Principles

Four years ago, when I was running for Sheriff, I identified four specific areas that I believed should be the measure of our elected Sheriff’s service. Those areas were integrity, accountability, public trust, and safe communities. I have kept these principles in clear focus everyday as Sheriff. I believe attention to these principles have made all our progress and accomplishments possible. My original statements concerning these principles are included here. I am proud to have my service as Sheriff these past three years measured by these principles.

Integrity

“No other single issue is as essential to a peace officer as personal integrity, and no other attribute should take a higher priority in selecting your future sheriff.”

No other single issue is as essential to a peace officer as personal integrity, and no other attribute should take a higher priority in selecting your future sheriff. Honesty, dependability, and trust are the building blocks of ethical behavior and integrity is the core that binds them all together. Throughout my life and career, I have placed the highest value on these principles, and I have worked hard to demonstrate integrity in all I do. As Reagan suggests, it has not always been easy, but it is simply the right thing to do.

"There are no easy answers, but there are simple answers. We must have the courage to do what we know is morally right."

– Ronald Reagan

Accountability means accepting responsibility and accounting for your actions in a transparent manner.

Accountability

“An elected sheriff should be accountable to the people for the discharge of all his duties and for the wise and judicial use of resources entrusted to him, especially taxpayer money. This can only be accomplished by working closely with all city and county officials.”

Accountability, and a robust system of checks and balances are important to keeping our government in check. An elected sheriff should be accountable to the people for the discharge of all his duties and for the wise and judicial use of resources entrusted to him, especially taxpayer money. This can only be accomplished by working closely with all city and county officials.

As Sheriff, I will work closely with the County Commissioners, the Auditor, and other elected officials to instill public confidence in our budgeting, spending, and accounting procedures. Clearly established financial policies and procedures are essential in establishing good fiscal management and regular audits help confirm compliance with those procedures. No elected official should consider themselves to be above these policies. I believe the Sheriff must be accountable to the people, and as Sheriff I would welcome appropriate accountability and oversight.

Public Trust

“Every elected sheriff needs the understanding, support, and cooperation of the public. It is therefore critical for the elected sheriff to provide clear leadership, training, and mentoring necessary to ensure all people are treated with dignity and respect, and to ensure all interactions remain transparent.”

In our society, law enforcement is not something that is imposed on an unwilling public. Every elected sheriff needs the understanding, support, and cooperation of the public. It is therefore critical for the elected sheriff to provide clear leadership, training, and mentoring necessary to ensure all people are treated with dignity and respect, and to ensure all interactions remain transparent.

I believe transparency is important in maintaining public trust. Critical aspects of ongoing investigations and confidential information related to innocent people or victims are the exception, but almost all other information should be available to the public. Sheriff’s Office policy is public policy, and Sheriff’s Office procedures are public procedures; that information should not be withheld from the public.

As Sheriff I will act within the law and cooperate with all applicable statutes to ensure that public information is available to the public. I will also increase public input in Sheriff’s Office operations through the effective use of citizen review committees.

"I recognize the badge of my office as a symbol of public faith, and I accept it as a public trust to be held so long as I am true to the ethics of police service."

– Law Enforcement Code of Ethics

"Establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty..."

– Preamble, U.S. Constitution

Safe Communities

“Your elected sheriff should be clearly focused on this mission, meaning we need to be able to anticipate, intervene, and prevent crime and violence in our schools, in our homes, and in our communities.”

The preamble to our great national Constitution succinctly outlines what should be the fundamental role of our government—Establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty.

Your elected sheriff should be clearly focused on this mission, meaning we need to be able to anticipate, intervene, and prevent crime and violence in our schools, in our homes, and in our communities. Providing public safety can be a challenging task to be sure. I strongly believe this task is best accomplished when all public safety partners work together. During my professional career I have enjoyed great working relationships with prosecutors, police chiefs, and other administrators in our county and throughout the state. As Sheriff I would make these cooperative relationships a priority. As public safety officers share information, train, and work together in an atmosphere of cooperation and trust, public safety will be enhanced, and the wonderful quality of life we enjoy in Davis County will be protected.