"I come from a law enforcement home and I have been involved in public service all of my adult life. I want to work for you. With over two decades of law enforcement experience, I know what it takes to find solutions, navigate complex issues, and get things done."
MY PROMISE TO YOU:
OFFICER INTEGRITY & SAFETY
Building and restoring trust between law enforcement, the community, the county government, and the judiciary is vital. I will work diligently to establish or improve community partnerships with schools, churches, non-profits, businesses, and government entities. I will hold my officers to the highest standards of integrity and expect them to uphold the law and adhere to applicable constitutional standards.
Since I announced my commitment to making sure that every officer carries Naloxone for officer and citizen safety, I am very proud that the current administration has very recently changed their policy and now allows officers to carry this vital tool to prevent unnecessary deaths.
CITIZENS ACADEMY
The purpose of the Sheriff’s Citizens Academy is to foster better communications between citizens and deputies through education and cooperation. A well-informed citizen is more likely to share their experience with the community as the opportunity arises. Everyone benefits from enhancing citizens understanding of the role and function of the Sheriff’s office.
The Sheriff’s Citizens Academy is designed to inform the community and provide residents and business owners a voluntary full exposure of the Smith County Sheriff’s Office operations. Consisting of all aspects of law enforcement to include day to day operations of the Smith County Sheriff’s Office. Participants will hear lectures, presentations and receive hands-on activities to teach and inform the participants of the many facets of law enforcement and introduce the Sheriff’s Office that serves them.
These classes will be open to citizens, elected officials and the media through an application process where there will be a limited number of people per class. We will be working together for a safer community and remain transparent in everything we do!
SENIOR CITIZENS AWARENESS NETWORK- SCAN PROGRAM
As your next Smith County Sheriff, I will implement a Senior Citizens Awareness Network (SCAN). SCAN Officers will be uniformed representatives of the Sheriff’s Office. SCAN Volunteers go into the community to check on the safety and security of older citizens who have enrolled in the program. SCAN Officers drive to the homes of these citizens making personal contact, providing home security surveys, crime prevention information, and information related to local social and community services.
Ensuring public safety requires a partnership between law enforcement and the citizens we serve. By working together, we can effectively identify and solve issues in our community, reach out to our fellow citizens, and take decisive steps to prevent crime. I will encourage you to get involved in this program and make a difference.
DRUG OFFENSES AND REDUCING RECIDIVISM
I will hold drug dealers accountable for feeding the addictions of individuals and families who have been affected by drug use. I have been heavily involved with DrugFree WilCo, an anti-drug coalition in Wilson County, since its inception in 2018 and currently sit as chairperson on the Board of Directors.
I will work to reduce the recidivism rate by partnering with the Smith County Drug Prevention Coalition. A high percentage of repeat offenders have a drug related offense which leads to other crimes. Working together to provide those fighting addiction with resources is vital. Drug addiction does not discriminate and it can affect anyone.
SCHOOL SAFETY
I have had the great pleasure of working with both school districts of Wilson County for 21 out of my 22 year law enforcement career. I am fully committed to protecting our students first by proactively taking safety measures for every school from any inside or outside threat. With the use of technology, online reporting of school threats can be vital in our response to prevent a crisis from happening.
I plan to implement an anti-bullying camp for students in grades 5 thru 8 called Camp Victory (Vigilance In Connecting To Our Responsible Youth). I was contacted by CBS News/New York when they heard about the camp after a 13-year old committed suicide in Staten Island after being bullied. By searching areas throughout the United States of camps that focuses on bullying, they came across Camp Victory. It also covers important topics such as Spotting Online Predators, Conflict Resolution, and standing up for others so they don’t get stepped on. I also participated in WKRN’s Town Hall on bullying that was a live 30-minute segment to address the issue.
I had the honor on many occasions to speak to school systems and conferences all across Tennessee regarding school safety. Our children are our future and I will work to ensure that we have the safest schools so our students can focus on education.
TECHNOLOGY
I have extensive experience in connecting with citizens through the use of social media and various media outlets to get critical and important information to Smith County citizens. I will work tirelessly to be sure that our citizens are informed in real time and get out critical information when needed.