Government : Meet the Candidate: Vince Snyder

Editor's Note: We continue our candidate profiles today by featuring Republican candidate for Sheriff Vince Snyder. As with other candidates, we present his information in his own words:

My name is Vincent Snyder and I am running for Benton County Sheriff. I am 44 years old. My wife Gloria and I have three daughters, Gianna (5), Jocelyn (3) & Johanna (2). We own and reside on an acreage south of Garrison. We are active members of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Van Horne. I sit on the elected Cluster Council board for the five parishes in the cluster all located in Benton County.

I have served in law enforcement capacities over the last 20 years. I attended the Cedar Rapids Police Reserve Academy graduating in the spring of 1996. I worked for Cedar Rapids Police as a Reserve Police Officer 1996-2001.

Also in the summer of 1996-2003 I began working with the U.S. Marshal Service of the Northern District of Iowa where I was appointed as a Contract Special Deputy U.S. Marshal. During that time in 1999-2008 I was hired as a Reserve Deputy Sheriff for Benton County. I also served for the City of Coggon Police, City of Belle Plaine Police Department. In late 2003 I joined the City of Vinton Police Department as a Reserve Police Officer and continue to serve with them. I was appointed Lead Reserve Officer over the newly formed Vinton Police Reserve Unit this last January. 2009 I began working full time with the City of Cedar Rapids as a Program Administrator for the Litter & Illegal Dumping Officer code enforcement position. There I am responsible for the investigation and enforcement of City Code violations involving illegal dumping as well as working within a program budget and supervising crews. I also completed the City of Cedar Rapids Leadership Development training Program. I have gained very rounded experience over the past 20 years in law enforcement. I have worked for multiple agencies as many as 3 at the same time resulting in the logging of many, many hours, personal and professional experiences. Doing so I have had to make major decisions on numerous occasions in the occupation as well as learning and applying effective communication skills which are instrumental in this line of work. I have received numerous awards for my actions over the past 20 years to include a National Award from the American Police Hall of Fame for the investigation and arrest of a stranger / child abductor (2004 Belle Plaine Police Department), Friend of the Court Award (2006 Benton County Sheriff’s Office), Citizens Award / Circle of Excellence Award for the apprehension of a wanted armed and dangerous person on the City of Cedar Rapids Police 10 ten most wanted list. (2009 CRPD).

As an eligible candidate for Sheriff under Iowa code, I would be honored to serve the Citizens of Benton County as your Sheriff. With the experience I have gained over the past 20 years in law enforcement as well the fact my family with young children live in the county not under the jurisdiction of a local police department, I have a very measured expectation of what a Sheriff should be delivering to the citizens of the county. At the age of 44 and 20 years in the occupation, I would like to give Benton County citizens the best working years of my life.

If I am elected I will address and update many different aspects and functions of the Sheriff’s Office so they will better serve the citizens. A major priority will be communication with the public so I can be a TRUE representative and voice of the people who elect me. As your Sheriff, I will protect your Constitutional Rights! I will also work with my staff to aggressively address burglary issues, step up drug enforcement, and develop a positive relationship with the schools. My staff will be held accountable to a very high level of professionalism and proper conduct so to best serve the citizens. I will increase patrol coverage through scheduling and patrol priorities to become more proactive in crime prevention. I would much rather scare it away than take a report after it happens! As any victim of a crime knows that it would have been better if it never had happened than having to go through what comes after regardless of the outcome of the offender in the judicial system if they are even apprehended. Electronic / technology radio and computer systems issues will also be addressed. They need to be working as they should. Tax payers have paid for what is in place and it needs to be functioning properly for the safety of the responding agencies as well as the public. I assure citizens that each and every dollar budgeted to the office will be used to promote safety and spent wisely. I will not wastefully spend tax dollars for any reason. In short I vow to be a true protector of all the people of Benton County and will give you 100% each day I am in that office.

I humbly ask for your Vote June 7th on the Republican Primary ballot.

Please visit my Facebook page: Snyder for Benton County Sheriff.

Questions call me at 319-533-4156 or email me at snyderforsheriff@aol.com

Professional Experience and Training / Schooling

-Reserve Police Officer City of Cedar Rapids IA (1996-2001)-

Graduated CRPD Reserve Police Academy basic training spring 1996. Took numerous elective training and certifications including river patrol and water/river rescue training. Assigned to patrol, traffic enforcement and river patrol.

