The Preamble to the U.S. Constitution lays out some basic guiding principles for the individual states to follow; that is, establishing justice, ensuring domestic tranquility, providing for the common defense, promoting the general welfare and securing the “blessings of liberty” to ourselves, our children and our children’s children.

The Preamble is just one short paragraph that introduces the Constitution, but it is rich in meaning and intent and reaffirms every U.S. citizen’s right to freedom and the pursuit of the American dream. The intent of the founding fathers was that the federal government should concentrate on these principles and allow the new nation to govern itself according to the will of the people.

The role of government, reduced to its common denominator, is to protect and defend its citizens. No nation can prosper unless its people are secure, safe and free. This is not to say there aren’t other important roles of government, such as helping sustain the economy and educating a workforce; but nothing is more important than the safety of the people.

In my experience as a Secret Service agent, Emergency Management Director, 911 board member, Cleveland City Councilman, District III Homeland Security Council member and Bradley County Sheriff, I have seen the impact national security and public safety have on a community and nation. Jobs, new industry, real estate, education, economic growth, leisure activities and tourism must all have a safe environment if they are to flourish and prosper. That is why the BCSO has worked so hard to develop effective partnerships between governments, businesses, public safety officials and citizens to protect our community and meet threats of crime and violence head-on. Among other things, we have worked to fight the flow of drugs into our area, to encourage anti-drug education in schools, to control illegal immigration into the county and to be prepared for potential disasters.

When crime and violence are allowed to get foot holds in an area, law-abiding people will begin to leave, families will look to other places to relocate, businesses will shut down and industry will not come into that area. There is a direct connection between safety, security and jobs.

With Volkswagen in Hamilton County, Wacker Chemical in Bradley County, the Department of Energy in Oak Ridge and continued growth elsewhere, our entire area has made great economic strides. But that doesn’t mean it can’t all disappear if we don’t have safe streets and neighborhoods. The terrorist threats from around the world and continued gang and drug violence in southeast Tennessee should concern all of us when our state already ranks in the top five states for violent crime per capita.

We should never underestimate the importance of national security, homeland security and community security. By doing so, we will further set the stage for improving our whole area by protecting people and sustaining and increasing economic opportunities for all.

When I was elected sheriff almost four years ago, I came into an office that had some serious problems. Crime was up and morale was down.

At the time, my deputies were being compensated almost 30 percent below the average compensation of their Cleveland City Police counterparts and employees in other departments of similar size and responsibility. This pay disparity contributed significantly to a high turnover rate, which ultimately was costing taxpayers much more than it saved in terms of lost experience and increased hiring, training and equipping costs.

The vehicles my deputies were being forced to drive were so old and worn out, an engine actually fell out of one of them and they were regularly breaking down on the way to help people. Deputies felt they were unsafe to drive and when I took office, they looked to me for help.

Another problem was that our deputies were regularly being sent on calls with no backup or limited backup in handling very dangerous or potentially dangerous situations because of staffing shortages and top-heavy management instead of enough field positions to properly do the job.

Much of the equipment deputies were provided at the time I assumed office was dated, worn and non-functional. For instance, deputies were wearing bullet-resistant vests that were expired, tattered and worn to the point stopping bullets was seriously questioned. There were very few working cameras in patrol cars to document evidence and protect the public and deputies alike.

While 85 percent of the public recognized the need to address these problems and voted me into office in record numbers to find solutions, some members of the public and county officials did not understand the serious public safety need or what would be required to fix the problems.  In my first budget request as sheriff, instead of ignoring the situation, I asked the County Commission to work with me to institute a phase-in plan to bring Bradley deputy salaries up to the level of the Cleveland City police, retire all patrol cars that were unreliable and dangerous and to fund the necessary equipment for our deputies to properly do their jobs in an effective and safe manner.

At the time, there was enough money in the County’s Fund Balance to cover the cost of these needs by phasing them in over a period of years without the need for a tax increase. This is what I publicly asked them to do.  

Yet, as often is the case, the old guard on the Commission was resistant to change. Twice during the budget negotiating sessions, I entered into phase-in agreements with members of the Finance Committee in compromises requiring no tax increase. Yet, when the final budget votes were taken by Commissioners that year, they voted our requests down.

Under the law, this left me with only two options: I could accept the budget and continue to ignore these vital public safety needs; or I could exercise a provision in state law which allows elected officials in Tennessee, when issues of vital importance are at stake, to petition a court for budget intervention on behalf of Bradley citizens and deputies. I chose to do the right thing and petition the court. It may have not been the politically expedient thing, but I believed it was the right thing.    

On average, according to an official at the University of Tennessee County Technical Assistance Service, about seven sheriffs per year in Tennessee exercise this legislature-provided option. Some do it as a matter of routine. Although in my case, I did not win a judges order as sought, the judge did say in his ruling that the Sheriff’s Office did have valid needs and urged all County officials to work together in the future to meet these needs … which is just what I had tried to do from the beginning.