In response to the article, “Fayette County Democrats present local platform” (The Citizen, Nov. 28, 2007), item number four of their platform addresses the topic of crime prevention.

I agree with their call that all government units should increase their focus on educating the public about crime prevention.

I have been a resident of Fayette County since 1998. As a result of the efforts of Republican Sheriff Randall Johnson, and other municipal law enforcement leaders, Fayette County remains one of the safest counties in metro Atlanta.

Our great quality of life and superior schools have attracted many new residents and businesses to our county. Each day thousands of visitors travel to Fayette County to shop at our retail establishments.

However, the expansion of commercial retail businesses in our area has also attracted many criminals to the county. Fayette County law enforcement officials have done an excellent job controlling crime in the county.

I believe that increased crime prevention training programs should be made available to county residents. These programs will better arm them with information on how to avoid being a victim of crime. Citizens and business owners should be taught the “Three A’s” of crime prevention, “Awareness, Alertness, and Avoidance.”

On Nov. 30, I announced my candidacy for the 2008 Republican nomination for sheriff. Prior to moving to the county, I served as a deputy chief of police with the Detroit Police Department. I also served as the chief of staff for the chief of police; and I assisted the chief in managing the day-to-day operations of the 4,500-member department.

Many people are aware of the serious crime problems that the city of Detroit has faced over the years. From 1989 to 1994, I commanded the Detroit Police Department’s Crime Prevention Section. The section was formed by the department in 1975 to address Detroit’s serious crime problem.

As a result of Detroit’s high crime rates, residents and businesses were moving out of the city, and it was hard to attract new businesses to the city.

As the commanding officer of the section, I coordinated the activities of 30,000 citizens who volunteered to participate in the department’s citizen patrol program. Additionally, I coordinated crime prevention training programs for thousands of residents, and business owners. Many of these crime prevention programs received national awards.

Personnel under my supervision taught an 80-hour crime prevention training course for law enforcement and private security personnel. Most law enforcement agencies in metro Detroit area assigned their personnel to attend this course. I also coordinated the department’s DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program.

In 1993, after months of preparation, I earned the Certified Protection Professional (CPP) designation from ASIS International (American Society for Industrial Security). The CPP is awarded based upon experience and passage of an examination that tests broad-based security knowledge. ASIS International is the largest international educational organization for security professionals, with over 35,000 members worldwide. Only 10,000 individuals worldwide have earned the CPP designation.

Educationally, I have a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice from Madonna University and a Masters of Liberal Studies degree in inter-disciplinary technology from Eastern Michigan University. I have also completed graduate courses in public administration at Central Michigan University.

I am a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.) National Academy. As a law enforcement administrator, I have received recognition from the following law enforcement organizations: the Detroit Field Office’s of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (A.T.F), the Drug Enforcement Administration (D.E.A.), and the United States Secret Service, Michigan State Police, and the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department.

If elected to serve as the sheriff of Fayette County, I will aggressively implement innovative crime prevention programs in the county. These programs will educate our citizens and business owners on methods that they can use to help them avoid being a victim of crime.

I will reach out to my fellow law enforcement leaders and work with them to coordinate our efforts to reduce crime in Fayette County. Along these lines, I will seek the assistance of federal and state law enforcement agencies in forming task forces to attack crime issues in the county.

I will initiate innovative deployment strategies for department personnel that will increase their visibility and enhance their effectiveness in the field

I will expand the efforts of the department’s Drug Suppression Task Force, which has done an excellent job suppressing drug trafficking in the county.

Since the Task Force was formed in 1989, Sheriff Johnson’s deputies have seized more than $14 million in drug money off of the streets of metro Atlanta. Earlier this year, our county’s drug task force participated in a major drug investigation of marijuana “grow house” operations spanning 13 Georgia counties and one location in North Carolina. The investigation resulted in the seizure of $100 million in assets.

I will vigorously support the department’s DARE program, which trains our fifth grade students on to resist the pressures to use drugs and alcohol.

The greatest crime fighting tool that we have in Fayette County is the men and women of the Sheriff’s Department, and other local law enforcement agencies. If elected, I will treat the personnel of the department with mutual respect and welcome constructive criticism and ideas.

I believe open lines of communication go a long way toward enhancing organizational morale and preventing stagnation. I will also work to ensure that the men and women of the department are properly compensated for their work.

In 1976, the population of Fayette County stood at approximately 28,000 residents. Today, more than 105,000 residents live in the county. Many changes have occurred in the county over years. Hundreds of new businesses have moved to the county. Fayette County is a thriving and healthy community.

As sheriff, I will use my exemplary experience, training, and education to serve all the citizens of our county. I will aggressively enforce the law, and do everything in my power to ensure that Fayette County continues to be a safe place to live, work, and own a business.

David L. Simmons, CPP

2008 Fayette County Republican Party candidate for sheriff

Fayetteville, Ga.

