Budget
My commitment to our tax payers is simple. We will do this as efficiently and effectively as possible. We will remain in our allotted budget and use grants and other legal forms of funding to grow our office. We have some ideas that have never before been explored. We plan to implement every legal method available to us to assist in our expenses and growth. We have the mindset of bringing as much funding as we can to avoid overburdening the tax payer.
We will work extremely hard to involve legal seizure methods against drug dealers, gangs and others. Those funds will be reinvested back into our department to serve the needs for improved safety items and other updated necessities for our office. When you bring your own lunch money, you don’t have to worry about eating!
We will only use county approved leased vehicles and will talk with county officials about selling off purchased vehicles and our outdated fleet of older cars. This will alleviate the constant cost associated with keeping them. We will also make sure that as far as vehicle maintenance and services go, that every reputable shop that qualifies to provide services on our fleet of vehicles across the county has a fair opportunity to do so. It's important to me that all reputable business owners who pay taxes have an opportunity to do work for us and earn money for those services. It’s extremely important to also note that we will NOT send one Sheriff’s office vehicle to my shop for any services or tires. To me, that would be a conflict of interest, and that's the type of avoidable situations we vow to avoid.
We will make sure that not only the best prices are provided but also the importance of good service and quick turn around. We will negotiate all contracts and all services provided to us across the board. I am committed to being an example to others in terms of how we handle tax payer dollars.
I will also look into inter-local agreements for safety services. The last thing towns that are struggling need is additional cost burdening their budgets as they look to grow. I'll meet with county and town leaders to make sure we are doing what is best for our citizens and look to provide as much low to no cost mutual aid as we can while staffing shortages at police departments are filled.
Morale & Turnover
In a world where many view law enforcement in a negative way, it's more reason to not only make sure our citizens are satisfied with our work but also making sure our family of deputies feel valued and appreciated. Our deputies' mental health is of great importance and is directly reflected in the job they do.
I am a firm believer in allowing leaders to lead and for our team to respect the chain of command. Sergeants will be allowed to do their job and so on up the chain. Micromanangent will not exist. Encouraging everyone from every position will not only gain respect, but it absolutely will produce better results and happier deputies.
The expectations will be extremely high, but the rewards will make the work worth it. We will promote those who work hard and go above and beyond to serve our citizens and our team, not those that have sycophant tendencies.
BLET applicants will be welcomed and sponsored by our office. We want to cultivate home town folks who are passionate about being a law enforcement officer. Using every avenue, like visiting our High Schools, Early College Programs and Community College for recruitment and supply those young men and women with the information they need to decide if they’d like to join our team. It's our goal to renew a relationship with Halifax Community College and see every opportunity available to our team for training and furthering education be available. Anyone at the office that wants to pursue a certificate or degree will be encouraged and applauded.
Positivity breeds success! We want deputies that stay for more than the money, we want them to stay because we are the best!
Professional Accountability and Transparency
This is another of great importance because we are funded by your tax dollars. As much as everyone enjoys talking about things that went right we also have to remember that we answer to the tax payer about more than just the good. When mistakes happen or if we have a learning moment some things we cannot legally talk about, but things we can talk about we will. Proactive means getting out in front of things, reactive means we are behind and playing catch up. We will be as proactive with information and communication as the law allows us to be.
We will also work closely with the news media. Press releases and having a person whose job includes media relations will keep the public informed and up to date. Also when crimes are committed, using the news media’s reach to ask for the public's assistance and or to inform them of immediate safety concerns will benefit everyone.
Not everyone has social media, so relying just on that to communicate and inform the public is ineffective. We will use every method available for maximum efficiency and effectiveness!
Jail
This topic is another of great importance. In our opinion, the current jail system in place needs improvement. Hearing about morale being down and that it has been for a long time is disheartening. It appears that the jail has been treated as the “punishment zone”. Talks of deputies and command staff that were disciplined by being assigned to the jail have been going on for years. What does this say to those men and women who work in the jail?
In my opinion, jail staff have been treated unfairly. Even when raises were asked for, they were again treated unfairly. The Sheriff’s Office requested “15% across the board for patrol”, excluding the jail staff by only requesting 8% for those men and women. Does the jail staff, that also has retention issues, live with a lesser cost of living? I don’t agree with this philosophy. That jail is not only one of the primary responsibilities of the Sheriff, but it's an integral part of our justice system. By showing those men and women that they are equally appreciated, you increase motivation and effort. People who are valued and respected work harder and the quality of work increases expeditiously!
Currently, all these issues play a major part in staffing shortages and motivation to work at a higher quality. We have heard reports of assaults of jail staff, assaults on detainees and even the murder of an elderly detainee that a properly staffed facility may be less likely to experience. Always remember many folks in jail are awaiting adjudication. It is our job to protect all citizens.
We will see a new way of thinking which will reflect in the quality of the jails' duties.