Dennis Gough - Ran for Sheriff in NC

Dennis Gough
"Sheriff For The People"
Police Morale

If I am elected, my first duty will be to change ill feelings officers may have about their job. I remember how elated I was at becoming a police officer and all the good I was going to do for my fellow man. Fortunately for me, I was hired into a police force that allowed me to expand and be a positive force in the community; I enjoy serving the public.
I have retained the knowledge on how to keep a positive outlook and realize that this is not a personal quest that we are on. All of us have a purpose, and we all need to support each other.
I have had the privilege of being an F.O.P. Representative, and received praise for the way I took care of the problems my fellow officers and I faced. I have also taken a course in police stress, which gives me a wealth of information. Did you know that on average, 420 police officers nationwide commit suicide a year? My plan to bring up the moral of the officers in the Sheriff’s Department is simple:
1. Insure that if I am elected, their jobs are not in jeopardy. However they will be scrutinized and evaluations will be done on everyone.
2. Give all officers the recognition they deserve.
3. Put a plan in place that will give incentives such as pay raises, paid days off, advancements in authority & advanced training.
4. Listen to their concerns and complaints and actually take steps to alleviate those problems.
5. To make available spiritual counsel for those who seek it.
6. To put a plan in place that would allow the officers to file their reports on tape to be translated later by office staff so as to keep the officers focused on the job at hand and not behind a desk with mountains of paperwork.
7. Training in people skills, which will enhance relations between them and the public at large.
8. To implement a program involving K-9 units
9. And most importantly; I will not micro-manage my officers. I will give them the latitude needed to do their job [an arrest is an arrest] unless the prosecutor deems otherwise, and not use intimidation and threats to obtain solutions.
These are just an overview of the things that I will implement to elevate moral.
Your future will be bright with me at the helm.
Dennis Gough