Joshua Youssef: Smells like sheriff is trying to hide corruption in his department

To The Daily Sun,

Dave Perkins and his wonderful family are friends of mine and my family. Dave is in fact, one of the most honest and upright people I have ever known. As a law enforcement officer for 25 years, right in this community, he is widely known as a person of unquestionable integrity, fairness, and ethics. Dave has risen in the ranks of law enforcement because he has a spotless track record of doing the right thing — enforcing the law fairly and justly in a small community where everybody knows each other.

For a long time, Dave has held the highest non-elected position in the county, “Chief Deputy.” The only position higher is the sheriff himself. Dave has served under several sheriffs and has consistently carried out his duties at the highest level — at times even serving as acting sheriff.

So, why suddenly is this sheriff in particular, attempting to destroy Dave Perkins’ career and reputation? This demands a very public answer. Is it because darkness hates the light? Dave Perkins identified some questionable and possibly illegal practices taking place right in the department and reported them to his only superior, but the sheriff dismissed his concerns and refused to pursue them. Why wouldn’t the sheriff lock arms with Dave and get to the bottom of whatever possible corruption was going on? What is the sheriff afraid of exposing? Did Dave Perkins stumble upon a trove of corruption right here in our own Sheriff's Department?

In this age when corruption is so rampant, this should outrage anyone who expects their elected officials to actually do the right thing and not hide behind some technical legal nuance. Why did the sheriff conduct not one, not two, but THREE investigations into Dave Perkins (costing $40,000, resulting in no findings) but he NEVER once pursued an investigation into the corruption matter Dave reported to him? This is starting to smell fishy isn’t it? This is starting to appear like a coverup isn’t it? This is starting to reek of an internal conspiracy to bury corrupt behavior and then, in true guilty fashion, project that very behavior onto the person that is trying to expose the issue. Why are we hearing so much about Dave Perkins, but we are not talking about the core matter?

Elections have consequences, and it appears that the consequence of electing this sheriff was that he is senselessly trying to destroy the life of a 25-year veteran, whom everyone loves. Demand that the sheriff make all of the records public for everyone to inspect.

Joshua Youssef

Laconia