Stephen Hodges: Party affiliation should not matter when electing a sheriff

To The Daily Sun,

Since fall 2019, the Belknap County Sheriff’s Department has been under a cloud of suspicion. According to published reports, in August of 2019, then chief deputy and veteran 18-year member of the department, David Perkins, reported to Sheriff Moyer a possible integrity issue involving Sgt. William Wright. This complaint reportedly involved the Sheriff’s Department Drug Task Force, managed by Sgt. Wright. For some undisclosed reason, this report to the sheriff by Chief Deputy Perkins lead to three separate investigations of Chief Deputy Perkins, the third of which reportedly cost the taxpayers of Belknap County around $85,00. And for all this effort on Sheriff Moyer’s part, nothing has ever come of any of these costly investigations. No accountability or transparency on the possible allegation by the sheriff to us, the taxpayers. And voters.

Fast forward to today. Only one person has filed to run for the sheriff’s position. Until now. Retired Sanbornton Police Chief Richard Robinson has stepped up and declared that he is seeking the sheriff’s position as a write-in candidate and has asked all voters, Democrats, Republicans and independents, to write his name in for Sheriff of Belknap County. Richard Robinson believes that political party affiliation should not matter when electing a County Sheriff. The elected Sheriff should treat all residents of the county the same regardless of their personal political convictions.

We need to lift the cloud of suspicion from the Belknap County Sheriff’s Department by electing a sheriff who is completely independent of the past issues at the department and only wants to serve the taxpayers and voters of Belknap County with honesty and transparency. In my opinion, we need to elect a sheriff that does not suffer from a possible “integrity cloud” around him. I ask all voters in Belknap County, Democrats, Republican and independents on Primary Day, September 8 to write in RICHARD ROBINSON for Sheriff of Belknap County.

Richard spent 20 years in law enforcement with both the Tilton and Sanbornton Police Department. He rose through the ranks and became a very successful chief of police for Sanbornton. Since retiring from law enforcement in 2003, he has managed over 200 employees and a multimillion-dollar budget for Tilton AutoServ. He has a proven track record of success in both the law enforcement world and the real world of business. This is the type of person we need to rally around and elect as the next sheriff of Belknap County. Please write-in RICHARD ROBINSON for Sheriff as if the Sheriff’s Department depends on it. Because it does.

Stephen Hodges

Retired Sheriff of Belknap County

Gilford