Dear Editor,

This year we face a Presidential election that can fundamentally forever change our country and our way of life. Law enforcement is under attack by a party that wants to demonize the police, defund the police, and put the criminal first. The safety and security of all citizens, including our police officers, is being put second to politics across the country as well as in our own Commonwealth. When situations in life turn bad, the first to be called is often law enforcement. We respond to assist citizens at all hours of the day and night, never knowing what we are walking into and hoping to return to our loved ones at the end of our shift. Unfortunately, that does not always happen, and it is a risk we knowingly take as part of our commitment to serve and protect. It is a special calling to become a law enforcement officer and there are not many who are willing to put themselves in harm’s way for others.

The call to defund the police only hurts citizens in the end. Who will respond when people are in need? Who will the powers that be send when someone is attacking you or a family member? The answer is no one, they do not care about you. Voters also need to understand that “defunding the police” is more than just cutting some funds to departments. It is a whole long list of reforms that include decriminalizing marijuana, emptying out our prisons and ending cash bail, just to name a few. These “reforms” put dangerous people right back into society to continue their criminal behavior, affecting all our safety. I invite everyone to google the Biden-Sanders Unity Task Force Recommendations and read how the Democratic party plans to change our entire criminal justice system.

We have all seen in the news over the past several months what lawlessness brings to cities and towns. Is this what we want our county to become? With the anarchy that is taking place do we want a party in control that wants to strip us of our Second Amendment Right, and take a chance at putting our other Constitutional rights at risk? There is one man who stands up for America and stands behind Law Enforcement and that is our President Donald Trump. President Trump will not defund the police, will not take away our Second Amendment Rights, will always uphold our Constitution and he will always put our citizens first and Keep America Great. A vote for President Donald Trump is a vote for America, our Democracy, and our Freedoms.

Sheriff Trevor Craddock
Craig County Sheriff
New Castle, Virginia

Title and uniform used for identification purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement by any law enforcement agency.