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The answer is more complex than you might think… The biggest reason now, having won election and having had success and impact in my first term is... "I'm not done yet". I have only begun to have the kind of impact that I see necessary. We have consistently reduced crime in rural Black Hawk County since taking office, touting a 21% reduction in 2011! We have raised revenues. We have held inmates more accountable and more responsible. We have made sentenced criminals work and labor to repay their debt to our taxpayers, and we have increased (20-fold) the amount of programming available in our jail to further deter crime and reduce recidivism... But, we're not done yet. Cedar Falls and Waterloo are also experiencing reductions in their crime statistics. We all agree that due to our increased partnerships, cooperative efforts and joint support of each other's "proactive" enforcement agendas, we are just starting to scratch the surface of what is possible here in the Cedar Valley. With your help, our agency can continue to grow and prosper.
It has been my honor to function as your Sheriff during this first term and I look forward to many more years of service. With all our successes, I recognize that we still have a long way to go. I believe that to truly affect change in an organization, you must anchor it in short term successes (like we have been demonstrating over the last three years). Long term change is predicated through long term effort and commitment. I look forward to continuing the difficult task of establishing long term improvements in our organization.
"Be an example to your men, both in your duty and in private life. Never spare yourself, and let the troops see that you don't, in your endurance of fatigue and privation."
- Field Marshal Erwin Rommel
In recent history, I represented the Sheriff's Office as the spokesperson and Public Information Officer, and as the Community Services Coordinator for 8 years. I have worked with numerous community groups and am well known for my active support of and contribution to community service agencies and groups.
My work as a Deputy prior to my first term as Sheriff, and now the impact and success that I have enjoyed during these first years as your Sheriff, have solidified my commitment to and the improvement of this organization.
I have recognized the damage and public risk caused by illegal drugs in our county and during my last 4 years as a Deputy Sheriff, I aggressively worked as a patrol officer with narcotics interdiction and investigations as my primary focus. I recognize that better than 80% of all crimes committed in Black Hawk County have a root cause related to illegal drugs and alcohol.
I previously served 4 years on the Iowa State Sheriff's and Deputies Association's- State Jails Committee (which aides the Department of Corrections and the state legislature in authoring and maintaining Iowa's State Jailing Standards) and I currently serve on the State Legislative Committee, giving the citizens of Black Hawk County a voice in the state house on a monthly basis as your Sheriff.
I think that far too often, people do something with "what is in it for me" as the forefront issue in their mind. I look to all the programs and services that I, as a Deputy Sheriff had the privilege to initiate and participate in, and realize the impact that I have had during this first term as your Sheriff. I hope to continue the good work that we have initiated over the next 4 years.
I recognize the
importance of conviction, dedication, professionalism, INTEGRITY, and the
strength of genuine effort.
I have been blessed with numerous accomplishments and I
sincerely want to do more.
Being the Sheriff of Black Hawk County has opened opportunities to
further my positive impact on the citizens of
I earnestly desire to continue to serve the citizens of Black Hawk County as
Sheriff; to be held accountable for promises made and
promises to be kept for years to come. I want to be seen as an
investment in the future of your Sheriff's Office and responsible
for the continued forward progress of our agency. I want to
build on the successes of those who have served before me, and
continue to focus on ways to improve on the successes of this first
term. I want our voters and
taxpayers to recognize that I
devote my genuine best
efforts, every day, towards making
Finally, I hope that the citizens of Black Hawk County want someone with battle-tested leadership capabilities. I hope that the people who live and work in Black Hawk County want a Sheriff's Office and a Sheriff who is sincere when he says he wants to reduce crime, and be more accountable to their wants and needs. I hope that the voters of Black Hawk County see me as an investment in the Sheriff's Office's future, one that will continue to grow and prosper through cooperation, commitment, dedication, information sharing and compassion.
~Sheriff Tony Thompson