the changing South the stereotype i fading. Crime is increasing in Rural areas racial attitudes Are changing and voters Are favouring younger More professionally trained candidates. Handberg notes for example that in 1974. There were is sheriffs in Florida with 20 years or More in their Job. Now there Are three. The Southern sheriff reputation took a Pound ing during the 1960s Ai they attempted to Stem the tide of social and political change the study says. The sheriffs role was usually that of resister of change and defender of the old segregationist status quo it  adds that the sheriffs visible Public record is often spotty with episodes of lawlessness flashing into  in the i960 s there were manifold instances of that per Friday August 18, 1978 haps the most impressive the indictment of a sheriff and his Deputy in Neshoba county miss., in connection with the murder of three civil rights workers in 1964. The Sher Iff was acquitted the Deputy convicted of conspiracy. As late As 1972. The flamboyant sheriff of Lake county.fin., Willis Mccall. Was implicated in the beating death of a mentally deficient Black prisoner who had Bee picked up for a traffic offence. Witnesses testified that the prisoner was beaten and kicked As the sheriff  Ain t  Mccall was exonerated As he had been two decade before when to shot another Black to death and wounded a second contending that they attacked him while he was taking them from prison. The sheriff was turned out of office in 1972, after 28 years behind the badge. He still rides a Golden Palomino in the local Washington Day Parade. The current Lake county sheriff is Willis Mccall s , who runs an integrated Force keeps a Low pro file and says he is dedicated to responsible Law  there is change else wherein Wake county. . 65-year-old sheriff Robert Pleasants announced recently following a series of jail scandals that after 31 years in office he would not run again. He might be replaced by a Black. John Baker former linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steeles who won the democratic primary in a county that is 83 percent White. Baker Defeated chief Deputy Lester Kelly who was serving under Pleasants last year when it was disclosed that a convicted heroin dealer held in the jail was bribing deputies to provide him with Beer pizza and women companions. Pleasants was a popular courthouse figure who regularly provided food drink and deputies to serve at demo cratic party  was deeply stung when half his deputies publicly endorsed  a memo to the deputies after announcing his retire ment the sheriff said he was aware that he had been designated a senile old  he suggested that the deputies shape up or ship  his philosophy had always been if a Man was so dissatisfied with his Job that he  be Loyal he quit but if one chose to remain then by the Grace of god. If he could not be Loyal at least keep his Mouth  such has been the tradition and the attitude of the Southern sheriff. He can fire whoever he likes said Unkovic. There is no civil service the sheriff is King along As he can be  with re election a major consideration the temptation to a racial demagogy was once overwhelming. Now How Ever with the change in the electorate has come change in sheriffs attitudes. The old style sheriff is fighting a rear guard action said Handberg. The Federal Law enforcement assistance administration advocates training and professionalism and that is the trend generally. But the biggest change is the Black voter. The sheriffs the most important office to him and with the Black in fluence at the polls you get a new  one of the newest of this new Breed is 34-year-Oldken Katsaris for the last 18 months the sheriff of Leon county Fla in the Panhandle. Katsaris. A Jaycees Man of the year holds an under like much else in the changing South the stereotype is  graduate degree in police administration a master degree in criminology and is a candidate for a doctorate in Public administration. He has taught at the Colleg level and written a textbook on criminal evidence and  he took office Katsaris a native of Steubenville. Ohio has doubled the rate of crime solution in Leo county improved the recovery of stolen property by More than 300 percent and brought jail conditions fro among the worst in the state to among the Best. The number of deputies enrolled in professional training has increased sixfold and patrols have been revamped. The changes meant some temporary ill will but Katsa Ris now regards morale As Good. One fifth of the uni formed officers Are Black including two of five lieutenants. A nurse is on full time duty at he jail and a physician is on Call we have pretty Happy jail situation Katsaris said a i believe the changes men  but the fact  he continued i hate to brag about the changes because they re simply something you re supposed to do. That s the Way Law enforcement is sup posed to be accomplished the stars and stripes Page 13