More La Salle County patrol cars out on the street, better technology for officers and perhaps charging some jail prisoners for their stay are part of the campaign platform for Rodney Hampton, the Somonauk police officer who is the Democratic candidate for La Salle County sheriff.

Hampton, who is unopposed in the February primary election, faces unopposed Republican incumbent Sheriff Tom Templeton in the November 2010 election.

"A lot of times La Salle County is only putting four cars on the street: I think we can expect better service than that out of the sheriff's office than we're getting," said Hampton.

"The officers don't have computers in their cars and I think we need to update the technology there."

Hampton said he has not yet analyzed the county budget to suggest a timetable for when improvements could happen.

"That's something that I've got to get into. I need to look at the budget to see what can be trimmed, what's essential and what's not essential as well as looking at alternate funding sources."

Hampton said one potential source of funds might be charging county jail prisoners for their stays.

"If they can spend all the money they do with defense attorneys, they can spend some money for their incarceration. Why should that fall on the general taxpayers?"

County board member Bob Jakupcak, D-Streator, the chairman of the Sheriff Committee, said Hampton's goals are not currently financially feasible.

"I mean, it would be great. I would like to see eight more squad cars on each shift. But it's just not going to happen right now.

"In Sheriff Templeton's defense, he has tried to get more patrols, but he knows the budget, he knows it's tight and he's doing the best he can."

Like many other La Salle County Democrats, Jakupcak said he knows little about Hampton.

"I really don't know this fellow. He could be a very good guy, but I don't know. I have never talked to him."

Hampton, 53, of rural Sheridan, is a full-time patrolman with the Somonauk Police Department. He started there as a part-time officer in 2004 and went full-time in 2006.

Hampton moved to La Salle County from Lombard in 2003.

He is retired as a sergeant with the College of DuPage Police Department and also served part-time for 17 years with the Lombard Park District Police. When the park district police were disbanded in 1996 he held the rank of lieutenant.

Although he came from a family that traditionally has been Republican and has voted Republican in La Salle County primary elections, he now considers himself a Democrat.

He said the change came during the last presidential election.

"I looked at the Democratic beliefs and I thought that basically that was the way I felt, too. It seems like a better fit."

Hampton can be contacted by e-mail at hampton4sheriff@aol.com.