Please talk to your Sheriff, your Police Chief, Town Marshall etc.
I live in a town with a town service area and a rural service area. The County Sheriff is primarily responsible for the rural service area (where I technically live), with the town primarily responsible for the core town service area.
I have made the effort to speak with both of my local law enforcement department heads, and I encourage all INGO'ers to reach out to yours and do the same!
First, in today's law enforcement climate our local law enforcement need to know those individuals in the community or County who support their work. Second, they need to know what is important to you, the citizen, in their area of responsibility.
Sheriffs in Indiana are a Constitutional elected office (Indiana Constitution Article 6 section 2), subject to a two (2) consecutive term limit. Most Sherrifs in Indiana are strong Constitutionalists who support all of the Bill of Rights, as evidenced by so many of them supporting HB1369. If your Sheriff is now term limited, have you assessed the individuals who will vie to replace him?
Outside of our most populous cities and Counties an e-mail or call to the Sheriff's office and / or to the local Police Chief or Town Marshall may be all that is required to set up a meeting. Set an agenda and discuss your community, your concerns, and what is important to you. Ask what they need from you, and offer your assistance.
For my part I have garnered an hour of my local Police Chief and a Lieutenants time, as well as an hour of my Sheriff and his Chief Deputy's time. For my part I consider that my time was well spent! I learned some things, I was able to give my feedback on some topics important to me, and most importantly I was able to asses the individuals while looking them in the eye (and they had the same opportunity to assess me).
I assessed my Sheriff and his Chief Deputy as outstanding public servants working hard not only to protect the citizens of the County from criminal activity but also actively working to protect the Rights of those citizens and do so efficiently. My Sheriff is term limited and I was able to speak with what will almost certainly be a candidate for Sheriff in my County. My meeting with these gentlemen gave me that early opportunity to assess a probable candidate, and determine if he was viable (in my opinion he will be, and will carry on the fine work and legacy of our current and past Sheriffs).
I have also learned that the last year of "Defund the Police" and the constant media attacks upon law enforcement is having a negative effect. Our local law enforcement need to hear from the citizens they serve that they are appreciated and valued. Find out what you can do to support your local Sheriff or police department. They will likely know through their local and national organizations what proposed laws or regulations will hinder their work or place their personnel at risk before we will. Ask them to share this information and use your voice as a citizen and voter to push back against ill conceived laws and regulations. The professional politicians and bureaucrats of the uni-party do not have our local law enforcement's best interests in mind, we the citizens need to protect our local law enforcement from bad laws which will burden them or worse.
If you followed the HB1369 progress this year, you will know that some of the strongest proponents of the bill were Indiana Sheriffs. Many of our Sheriffs, and I know my Sheriff, are strong Constitutionalists. If you care about your Rights, limited government, and local government then one of the first places to start is with your County Sheriff. Get to know your Sheriff and let them get to know you. Let them know your stance on the Second Amendment and ask them what theirs is. My experience was pleasant, I didn't have to ask as my Sheriff and his Chief Deputy's views, as their views were clearly volunteered and aligned with my own.
Finally, consider pressing your State Representative and Senator to make ALL Indiana law enforcement heads (prosecutor and enforcement) elected positions. After the last year, I am now a strong proponent of making the heads of all entities enforcing the law through investigatory or prosecutorial practices directly accountable to the people. Allowing these positions to be hidden behind the local executive branch head is a separation which our citizens can no longer afford.
I live in a town with a town service area and a rural service area. The County Sheriff is primarily responsible for the rural service area (where I technically live), with the town primarily responsible for the core town service area.
I have made the effort to speak with both of my local law enforcement department heads, and I encourage all INGO'ers to reach out to yours and do the same!
First, in today's law enforcement climate our local law enforcement need to know those individuals in the community or County who support their work. Second, they need to know what is important to you, the citizen, in their area of responsibility.
Sheriffs in Indiana are a Constitutional elected office (Indiana Constitution Article 6 section 2), subject to a two (2) consecutive term limit. Most Sherrifs in Indiana are strong Constitutionalists who support all of the Bill of Rights, as evidenced by so many of them supporting HB1369. If your Sheriff is now term limited, have you assessed the individuals who will vie to replace him?
Outside of our most populous cities and Counties an e-mail or call to the Sheriff's office and / or to the local Police Chief or Town Marshall may be all that is required to set up a meeting. Set an agenda and discuss your community, your concerns, and what is important to you. Ask what they need from you, and offer your assistance.
For my part I have garnered an hour of my local Police Chief and a Lieutenants time, as well as an hour of my Sheriff and his Chief Deputy's time. For my part I consider that my time was well spent! I learned some things, I was able to give my feedback on some topics important to me, and most importantly I was able to asses the individuals while looking them in the eye (and they had the same opportunity to assess me).
I assessed my Sheriff and his Chief Deputy as outstanding public servants working hard not only to protect the citizens of the County from criminal activity but also actively working to protect the Rights of those citizens and do so efficiently. My Sheriff is term limited and I was able to speak with what will almost certainly be a candidate for Sheriff in my County. My meeting with these gentlemen gave me that early opportunity to assess a probable candidate, and determine if he was viable (in my opinion he will be, and will carry on the fine work and legacy of our current and past Sheriffs).
I have also learned that the last year of "Defund the Police" and the constant media attacks upon law enforcement is having a negative effect. Our local law enforcement need to hear from the citizens they serve that they are appreciated and valued. Find out what you can do to support your local Sheriff or police department. They will likely know through their local and national organizations what proposed laws or regulations will hinder their work or place their personnel at risk before we will. Ask them to share this information and use your voice as a citizen and voter to push back against ill conceived laws and regulations. The professional politicians and bureaucrats of the uni-party do not have our local law enforcement's best interests in mind, we the citizens need to protect our local law enforcement from bad laws which will burden them or worse.
If you followed the HB1369 progress this year, you will know that some of the strongest proponents of the bill were Indiana Sheriffs. Many of our Sheriffs, and I know my Sheriff, are strong Constitutionalists. If you care about your Rights, limited government, and local government then one of the first places to start is with your County Sheriff. Get to know your Sheriff and let them get to know you. Let them know your stance on the Second Amendment and ask them what theirs is. My experience was pleasant, I didn't have to ask as my Sheriff and his Chief Deputy's views, as their views were clearly volunteered and aligned with my own.
Finally, consider pressing your State Representative and Senator to make ALL Indiana law enforcement heads (prosecutor and enforcement) elected positions. After the last year, I am now a strong proponent of making the heads of all entities enforcing the law through investigatory or prosecutorial practices directly accountable to the people. Allowing these positions to be hidden behind the local executive branch head is a separation which our citizens can no longer afford.
