08
december
vernonia’s
voice community
2007
State Trooper Eyes Sheriff ’s Office
By Randy Sanders
Who will replace George Bush? It seems like that’s
where all the political attention is focused these
days. Sadly, no attention is given to our local races.
Voters know little about their local candidates, even
though local elected officials govern our lives more
than people on Capitol Hill do.
Columbia County is facing a flurry of daunting chal-
lenges; probably the most important local office
you’ll decide in 2008 will be the County Sheriff’s
position. In Columbia County, drug abuse --in par-
ticular methamphetamine-- is on a five-year high.
Domestic and sexual assaults are also surging. With
an ever-growing population, the Sheriff’s Office is
already vastly outnumbered and understaffed. Cur-
rently, there is no patrol after 10 p.m. Oddly enough,
citizens have no problem with their hard-earned tax
dollars ending up in the Middle East funding police
departments, but have repeatedly turned down sheriff
levies in their very own communities! A new sheriff
will have no choice but to make ends meet with what
little the voters have given him.
These and other obstacles present Columbia County
with the need for a sheriff with proven law enforce-
ment experience. That alone won’t meet the chal-
lenge. Our next sheriff must also possess sharp com-
munication and business skills.
Usually voters are forced to choose a candidate they
dislike the least. Jeff Dickerson is running for Co-
lumbia County Sheriff in 2008; and because he’s so
passionate about the challenge, he has become a very
attractive candidate. Dickerson is currently a State
Trooper with almost 20 impressive years of experi-
ence working the highways of Oregon.
Most people who run for County Sheriff -- anywhere
in America for that matter -- do so for two reasons:
a promotion and a raise. It’s common for patrol of-
ficers to throw their hats into the ring, and if elected,
they become the chief law enforcement officer with
a crew of deputies who now answer to them--once
a patrol cop, now the boss. A pay raise is almost al-
ways forthcoming. A sheriff’s salary usually amounts
to more than a small town patrol officer’s. But in this
instance, Jeff Dickerson, if he were elected, would
take a pay cut. An Oregon State Trooper is better
paid than a Columbia County sheriff. Along with sal-
ary and an average amount of overtime, Dickerson’s
pay cut could amount to a year’s worth of mortgage
payments on an average home; that’s substantial.
Why would he do it?
As Jeff admits, “What I really love about the idea of
winning an election in order to lead a law enforce-
ment agency is the uniquely ‘American’ quality of it
all. To be directly responsible to the people for the
kind of law enforcement service we provide, strikes
a chord with me in ways that my 19 years with the
state police has not done.”
With limited funds, a new sheriff will have to make
due with whatever means are currently offered. A
new sheriff will have to roll up his sleeves, stop bel-
ly-aching about more money from taxpayers, and get
to work.
“You don’t go to people and say, ‘If only we had
more deputies, then we could do the job right,’”
Dickerson explains. “No, you do the best you can
with the resources you do have. You improve your
customer service skills with the employees you do
have. If you develop trust between the sheriff and
his employees, and between your employees and the
citizens the sheriff has been elected to serve, you
will create support for a reasonable levy that will en-
hance the performance of the agency. I don’t think
you get much mileage with voters by telling them
you would do more if they gave you more deputies.
People want to see what you have done with resourc-
es you have. They need to hear about the successes.
They need to see problems being solved. They need
to have positive contacts with the Sheriff’s Office in
their memories. We need to be zealous in our efforts
to create raving fans of what we do.”
It’s Dickerson’s nose-to-the-grindstone attitude that
resonates well with hard-working people who are
trying to raise a family with limited funds.
“The sheriff is directly responsible to the people, and
is therefore, their servant. Public service takes on its
full capacity when the people choose their leader to
be the chief conservator of the peace in the county,”
Dickerson explains. “So, if it will become my respon-
sibility to serve the interests of those who elected me,
customer service will be at the top of my list when
it comes to fulfilling the duties of my office. I want
to create the first impression among citizens that if
you want something done, call the Sheriff’s Office.”
Dickerson continues, “I want to create as many fans
of the Sheriff’s Office as I can. If employees are
armed with the vision to make a difference and are
empowered to deliver professional law enforcement
service with creative solutions that are wise and
beneficial to the community -- and if they love their
missions and see them as an extension of the overall
vision of the agency -- then you have the potential
for creating fanatical support among the citizens we
serve. Most everyone knows we have problems with
crime in Columbia County. Most people want to do
something to address it. They need to have confi-
dence that an increase in taxes will have tangible re-
sults -- more than just seeing additional patrol cars
parked at the Sheriff’s Office.”
Once officials are elected, they tend to forget prom-
ises made on the campaign trail. Perhaps more than
promises, there should be plans in place before elec-
tion day to outline to the voter how the job
will be done.
“My idea is to run a law enforcement agency more
like some of the businesses in the private sector who
have cornered market share and established longev-
ity by providing outstanding customer service.”
Dickerson leads through example, motivating those
who serve under him. “You cannot get ideal service
from an employee whose sole motivation in working
there is to get a paycheck,” he adds. “If it is just a job,
or if you don’t see yourself as part of an overarching
public safety solution, then working for the sheriff
is not your calling in life. We will need people who
can internalize a vision of commitment to the best
interests of the people we serve, not with lip service,
but with a deep-seeded desire to solve problems for
the community that only a law enforcement agency
can solve. How do we get those kinds of people?
By making sure they realize they are part of a team
with a vision. By getting them to buy in to the con-
cept of a professional public safety service devoted
to dependability, efficiency, integrity and respect. By
helping them to realize they have found their niche
in life by working for the Columbia County Sher-
iff’s Office. By empowering them to be creative in
solving problems and giving them ownership of the
authority --with responsibility -- to make the
decisions that will enhance the public’s safety and
establish in them the vision to make a difference in
the world around them.”
Jeff Dickerson is enthusiastic about the possibilities
of running a productive Sheriff’s Office in a com-
munity that’s at the proverbial fork in the road. One
direction, a stellar community and a model for the
whole state; the other, a hub and depository of crime.
I urge you to investigate all candidates and make an
informed opinion when you cast your vote for all of-
fices, in particular the County Sheriff’s position.
You can explore more about Jeff Dickerson’s experi-
ence, goals and most importantly his credentials by
visiting his website, http://dickerson4sheriff.com.
Randy Sanders is the former Publisher of the Columbia
River Reader.
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