HURNEY'S WorkingSheriff.com: Plans for improvement

PLANS FOR IMPROVEMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY....

As we reviewed on the Concerns Page, there are many safety issues that are facing our growing community. As your working sheriff, I will be committed to LISTENING and LOOKING at how things are going in our county. I will continually take a step back and see if the ideas implemented are going as planned. In order to not settle for the "business as usual" routine, I have been talking to people like you- my neighbors- on what's right, what's wrong, and how we can improve the system.

If elected by YOU, I will work on "" YOUR Sheriff's Department in these ways....

CURRENT PROBLEM: NOT ACTIVELY TRACKING SEX OFFENDERS IN LACLEDE COUNTY

My commitment to you:

As your sheriff, I will develop a program and effectively use the sheriff department's resources and other available resources to actively track & check registered sex offender's information. These checks will be done in an across-the-board fashion with random follow-ups. Violators of the state's registration laws will be referred for prosecution. A 'no-nonsense' approach will be used... our safety (and especially the safety of our kids) is at risk. You demand to know where these people are living and staying. I will work to fix the current system's cracks.

CURRENT PROBLEM: MISMANAGEMENT OF OUR COUNTY JAIL

My commitment to you:

As your sheriff, I will ensure that a properly trained, professional jail administrator is appointed and works directly with me. This appointment may be from existing staff (with fresh training and standards) or from an outside source. From there down, we will work together to hire, train, and keep professional correctional officers who will be held to the highest standards... the only standards we should expect in our county. The staff will be held accountable for the security of the jail and ensuring national standards are met and maintained. Professional counselors and clergy will be welcome.

CURRENT PROBLEM: THE SHERIFF REMOVED 'DARE' FROM OUR SCHOOLS!

My commitment to you:

As your sheriff, I will see that DARE, or a similar high-quality educational program, is returned to our county's schools. This type of program is an invaluable tool in keeping our children and teens on the correct path and will, hopefully, help prevent drug and thievery problems in the long-run.

If this type of program impacts even only a handful of students, it is still well worth it!

CURRENT PROBLEM: WHERE ARE THE DEPUTIES WHEN YOU NEED HELP? WE ARE ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT.

My commitment to you:

As your sheriff, I will work to better deploy the resources already available in the sheriff's department. I have the intent to ensure the full-time deputies are supplemented by a WORKING reserve deputy staff. From this pool, we will gain the knowledge and training held by reserve officers (there are many very experienced officers who are retired or who hold other full-time positions), much like is gained by similar programs in Camden, Dallas, & Pulaski Counties and my police department in Richland.

Deploying a reserve staff, along with better scheduling and deploying the full-time staff, I will seek to divide the county into patrol districts, thus ensuring that deputies are within a reasonable response area when your family calls for help or information. Eventually, I would love to establish at least 2 neighborhood offices (in outlying areas of the county) using little to no financial requirements to supplement the main sheriff's office at the courthouse in Lebanon. I believe this could be accomplished by working with other entities and eventually "borrowing" office space.

These offices would not necessarily be staffed 24 hours per day, but would be a place where you could meet a deputy, a deputy could complete paperwork [without coming back to Lebanon], we could house equipment in outlying areas, and so on. Doing so will ensure higher visibility. Eventually, this higher visibility will pay dividends in preventing crime.

I will appoint a professional training officer. I will work with him/her to ensure the department's staff is regularly trained, as I believe training is essential in keeping employees and officers sharp in this ever-changing profession. From there, I will use the budget - in a financially responsible manner - to ensure the employees are given at least the basic equipment they need for their investigations, in the jail, and so on... to help them do their jobs correctly and professionally. By doing so, we will be serving this community better.

I will work to establish an emergency call-out program, similar to those used by our firefighters and first responders, to ensure a deputy responds to serious emergencies, anywhere in the county, within minutes of the 911 call. And best of all, this can be done using existing resources (such as full-time officers and reserve responders).

It is my goal to see that ALL types of criminal incidents will be "worked" and followed-through by the deputies to the degree that is practical and prudent.

A system will be established that ensures ALL reports taken by our office are reviewed for accuracy and completeness by a command level supervisor or myself and that they have been followed-through appropriately.

This procedure will be used to execute a "no non-sense", firm approach to domestic violence and child crimes in this county.

I know the argument will be made that "all this costs money". But in reality, most of it has a minimal cost or no cost at all. We have to get working and plugging away using what we already have and what we can get with grants and minimal costs to us. I will be diligent in getting grant money and other free resources for our county.

CURRENT PROBLEM: OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILIES ARE DYING ON OUR ROADS!

My commitment to you:

As your sheriff, I will work to train and deploy my sheriff team on our roads and highways for safety enforcement. As I stated on the other page, we won't be out to write everyone tickets. I don't want that; you don't want that. I'm sure we will have to write a few tickets, but more importantly what I do want to do is raise our community's awareness that 42,642 people died on US Roadways in 2006, with over 1,000 of those in Missouri. I want to make sure that everyone travelling in Laclede County knows it's not "alright" to drive crazy down our back roads, buzzing by our kids walking down the sidewalks or playing in our yards. I want my team to work and make people realize they're not invincible and that we, as a community, care about their safety and the safety of those around them.

As I get things established and running, I will reach out and embrace the help of other organizations in our community. My team will work to develop new programs, like presentations and seminars for us. In example, I plan on showing students (our young drivers) exactly what happens when a person elects to drink and drive, what happens when then don't drive sane, and exactly what families face with the loss of a loved one.

I assure you we will be out in ALL areas of the county, contacting people moving around - both good and "bad" people. We will be actively out looking and pursuing the avenues that drugs and stolen property are getting around our county. This includes the implementation and use of a K-9 program. These can now be established at no-to-little cost using grants and donation programs. To the best of my knowledge, the sheriff's office has NEVER had a K-9 unit.

CURRENT PROBLEM: THE SHERIFF LACKS ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE 911 CENTER.

My commitment to you:

As your sheriff, I will work to see that the 911 Center is staffed with a professional team leader, whether from existing staff (with fresh standards and training) or from an outside source. This person must be versed in the demands of finding, training, and keeping good people on the job. I want these staff members to know they are appreciated and that they are expected to perform with the highest degree of professionalism and care. In the 911 Center, along with the other Sheriff's divisions, I will ensure that a quality-control system is implemented so that calls and incidents are reviewed in a random fashion. Using this method, we can recognize and appreciate the good points of each. If there are bits and pieces that need improvement, we will recognize our mistakes and use those 'negatives' to build solidify our team's foundation.

PLEASE READ THIS!

THE ONE THING I CAN GUARANTEE is simple..... nothing will be perfect. We will make mistakes BUT we will learn from, and build on, those mistakes. I can guarantee I will work for you and our community. I will only employ people who have the drive, care, and compassion to meet that commitment. We will not quit striving for excellence.

As a member of your Laclede County Health Department Board, I know our motto is "We're here because we care". Well.... to whomever came up with that slogan, my apology in advance; I'm "stealing" it. I'M HERE BECAUSE I CARE. I don't agree with what's going on and want to see it fixed. I'm stepping forward to be part of the solution.

My name is Mike Hurney and I am respectfully asking for your support.

Thank you.