Wright doesn’t have experience to be effective as Sheriff

To The Daily Sun,

In the waning days before the general election, we have a distinct choice for the next Sheriff of Belknap County. We can elect a Sheriff that is not plagued by suspicion. We can elect a Sheriff that in his twenty-year career achieved the rank of Chief of Police.

The other candidate has only risen to the rank of Sergeant in his twenty year plus career. Why is this? This is an important consideration for his ability to know administrative duties and to lead a department in a successful manner. For some reason he has not impressed his superiors. And when the Chief Deputy position came open this year why did Sheriff Moyer not promote him to this number two position in the department?

His is a “first line” supervisors’ role, not the role of the leader of the entire department. We cannot have a sheriff who has not attained a rank above sergeant and expect him to perform at the same level of administrative skills as one who has actually risen to the top of his department and mastered those skills.

I know, first-hand, what it takes to lead a Sheriff’s Department. I did so as the elected Sheriff of Belknap County for 13 years of my 28-year career with the Department. I came up through the ranks from Deputy Sheriff to Sergeant to Lieutenant Operations Officer and then to the elected Sheriff. Each level was vital to my ability to eventually be elected Sheriff and successfully lead the department. And I know this, the person in this sheriff’s race that can successfully lead the Belknap County Sheriff’s Department from day one is former Chief of Police Richard Robinson.

Stephen Hodges

Sheriff Belknap County, Retired

Gilford