I encourage you to vote for Jason Trundy for Waldo County Sheriff this coming November. Trundy has the right mix of experience, integrity, firmness, and innovation to continue --and add to -- the Waldo County Sherriff’s Office legacy of excellence.

Policing is hard to get right. Some emergencies warrant swift and decisive action to control the situation; others merit empathy or slowing down to de-escalate stress. Officers who can do both appropriately are good officers.

I am a long-time first responder volunteer (fire, EMS, emergency management) in my town. I have had many occasions to overlap with Waldo County Sheriff’s Office Deputies. Whether at the scene of a car crash, at the home of a sudden death, or at a domestic violence call – time and again, I have been impressed not only by the Deputies’ level of professionalism, but also by their level of humanity. I credit Waldo County’s proud history of quality Sheriffs for this and know that Deputy Chief Trundy – with his long tenure at the Waldo County Sheriff’s Office – will continue this approach. But effective policing is not just about response. It’s also about prevention.

I believe Trundy has demonstrated strength in both these areas and that his community-centered approach to Public Safety is a wise choice for Waldo County. To prevent crime, Trundy looks at the big picture on what drives criminal behavior in our county. Then he partners with community organizations to address those issues. He has worked tirelessly over his years at the Waldo County Sheriff’s Office to build community partnerships with elderly, youth, recovery, social service, and restorative justice organizations.

This community partnership approach helps law enforcement officials get to know their community; it helps divert individuals from criminal behavior, AND it helps incarcerated individuals face the underlying issues that led them to criminal behavior so they can effectively re-join their communities once their sentence is served.

Trundy is intelligent, curious, and open-minded, while at the same time he is anchored in his values. He doesn’t look for the easy answer; he looks for the right answer. If you would like your next Sheriff to be devoted to keeping our community safe -- and thoughtfully working to address root causes of crime -- then Trundy is your man!

Elise Brown lives in Liberty