Meet the Candidates: Tracy Beatty, candidate for Ohio County Sheriff

Hello, my name is Tracy Beatty and I want to be your next Sheriff. Please allow me to tell you about myself. I was born and raised in Ohio County. I currently live on my family farm on Sunnydale Road near Fordsville. I am a Christian and a member at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church.  I am currently employed by the Beaver Dam Police Department and I have served here in Ohio County as a Deputy Sheriff for almost twenty years.

I became a Deputy Sheriff in 1994 and worked my way up through the department as Sergeant, then as Chief Deputy under the previous administration. I served as Captain under this administration where I recently resigned in respect for the current Sheriff, due to running for this office.

I take pride in my job and pride in Ohio County. I have always held professionalism to the highest standards when it comes to my job, but most importantly, I have always been a public servant to the people of Ohio County. Working under two different administrations I have developed my own ideas on how the Sheriff’s Office should be operated.

Please allow me to inform you of a few ideas I have for this office, ideas that you the people of Ohio County have requested: 

• As your Sheriff I will have an open door policy, which means that when you want to see your Sheriff you will not have to go through locked doors to see me. I will be available to the public when the public needs me. 
• As your Sheriff, I plan to remove the automated phone system which is currently in place. When you call the department you will speak to a person that will help you with your needs instead of having to push buttons. 
• As your Sheriff, I will open the Sheriff’s Office on Saturdays during tax collection for those who work through the week and are unable to arrive before closing time. 
• As your Sheriff, I also believe the people of Ohio County should stay informed on what the Sheriff’s Office is doing. I will remove the encryption on our two-way radio system, therefore allowing scanners once again to be used so that you can keep up with my progress as your Sheriff. It is my belief that the public can assist our department as well.
• As your Sheriff, strict drug enforcement in Ohio County will be the priority. Forming community coalitions, working with organizations such as OCAMP and Neighborhood Watch, and with a combined effort of local law enforcement agencies will unite us in our efforts to combat our drug problem. My drug enforcement will focus only on the drug problem here in Ohio County and not in other counties.
• As your Sheriff, drug prevention in our schools is a must. We need to focus on curriculum that is researched based and as Sheriff I will work diligently towards that goal. Our schools and our students need to be a high priority with prevention. 
• As your Sheriff, I pledge to be conservative with your tax dollars. All patrol deputies will live in Ohio County where they will be available and accessible to the citizens of our county when they are needed. This will also save tax dollars in fuel and maintenance costs on patrol cars.
• As your Sheriff, deputies will also be set up in sub stations throughout each individual community in the county. These sub stations will make the deputies more visible and more accessible to the public and reduce crime in those areas. 
• As your Sheriff, I will implement “around the clock service,” a twenty-four hour patrol for the citizens of Ohio County. This will be done by revising the current budget and increasing the number of patrol deputies.