I am writing to show my support for Sean Smith, candidate for sheriff.

I was formerly employed by the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office. I began my career in 2000 working for Duke Schirard. I have many reasons to be loyal to Duke, as he helped my family and me a great deal while I was employed there. I believe he has served his community well for the past 20-plus years.

I have also known and worked with Sean Smith. I have seen the hard work and dedication Sean has put into the s Sheriff’s Office. He worked extremely hard to get the alternative to incarceration program implemented. Sean did the research, created a budget, met with local leaders, organized treatment programs, set up a database and even assembled office furniture. I know this because my wife worked for him during the implementation of this program. He has worked to get better communication equipment for the department. Doing research, planning, organizing meetings, budgeting ... and the list goes on.

Sean did all these thing not for his personal gain, but to help make the office a more capable and better-equipped professional organization. Sean worked tirelessly to try to get some type of retirement program for the deputies. It is true all of these things took place under Duke’s reign. It is another reason he has been so successful as a sheriff for the past 20 years. He has put good people in place and has created a family-type atmosphere at the department. Sean Smith is one of these good people. He worked as a lieutenant in the Day Reporting Program.

Yet, he worked to try to make the whole department better. Why? Because he truly cares about his community, and all employees of the Sheriff’s Office. While I have nothing negative to say about Duke, I believe it is time for Sean Smith to bring his passion to the office of sheriff.

Lance Chisum

Alexander, N.D.