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From RuralNorthwest.com Boundary News By Del Richardson
Got a gripe, question or suggestion for the Boundary County Sheriff’s Office? Sheriff candidate Jeff Ennis is ready to hear it. “I’m interested in finding out what the people of this county want from their Sheriff’s Office,” he said. The candidate will be hosting Monday morning coffee hours each week, beginning February 16 at 8 a.m. at the Panhandle Restaurant. Ennis said he’s there to listen and buy the coffee. What he’s looking for is an “open-ended discussion of the issues.” He will be at a different restaurant every Monday at 8 a.m. Ennis, who was the jail commander for the sheriff’s office, has been in law enforcement since 1984. Ennis turned a sadly deficient county jail into one that has been certified by the State of Idaho Sheriff's Association for the past five years, without putting an additional burden on the taxpayers. He believes that there are three major issues facing the Sheriff’s Office: leadership, education and staff retention. “Professionalism, integrity, and leadership start at the top and work their way down through the department,” he said. A Boundary County deputy for seven years, he believes the Sheriff’s Office can improve with the right leadership. Second, Ennis believes that continuing education is essential for the staff because law enforcement is an evolving profession. As an example, he cited dramatic improvements in forensics in the last few years due to scientific advances such as DNA evidence. “There needs to be on-going training. If we don’t keep current, we’ll fall behind and lose cases,” he said. “Third, we’ve lost about 23 employees in the last three years. That’s about 92 percent of the workforce and that’s unacceptable.” He believes that one way to stop the turnover consists of proper testing and background checks on new hires. “This is a major reason for the problem,” he said. In addition to his own ideas, Ennis wants input from the community and that’s why he believes the coffee hours are important. “I want to know what people are thinking,” he said. He also believes that the sheriff’s office is only as good as the people working for it. Morale is an important part of the mix. “People need to be inspired and a pat on the back once in a while doesn’t hurt!” he said. Watch here for a list of restaurants that will be hosting future coffee hours. The schedule will also be published on Ennis’ website, www.jeffennis4sheriff.com. Ennis will face incumbent sheriff George Voyles in the Republican primary election May 25. © Copyright 2009 by RuralNorthwest.com, Inc |
