Opinion : Letter to the Editor: Support for Upah and Tippett

Benton County Residents,

There was a recent statement of goals published in Vinton Today from the Paxton campaign. I read it with an open mind. I could support some items listed with more clarification.

I just can't get past the implications that degrade current deputies. This shows that an outside person doesn't have the knowledge of the current workings of the Sheriff's Department. He states his goals but doesn't have the knowledge to realize some of these are already in place and well maintained by the Sheriff's Office employees on a daily basis.

I address some of them below, with my personal opinion/experience, if you take a moment to read below.

**I want to make sure the main point comes first. **

Early voting is open and June 4th is approaching fast. Many people can put their support on paper and social media but the most important part is taking the time to vote!

I encourage you to cast your vote for Dave Upah for Sheriff and Ron Tippett for Supervisor!

School Resource Officer.

The SRO role does need to be re-established, but that role is not for just anyone. I am confident that person will come around. We still have engagements/activities with the schools. Current SRO or not, we have a strong relationship with these students, staff, and parents. Don't believe me? Take a walk through the school with me, you'd think a celebrity just walked in. I had previously filled that role, and continue to invest my time in those relationships. This stems beyond Benton community with relationships at other districts as well.

Community engagement.

The letter discusses training the community. The letter states "deputies will be expected to donate their time." This is happening, without anyone expecting them to or being assigned to do so. The sheriff's department has instructors for numerous public education opportunities. A majority of these training sessions are on their own time. Stop the bleed, CPR/AED, ALICE, self defense, hunter safety, sports coaches, etc are active or previous roles assumed by deputies. There are deputies who are cross trained or have knowledge in providing support across many avenues of public safety in firefighting and EMS.

Patrol and Technology.

There is a big push on AI contained in this letter. Does technology give us an advantage sometimes? Absolutely. Attend a school board meeting, these cameras are happening. The schools are doing a fantastic job in staying ahead of this. Some of the technology listed is already in place. Patrolling? Reduction in traffic accidents? The stats are there. The deputies are handling high call volume and still finding time to make their presence known. Patrol and responding to calls for service will always be a balancing act, and I am confident the deputies are managing it effectively.

Crime is constantly evolving, the current deputies train for this. They are training to stay ahead. A majority of that is boots on the ground and having those interactions, putting together great cases, and cleaning up the communities.

Paxton's article states his goals are to "create" some of the items mentioned above, but they are clearly already established. These are not his "new" ideas and the public needs to be aware of this. Sheriff Ron Tippett has continued some of these items from previous leaders as well as creating some listed above that are new to his terms in office. Upah's administration has prioritized our school districts and I trust him to fully follow through with the expectations he has for the safety and relationships with our kids. I also believe he will create new ideas that will ensure a proactive approach to a safe community. Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions you have regarding this statement.

Tyler Brandt Detective,

Benton County Sheriff's Office