Sheriff McCormick keeps his word

Letter to the Editor

The Sentinel-Record Editoral

• The Sentinel-Record

• 18 Mar 2015

• Lou Pettiford

Dear editor:

About a year ago, Mike McCormick spoke to our community group and delivered a message that was completely different from the other candidates for Garland County sheriff.

Instead of talking about police cars, arrests, guns and badges, Mike McCormick spoke about how he will reduce crime through better training and management. That when he was elected, he would ensure that the all the sheriff’s department employees were better trained, had better resources and, most importantly, better leadership.

I read in your newspaper about a week ago how Sheriff McCormick is delivering on his promises. Sheriff McCormick said he found that in the past there were few penalties for employees who did not follow the rules. Sheriff McCormick took quick action last month when two juveniles were allowed to escape because of failures of the employees who are paid with our tax dollars to keep them behind bars.

From what I have read and heard in the community, the sheriff ’ s office had few standards in the past. And even Sheriff McCormick said in The Sentinel- Record that the previous sheriff did not have the financial support to provide adequate training and equipment for his employees. But Sheriff McCormick said during his first two months in office he has found the funds to provide training and consistent enforcement of the rules. And when employees don’t follow the rules, they will be reprimanded.

I have worked all of my life. And found as a worker, a supervisor and a manager that employees want to know the rules. And workers are happiest when the rules are applied across the board and fairly. Sheriff

McCormick, as a good manager, knows that too.

We can all be proud that Sheriff McCormick is our law enforcement leader in Garland County and he will make our families and our communities safer. And he will do it by working smarter, instead of tougher.

We can only hope that the Quorum Court will ensure that Sheriff McCormick has the necessary funding to have adequate manpower, equipment and training to make my family safer. The Quorum Court needs to realize that Sheriff McCormick was given a mandate by the people of Garland County to make changes that will improve the quality of life for us all and we will no longer tolerate the annual double- digit crime increases.

Yes, we have a new sheriff in town. A sheriff we can all be proud of. A sheriff who has been true to his word. Lou Pettiford

Hot Springs