Dear Editor:

Community Policing is a good, proven concept that involves the efforts of law enforcement and the community working together to prosper in proactive enforcement. We would be embracing the community policing concept.

Some of the first steps we would take are:

Creating a fully functional and informative website for the sheriff’s department. This technical age like or not requires organizations to have a web page that is easy to navigate and will provide links to important resources and programs available to the public.

VINELink is the online version of Victim Information and Notification Everyday; this service allows crime victims to obtain timely and reliable information about criminal cases and the custody status of offenders 24 hours a day.

This service should be on the front page of a working website not buried on a dysfunctional website.

The sexual offender registry link is another that should be easy to locate and utilize.

We would post a great deal of jail information on the website that includes rules and regulations, and visitation hours. A link providing information on pending sheriff’s sales which outlines the procedures and properties being sold.

Providing links to government websites pertaining to law enforcement and public safety and services; and a listing of pertinent state laws and county ordinances that generate the most frequent inquiries from residents; a directory of administrative and department personnel to better interaction between the department and those it serves.

We would establish the TRIAD program which is a crime prevention program designed to educate seniors and provide them support to recognize when they are being targeted for criminal purposes. This program is supported and partially funded by the Indiana Attorney General.

We are talking about items that have costs associated with them. While the TRIAD program is partially funded we would seek community partnerships to close the gap.

Operating a website can be fairly affordable and the costs to benefit far outweigh any expenses that we would face in creating a functional user friendly website. We are seeking to give the public a tool which offers more options and programs and convenience.

Travis C. Marsh
Independent Candidate for Sheriff
North Webster