In response to the article, “Fayette County Democrats present local platform” (The Citizen, Nov. 28, 2007), item number four of their platform addresses the topic of crime prevention.

I agree with their call that all government units should increase their focus on educating the public about crime prevention.

I have been a resident of Fayette County since 1998. As a result of the efforts of Republican Sheriff Randall Johnson, and other municipal law enforcement leaders, Fayette County remains one of the safest counties in metro Atlanta.

Our great quality of life and superior schools have attracted many new residents and businesses to our county. Each day thousands of visitors travel to Fayette County to shop at our retail establishments.

However, the expansion of commercial retail businesses in our area has also attracted many criminals to the county. Fayette County law enforcement officials have done an excellent job controlling crime in the county.

I believe that increased crime prevention training programs should be made available to county residents. These programs will better arm them with information on how to avoid being a victim of crime. Citizens and business owners should be taught the “Three A’s” of crime prevention, “Awareness, Alertness, and Avoidance.”

On Nov. 30, I announced my candidacy for the 2008 Republican nomination for sheriff. Prior to moving to the county, I served as a deputy chief of police with the Detroit Police Department. I also served as the chief of staff for the chief of police; and I assisted the chief in managing the day-to-day operations of the 4,500-member department.

Many people are aware of the serious crime problems that the city of Detroit has faced over the years. From 1989 to 1994, I commanded the Detroit Police Department’s Crime Prevention Section. The section was formed by the department in 1975 to address Detroit’s serious crime problem.

As a result of Detroit’s high crime rates, residents and businesses were moving out of the city, and it was hard to attract new businesses to the city.

As the commanding officer of the section, I coordinated the activities of 30,000 citizens who volunteered to participate in the department’s citizen patrol program. Additionally, I coordinated crime prevention training programs for thousands of residents, and business owners. Many of these crime prevention programs received national awards.

Personnel under my supervision taught an 80-hour crime prevention training course for law enforcement and private security personnel. Most law enforcement agencies in metro Detroit area assigned their personnel to attend this course. I also coordinated the department’s DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program.

In 1993, after months of preparation, I earned the Certified Protection Professional (CPP) designation from ASIS International (American Society for Industrial Security). The CPP is awarded based upon experience and passage of an examination that tests broad-based security knowledge. ASIS International is the largest international educational organization for security professionals, with over 35,000 members worldwide. Only 10,000 individuals worldwide have earned the CPP designation.

Educationally, I have a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice from Madonna University and a Masters of Liberal Studies degree in inter-disciplinary technology from Eastern Michigan University. I have also completed graduate courses in public administration at Central Michigan University.

I am a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.) National Academy. As a law enforcement administrator, I have received recognition from the following law enforcement organizations: the Detroit Field Office’s of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (A.T.F), the Drug Enforcement Administration (D.E.A.), and the United States Secret Service, Michigan State Police, and the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department.

If elected to serve as the sheriff of Fayette County, I will aggressively implement innovative crime prevention programs in the county. These programs will educate our citizens and business owners on methods that they can use to help them avoid being a victim of crime.

I will reach out to my fellow law enforcement leaders and work with them to coordinate our efforts to reduce crime in Fayette County. Along these lines, I will seek the assistance of federal and state law enforcement agencies in forming task forces to attack crime issues in the county.

I will initiate innovative deployment strategies for department personnel that will increase their visibility and enhance their effectiveness in the field

I will expand the efforts of the department’s Drug Suppression Task Force, which has done an excellent job suppressing drug trafficking in the county.

Since the Task Force was formed in 1989, Sheriff Johnson’s deputies have seized more than $14 million in drug money off of the streets of metro Atlanta. Earlier this year, our county’s drug task force participated in a major drug investigation of marijuana “grow house” operations spanning 13 Georgia counties and one location in North Carolina. The investigation resulted in the seizure of $100 million in assets.

I will vigorously support the department’s DARE program, which trains our fifth grade students on to resist the pressures to use drugs and alcohol.

The greatest crime fighting tool that we have in Fayette County is the men and women of the Sheriff’s Department, and other local law enforcement agencies. If elected, I will treat the personnel of the department with mutual respect and welcome constructive criticism and ideas.

I believe open lines of communication go a long way toward enhancing organizational morale and preventing stagnation. I will also work to ensure that the men and women of the department are properly compensated for their work.

In 1976, the population of Fayette County stood at approximately 28,000 residents. Today, more than 105,000 residents live in the county. Many changes have occurred in the county over years. Hundreds of new businesses have moved to the county. Fayette County is a thriving and healthy community.

As sheriff, I will use my exemplary experience, training, and education to serve all the citizens of our county. I will aggressively enforce the law, and do everything in my power to ensure that Fayette County continues to be a safe place to live, work, and own a business.

David L. Simmons, CPP

2008 Fayette County Republican Party candidate for sheriff

Fayetteville, Ga.

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