Guest Column signed by 31 citizens: These are reasons to elect Eric Peter as Sheriff

While the other side disparages Eric, he stays above the fray and instead emphasizes what he would do differently to avoid many of the scandals that have occurred during the current administration.

He’s intelligent, honest, open, highly experienced and most importantly fair. He won’t put up with a sheriff’s department run as a “good old boys” system. And we don’t think that law enforcement should be based on who you know, how long you’ve been around, or how much you have contributed to someone’s campaign.

Some of the issues that have arisen during the current administration that highly concern us include but are not limited to:

Camera Gate: This violated one of our country’s most basic rights - the right to a fair trial. When the government spies on a defense attorney’s and a juror member’s notes, that should terrify the community. The incumbent could have owned it, apologized for it, and promised it wouldn’t happen again, but instead his story kept changing. While he claimed it was an accident, Judge Eaton found that it was clearly intentional If you watch the video footage you can decide for yourself. It’s worth noting that the incumbent fought hard to avoid the footage being made public.

Supervision: Under the incumbent’s leadership, one of his detectives responsible for investigating a sexual crime against a minor instead started his own sexual relationship with the minor. Although the incumbent claims he had no knowledge of this officer’s prior negative employment history, in a deposition he admitted that he was warned about it before the officer was sworn in. He admits he failed to place the officer on administrative leave when the matter was first reported.

The hiring of Brady Cops. We understand that there are varying levels of actions and omissions that result in a law enforcement officer being labeled a Brady Cop. However, we don’t believe that our community should be the place that Brady Cops go when they can’t find employment elsewhere.

Facebook: A public records request revealed that the incumbent was on Facebook for a substantial number of work hours - actively striking keys, not simply having the app open. If we spent that many work hours on Facebook, we would get nothing done and likely have been fired.

Other Issues: The failure to get and KEEP a drug dog; the refusal to train an animal control officer; the lack of a good relationship with law enforcement in neighboring counties; the unkempt nature of the department’s office; the long hours at Demeter - not for “coffee with a cop” but for coffee with the guys each day; the lackluster investigations; the shooting fiasco at the gravel pit resulting in an officer being harmed; poor decisions about use of department resources; lack of familiarity with department policy; a discipline history with the department; the list just keeps going.

We simply encourage you to REALLY take a look at the last eight years before you vote for an incumbent simply because you recognize the name, or the incumbent has been around longer, or the incumbent is a “good old boy” or he’s a “good guy.” Many people are “good guys” but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are the right fit for every position. Remember, you can’t keep doing the same thing and expect the outcome to be any different!

(Alphabetical Listed)

Sheryl Albritton

Shannon Alvarado

John Amaro

Rami Amaro

Jordana Ansley

Kace Ayres

Kim Barton

Kim Neall Bruder

Amelia Conye

Lori Ann David

Janis DeBardi

Meghan Feinne

Debbie Fraiser

Marilyn Howell

AJ Julian

Vickie Lanros

Duggan Lanros

Gini Lavis

Sharon Lowell

Sheila Martin

Bruce Martin

Lizzy Myers

Paul Paganini

Tori Roberts

Kevin Roth

Dena Royale

Debbie Tidwell-Lowell

Ferah Uri

Richard Uri

Chris Walter