Former Berks County deputy coroner launches campaign for coroner

Feb. 25—Ronald Peters was perfectly content in retirement. He spent most of his time caring for his wife, working in the garden and doing things around the house.

But when he heard that longtime Berks County Coroner Dennis Hess had retired from the post this past summer he thought perhaps it might be time to get back to work.

Peters had 18 years of experience working in the office as a deputy coroner, more than enough time to fill his head with ideas on way to improve it.

So the Hamburg Republican has launched a campaign for coroner.

The coroner investigates deaths independent of the police. The office also rules on the cause and manner of sudden, unexplained or unnatural deaths as well as natural deaths that occur outside the presence of medical officials.

"The truth is that I really miss the job," the 63-year-old said. "I look forward to going back to work so that I can serve the people of Berks County again."

He will compete against James Wilson for the Republican nomination in the May primary. The winner of that contest will face the winner of the Democratic primary in the general election. Jonn Hollenbach, the acting coroner, is the only Democrat so far to announce a run.

Peters said he believes he has the experience and temperament needed to manage the office. His mission, he said, would be to ensure that his team understands the importance of showing courtesy, compassion and respect.

"Working in the office can be difficult at times, but we have to remember that the families that we are dealing with are going through the worst time in their lives," he said.

Peters said that if he were elected he would want to continue the work the office already does with outside organizations to address issues like substance abuse and suicide prevention. But he would want to make changes as well.

Those changes include advocating for more training opportunities for his team.

Peters said that when he worked in the office he would often come across courses he wanted to attend in addition to the minimum requirements needed to maintain his certification. But he said he was told there simply was not enough money in the budget to cover the costs.

The most significant change, however, would address the expertise of those working in the office.

"I think having a medical background is much more beneficial than having a law enforcement background," he said, noting that when he worked in the office many of his colleagues came from a law enforcement background. "I have no intention of going in there and cleaning house, but as positions would open up I would look to hire people who have medical backgrounds."

The coroner serves a four-year term and receives an annual salary of $83,971.