I’m running for Sheriff because after 34 years of service with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, I believe my experience has prepared me to lead the agency while strengthening operations, supporting our deputies, and continuing to keep Knox County safe. I’ve spent my entire career serving this community, and I care deeply about the men and women who serve alongside me and the citizens we protect every day.
I want to ensure the Sheriff’s Office remains strong, professional, and focused on supporting our deputies while continuing to keep Knox County one of the safest communities in Tennessee.
My 34 consecutive years of service at the Knox County Sheriff’s Office have prepared me to serve as Sheriff of Knox County. During that time, I have worked in nearly every major division within the agency and held leadership roles that included planning, developing, and managing multi-million-dollar budgets. This broad experience has given me a deep understanding of the agency and prepared me to lead effectively while continuing to keep the citizens of Knox County safe.
The Sheriff’s responsibility is to have the vision to lead, train, and support the men and women of the Knox County Sheriff’s Office so they have the resources, leadership, and guidance needed to effectively serve and protect the citizens of Knox County.
I possess the strong work ethic required to solve complex challenges and effectively manage a large agency. I believe in clear communication, accountability, and using a common-sense approach to solving problems. I will work closely with Knox County leaders and commissioners to ensure the Knox County Sheriff’s Office continues to grow and move forward and remains one of the best places in the country to live and raise a family.
1. Reassessing deployment strategies to ensure deputies and resources are positioned where they are most needed to keep Knox County safe.
2. Building a strong and unified leadership team that supports the men and women of the agency so they have the training, equipment, and leadership necessary to do their jobs effectively.
3. Developing and implementing clear career paths for employees to improve retention, recruit the next generation of law enforcement professionals, and strengthen the future of the agency.
I want voters to know that I’m professional, experienced, and committed to listening to both the community and the employees of the Knox County Sheriff’s Office. I believe in strong communication, responsible leadership, and doing everything in my power to keep Knox County’s communities safe.
I am running for Knox County Sheriff because I want to protect and serve our community and country against the scourge of crimes by violent narcotic traffickers and the additional criminal threats that effect our community. I have the skills and expertise to thwart these activities that have its tentacles in our community and impacts our families through property crime, violence, traffic accidents, and overdose deaths. I was born and raised in Knox County, and I will strive to maintain the quality of life for the people of Knox County. I view the people of East TN as my extended family; they are humble, hard-working, God-fearing people but they will take a stand. As sheriff, I will take a stand against this evil to keep them safe.
I have spent over 30 years in law enforcement. I began my career locally, working with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) initially as a Corrections Officer and later as a Certified Deputy Sheriff. After KCSO, I became a Federal Agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). I worked for approximately 26 years with the DEA (approx 21 yrs DEA Knoxville) and have worked with various law enforcement agencies throughout the country. I have directed law enforcement partners to dismantle violent Drug Trafficking Organizations that had a nexus to Knox County. These operations utilized the resources of multiple agencies, (spanning multiple jurisdictions) required strategic operational planning, communication, and accountability.
Leadership starts at the top and integrity is the foundation. If the public does not trust the sheriff’s office, everything suffers.
As your Sheriff, professionalism, integrity, transparency, and accountability are the foundational standards by which I have adhered to throughout my career and how KCSO will be defined. I will develop a strategic operational plan for KCSO with a defined mission, goals and strategies to achieve our objectives. If the sheriff serves with professionalism, discipline, integrity and passion, a culture will establish throughout the ranks where KCSO employees and deputies will passionately reflect these tenets. The badge represents public trust. That trust will be earned every day.
Experience and Integrity.
During my tenure with DEA, I was held to the highest professional standard. I have directed an array of investigations that have encompassed multi-jurisdictions and have worked with numerous federal, state, and local partners throughout the country. As your Sheriff, I will bring more objectivity and discernment. This role requires someone who understands both law enforcement and high-level administration. It is not just about being tough on crime, it is about running a large, complex organization effectively. Voters deserve a leader who has seen the full picture. Because I have not spent my entire career with KCSO, I am not a part of any faction. KCSO will be a merit based system, and I will unify the office.