-Contract Special Deputy U.S. Marshal Northern District of Iowa. (1996-2003)-

Conducted Federal prisoner transports by automobile, commercial airline & charter aircraft. Formulated & executed plans to guard federal prisoners in court hearings, extended hospital details, medical / dentist appointments, family member funerals and other destinations out of secured facilities. Served civil process. Assisted in training newly sworn Deputy Marshals with federal JPATS airlift. Involved in numerous high risk high profile transports with federal death penalty cases as well as individuals involved in organized crime. Guarded individuals in witness protection program. Escorted / protected jurors after verdict to their transportation.

-Reserve Police Officer City of Coggon, IA (1997-1998)-

Assigned to patrol and investigations.

-Reserve Deputy Sheriff Benton County IA (1999-2008)-

Assigned to patrol, Courthouse security, prisoner transports & served civil process. Worked numerous felony investigations including a burglary case resulting in conviction with the collection and use of DNA, fingerprint, clothing evidence from the actual scene and from the suspect by search warrant.

The apprehension, charging and conviction of multiple felonies on an individual possessing and distributing a large amount of marijuana & methamphetamine while armed with a hand gun which the suspect attempted to obtain in the process of arrest.

Arrested an individual on a drug interdiction traffic stop with a large amount of marijuana and firearm resulting in a federal conviction.

Apprehension of a wanted dangerous federal felon threatening to shoot law enforcement. Received Friend of the Court award 2006.

-Reserve Police Officer City of Belle Plaine, IA (2003-2005)-

Assigned to patrol, drug investigations. Made numerous illegal drug related arrests resulting in conviction through interdiction, obtaining search warrants, extensive ongoing criminal investigative interviewing. Processed crime scenes. Formulated plans to execute search warrants and wanted person apprehensions. Conducted start to finish an investigation / apprehension, of an individual who was a past convicted sex offender. The individual abducted a 4 year old female child whom he did not know. The offender was convicted on both state and federal felonies issued consecutive sentences to be served over 22+ years.

Received an award through the American Police Hall of Fame for an Excellent Arrest for the capture of the offender.

-Reserve Police Officer City of Vinton, IA (2003-present )-

Assigned to patrol and general field investigation. Made numerous felony arrests during the employment. Involved in the testing & interview / hiring process of new reserve officers. Appointed as Lead Reserve Officer over the VPD reserve unit. Received VPD Top Gun award for 2013.

-Litter & Illegal Dumping Officer / Program Administrator City of Cedar Rapids, IA (2009-Present)-

Responsible for the investigation, charging and mitigation of illegal dumping prohibited by city code and state law within the City of Cedar Rapids. Duties include logistical planning, developing, supervising staff, building & operating the program within budget. Assisting with new hire interviews. Operating and expanding the city adopt a road program. Coordinating volunteers for litter collection throughout the city. Assist City Police and Federal agencies collecting items that can be used as evidence in criminal cases. Collected evidence from an illegal dump site which resulted in a search warrant executed on a property seizing a good amount of methamphetamine and mobile meth labs. In 2010 Apprehended a wanted known armed and dangerous felon on the city’s 10 most wanted list. Received the Citizen’s award from the Police Department and a Circle of Excellence award from the city for my involvement in the apprehension of the individual.

Experience outside of law enforcement

-Self employed farmer- (1990-2002)

Owned & operated farming operation raising livestock and crops. Left the occupation due to low prices causing shallow to no profit, as well as working for multiple law enforcement agencies concurrently taking more that 40 hours/ week away from the operation.

-Professional self employed Auctioneer (2015-Present)

Own and operate an auction house in Newhall IA. Have worked numerous fundraising / benefit auctions over the last year.

Endorsement

-AFSCME Iowa Council 61

Education

-Graduate of Western Dubuque High School Class of 1990

-Attended continuing education through Kirkwood Community College

-Graduated Cedar Rapids Police Reserve Police Academy Basic Training 1996

-City of Cedar Rapids Leadership Development Training Program 2012

-Graduated Worldwide College of Auctioneering Mason City IA. 2015 title of Colonel.

-Numerous law enforcement update training and elective training seminars.

-Monthly training through the Vinton Police Department