Our President Says

Where does the time go? Seems like only yesterday it was the beginning of winter and now the week I’m writing this article it is the beginning of spring . Who would have thought that just a couple of weeks ago, we were facing a major blizzard and wondering if spring would ever arrive.

Your ISSDA Board and ISSDA Committees have been working hard to protect, promote, pass or punt a variety of issues or concerns that not only could effect your association, sheriffs’ offices, as well as the citizens of Iowa. I’m often reminded of an old saying that’s never been more true….THE ONLY THING NEEDED FOR EVIL TO TRIUMPH IS FOR GOOD PEOPLE TO DO NOTHING!

My hat is off to the Legislative Committee who is always on the front lines. As Committee Chair, Sheriff Curt Braby says, “they deal with the good, the bad and the ugly”. Although far from done, they along with guidance from our ISSDA Lobbyist Team Susan and Joe, have done a great job with the various bills and issues that come along with them.

One of the more time consuming bills has been working to repeal of the 2000 ft. ban on sex offenders and replacing it with Safe Zones which actually does more to protect children. It would actually protect children where they stay, schooled or play, versus trying to restrict where a sex offender lives, but not restricting where they go. To date, more than half of the County Boards of Supervisors have supported this effort by passing a resolution asking the legislature to repeal the 2000 ft law.

Before long ISSDA Civil School will have been here and gone. (April 22nd thru April 25th) The Schools Committee has been hard at work putting together another excellent school. Every year it is often a challenge to put together constructive, teaching, learning and motivating schools. The 2007 ISSDA Schools Committee under direction from Chair Sheriff Dewey Hildebrandt is doing a great job!

Although I’ve talked about just a couple of committees, there are many more large or small that are equally important. One more that I’d like to talk about briefly, is the Jails Committee. Headed up by Lt. Lynette Redden, does more than putting on a Jail School. This Committee works year round by working with the state jail inspector to update jail rules and regulations, assisting sheriffs where needed by inspecting old and new jails and recently sitting in on interviews for a new state jail inspector. We wish outgoing and retiring Inspector Mike Richardson all the best. You have done a great job and will be missed!

Congratulations to Sheriff Delbert Longley from Lucas County who was selected by the Iowa DOC to be the new State Jail Inspector. We are looking forward to working with Delbert in his new position.

I am just finishing up on a book by Zig Ziglar titled “Better Than Good” and would highly recommend it to anyone. I thought I would close with the following quotes:

“You can make more friends in two months by becoming more interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get people interested in you”.
Dale Carnegie

“Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never - in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense”.
Winston Churchill.