The central role of all governments is to provide for the safety of their citizens.  In times of uncertainty, whether due to a criminal act, natural disaster, or an accident, the County must be prepared to respond and to support the cities in their response.

Attending to the needs of public safety is paramount for any government and Scott County is no exception.  When I first took office the infrastructure of the County’s public safety systems was in question.  From a jail on the verge of condemnation, to an insufficient 9-1-1 dispatch and radio system to limited ability of our public safety staff to receive adequate training – public safety was not receiving the attention it deserves.  As your Commissioner public safety has been at the top of my agenda.  Over the past 12 years I have worked hard to focus the County’s investments in the proper areas and we have accomplished a great deal, as follows:

• We have developed a public safety information system that is shared by all of the law enforcement agencies within Scott County (Sheriff’s Office, Corrections, and Police Departments).

• We have built the Justice Center to provide Courtrooms with sufficient resources to meet the demands of the criminal and civil justice systems.

• We have replaced a jail that was both undersized and aging with a modern efficient and safe facility.

• We have improved the ability of our staff to receive and handle emergency calls through the construction and equipping of a modern 9-1-1 dispatch center.

• We have replaced a severely limited radio communications system with a properly sized and capable 800 megahertz system that is part of the greater metropolitan public safety communications system.

• We have changed our corrections department to a community corrections system and established a citizen’s advisory board to guide us with respect to our focus in dealing with criminal offenders within our community.

• We have developed a collaborative prosecution model with the Cities that has significantly improved the efficiency of our Court processes.

• We have developed a jointly funded and operated Regional Public Safety Training Facility

While much has been completed I can assure you that if re-elected I will continue to maintain a focus on the systems and services that keep our residents and community safe.