Public safety is the paramount objective of your Sheriff. We must stay ahead of crime trends, and target drug trafficking and organized criminal activity which destroys lives and our community. My background in narcotics enforcement gives me insight into how these networks operate and how to dismantle them. This sets me apart from the other candidates. I have the knowledge, experience, and a record of putting criminals in prison to keep our community safe. I will also enforce our laws as to criminal illegal aliens and address our homeless challenges.
Public safety also means visibility. Deputies would be present in neighborhoods. We must strengthen proactive policing while maintaining professionalism and respect for citizens.
For over 30 years at the Federal and State level, I have combated the crime and violence that affects our communities on a national/local scale. I had Top-Secret Security Clearance for 26 years and a background check every 4 years. I was held to the highest standards of professionalism and integrity. I know my experience and training gives me the ability to step in on day one to ensure that KCSO is achieving our mission to keep the people safe and secure in Knox County. As Sheriff this position is a calling to serve, I will hold myself and KCSO to the highest standards in serving our community. I will work to provide the employees of KCSO with support and training to be the preeminent law enforcement agency in the state.
Fundamentally, I believe it is God’s calling for my life. I am running for Knox County Sheriff because the citizens of this county deserve strong, principled leadership that is committed to integrity, professionalism, and public safety. Throughout my twenty-five-year career in law enforcement, I have seen firsthand the dedication of the men and women who serve our communities, and I believe they deserve leadership that supports them, promotes the best people into the right positions, and equips them to do their jobs effectively. I want to bring a fresh vision to the Sheriff’s Office; one that strengthens trust with the community, ensures fairness within the department, and keeps the safety of Knox County families as the top priority.
I began my career in the court system and spent 17 years on patrol, gaining firsthand understanding of the challenges deputies face every day. Over time, I worked my way through the ranks: Patrolman, Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, and Chief. Each role provided insight into the operations and leadership needed within a Sheriff’s Office. Much of my career has also focused on training and professional development. I have trained many deputies serving across Knox County and officers throughout Tennessee while managing budgets and resources to maintain high training standards. I also served on the S.W.A.T. team and later as commander, leading officers in high-risk situations that required sound judgment, teamwork, and decisive leadership.
My core responsibility is to ensure the safety of every citizen in Knox County while also leading the men and women working at the Sheriff’s Office. It includes enforcing the law, operating the county jail, protecting the courts, and making sure every deputy is trained, equipped, and supported to do their job effectively. I will lead with transparency, honesty, and integrity, honoring God first and then every Knox County citizen. I will promise to keep the public informed, make decisions openly, and hold myself and the department accountable to the highest standard. My goal is to run a department that serves with professionalism, protects with strength, and leads with integrity.
First is passion, a deep commitment to serving the people of Knox County and keeping our community safe. I bring extensive experience, having worked through nearly every rank in law enforcement, trained numerous deputies across the county and state, and served in high-intensity situations requiring sound decisions. Integrity is at the core of my leadership, and I will hold myself and my team to the highest ethical standards. I have the grit to be tough on crime while also showing grace by supporting and developing our personnel. I also bring decisiveness, accountability, and transparency, qualities that will help me lead the Sheriff’s Office with professionalism and earn the trust of the people of Knox County.
1. Public Safety: My top priority is keeping Knox County safe through proactive policing, strong crime prevention, and ensuring deputies have the training and resources needed to protect our community. I will address the growing homeless population, enforce immigration laws, and help keep our schools safe for students and educators.
2. Transparency and Trust: I will lead a Sheriff’s Office built on integrity, accountability, and openness, strengthening public trust through clear communication and fair enforcement of the law.
3. Supporting Deputies: I will prioritize training, professional development, merit-based promotions, and competitive pay and benefits so our deputies are supported and equipped to serve effectively.
I want voters to know that I am guided by Christian and conservative values that shape how I lead and serve. With God’s help, I strive to live with honesty, integrity, and respect for human life and the rule of law. I am committed to protecting the people of Knox County and keeping our families, neighborhoods, schools, and communities safe. I want citizens to trust that I will do what is right, not what is easy, and that I will run the Sheriff’s Office in a fair, clean, and efficient manner. With decades of experience training deputies and leading in high-pressure situations, I will lead with integrity, enforce the law firmly, and support the men and women who serve our community.
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