Our people are our most important asset. For far too long, the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office has hired and trained quality individuals, only to lose them to other agencies shortly into their careers. Many of the key components of my platform require an increase in manpower. I believe loyalty inspires loyalty. My primary focus will be to create a culture in which people are eager to invest in their long-term careers at the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office. I will boost morale within the Sheriff’s Office, retain quality employees, support our tenured staff, incentivize education and training, and fill the 45 current vacant positions. I will work with the Paulding County Board of Commissioners to improve our employees’ wages, healthcare, and retirement benefits.

The Paulding County Sheriff’s Office currently has a SWAT Team, a three-person K-9 Division, a three-person Crime Suppression Unit, and are members of the West Metro Drug Task Force. Specialized units like these are vital to law enforcement; they help combat violent crime and maintain safe communities. We must strengthen the existing specialized units and explore opportunities to establish additional specialized services to meet the growing needs of Paulding County. For example, I plan to implement a “Cold Case Squad” to investigate unsolved, open, and active cases that have grown stagnant.

Our State and Federal Governments offer a wide variety of grants and funding opportunities for public safety and law enforcement. We must proactively seek out these opportunities and seize every dollar we are eligible to obtain. As your Sheriff, I will ensure we are being efficient, transparent, and fiscally responsible.

Paulding County is comprised of exceptional people who deserve to feel safe at home, school, and on the road. One of my primary areas of focus as your Sheriff will be to ensure the safety of our children in our schools. I will work to strengthen our School Resource Officer Division by increasing training for these individuals to hone their capabilities. I will also partner with the Paulding County School District to help combat issues like school safety, drugs, and gang-related activity on campus and within our communities.

As the population of Paulding County increases, so does the number of cars on our roads, leading to an increase in accidents. Our Deputies are here for you. For too long, there has been a lack of local traffic enforcement. Cars speeding up and down our roads and through our neighborhoods are at an all-time high, and it’s time to put a stop to this. When I am elected Sheriff, you can expect to see a surge in the Deputy presence in and around our community and improved response times to calls.

Living on the outskirts of Metro Atlanta, we have a responsibility to our citizens to ensure that crime stops at the county line. Paulding County must be a safe haven for its residents, not criminals, gang members, or illegal immigrants.

Balance is a key component to success. For every criminal we take off the streets, we have an equal responsibility to engage our community in other positive ways. The Sheriff’s Office needs to be in tune with the concerns of the county’s residents. I plan to implement Town Hall Meetings in various locations across the county and increase the number of community classes offered by the Sheriff’s Office, including Citizen Handgun Courses, Active Shooter Classes, Neighborhood Watch Meetings, and more. Throughout my career, I have always been actively involved in community events like the Paulding Cops for Kids, Inc., Touch a Truck, Alcohol Drug and Awareness Day (ADAD) at Paulding County schools, and the Paulding Public Safety Appreciation Run with the Badges 5K Glow Run; we will continue to engage with the community and our youth through these events and others.