Politics & Government

Sheriff Hopeful Greg Stone Talks Election, Art and 200 Years of Family History

Macomb Patch recently spoke with Macomb County Sheriff candidate Greg Stone to learn more about the Macomb Township resident who hopes to be elected as the county's 47th sheriff this year.

A 35-year veteran of the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office, Greg Stone is one of six candidates who have entered the 2012 race for sheriff against .

The 58-year-old Macomb Township resident retired as a lieutenant from the sheriff’s office in June 2011, but said he made the decision to run for sheriff a second time (having previously run in 2000) to make a series of improvements to the organization.

“I want to take sheriff’s office and change it, make it into police agency and not a political agency,” Stone said. “I want a police department. I want cops out there doing police work. I am not a politician. I’m a cop.”

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A lifelong Macomb County resident, Stone is the father of two and stepfather of two. He will run against Wickersham as a Democrat in the Aug. 7 primary.

Macomb Patch recently spoke with Stone to learn more about the man looking to become Macomb County’s 47th sheriff.

Find out what's happening in Macomb Townshipwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Patch: How did you come to work in law enforcement?

Stone: I always wanted to be a cop. I was married when I was 17, and I had my first child when I was 23, so I was kind of limited as far as education, but I always had that feeling I wanted to be a cop and I kind of fell into this by accident. I was working as a security guard at Mount Clemens Community Schools and I was being laid off. I went out to my car and there was a newspaper stuck under my windshield and it was a want ad for the sheriff’s office, they were hiring turnkeys. I filled out the application, fell in love with law enforcement and that’s where I’ve been ever since.

Patch: Why have you chosen to run for Macomb County Sheriff?

Stone: There are certain things I want to do to the sheriff’s office to improve it, make it better, to serve the public better. I want to take sheriff’s office and change it, make it into police agency and not a political agency. I want a police department. I want cops out there doing police work. I am not a politician. I’m a cop. I’ve been a cop for 35 years. I will always be a cop, that’s just the way I am.

Patch: What are some of the changes you intend to make if elected?

Stone: I would like to put a substation in the south part of the county. The county sheriff gets the prisoners after they’re arraigned, so if Warren arrests someone, they take them to court, have them arraigned, they then become custody of the sheriff. They then have to transport those prisoners from Warren to the county jail. That means those police officers are off the road taking prisoners to jail. I’d like to open a south end substation where those prisoners can be taken to a south end receiving station and then transported, after being received by the sheriff, up to the main jail. Also, any courts that are scheduled for the southern part of the county, I would like to have those prisoners transported to that same receiving station the night before. That way those prisoners are right there in the city where they have to be in court the next morning. They’re not going to be late every day, because they’re driving from Mount Clemens to Warren.

One of the other things I’d like to see is a type of work camp program, where an individual being sentenced for a flat year, instead of going to prison, would come to the work camp, and during that one year in the work camp would be required to complete a GED education as part of the stipulation of being released. If he violates any rules or conditions while in the work camp, he would have to go to the state prison. This way, if we catch these kids at young age, get them an education, teach them self respect, discipline, maybe we won’t get them back in jail. Maybe we can make them a productive member of society.

Patch: Of what personal, or professional accomplishments are you most proud?

Stone: My family is the shining moment. My four kids and my wife, that is what my life is about. I’ve got 55 training certificates in various subjects. When I went through SWAT training in Washtenaw County, they told us, 'You’re going to get one certificate in your career that means the most to you.' The one I got was from the Explorer Scouts of the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office. I have the letter the explorer wrote to the Boy Scouts of America putting me up for volunteer of the year. Out of all my certificates, all my degrees, that’s the one most important to me.

Patch: Who has been most influential in your life?

Stone: There were a couple. I had an art teacher in high school, Ms. Racine. She took an interest in me to make sure the course I took was a good course. I was going to go one way, I wanted to be an artist and I was going to do it one way and she actually took the time to call my mother and say, 'Please don’t let him do that. That is going to be a big mistake.' I think back now and that was a lot for her to call and talk to my mom personally. The other person, his name is Jon Howington, he was an instructor at Macomb Community College, a retired Detroit police officer and Jon was sort of a mentor of mine as I went through the criminal justice system at Macomb.

Patch: What are key ways others can make a difference locally?

Stone: It’s what they see. You can’t have a cop on every corner, but if the community gets involved, for the safety of the entire community, that makes a difference. I was raised in Romeo, and I stayed with my grandmother a lot, and I could walk from my grandmother’s house down to the corner store in Romeo and I knew that not only was grandmother there watching me as I walked down the street, but the neighbors down the street were also watching me. If we watch out for each other, we can make it a much safer place to live in Macomb County.

Patch: Do you have any hobbies?

Stone: I retired in June of last year and I have spent the last year spending time with my wife and children. I have been estate saling, I have been garage saling, just hanging out with my wife, and spending time with her. We worked opposite shifts while we were married, so for the past year we have been able to spend time with each other that we hadn’t before.

I’m also an artist. I sell my work and I display my work at (Starkweather Arts Center) in Romeo. I like painting historical pictures. I also love history. My kids will come home with their junior high history book, leave it on the counter and I will find myself reading it chapter by chapter because I love history. I use things I learn in history to paint pictures, especially Civil War history, American Revolution history, War of 1812, French and Indian War, any period of American history holds a great interest to me. I’m also into genealogy and I've traced my family tree back to 1400 in England.

Patch: What do you like most about this community?

Stone: My family came here in 1829. They came here from New York. They settled in the northern part of Macomb County and that’s why I’m here, because they came here and I’m still here. This is my home. This is where I was raised. I can drive anywhere in the northern part of this county and say, ‘My family owned that farm. So and so is buried here. That house my grandfather built.’ This is my home.

Macomb Patch intends to interview all candidates with ties to, or oversight of Macomb Township.


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