Guest column: Why I’m running for Lake County sheriff

I have officially announced my candidacy as a Republican candidate for the office of Lake County Sheriff. I am seeking this office to decrease Lake County's drug and crime rate and to make Lake County safer for our community. If elected, I will serve Lake County with integrity, honor, dedication, honesty and loyalty. I will have a strong focus on transparency and keeping the budget of the Sheriff’s Office a priority to ensure Lake County taxpayers are getting the most for their money.

I was born and raised in Lake County and attended Polson schools. I am married and the father of three children who currently attend Polson High and Polson Middle School. I enjoy spending time with my family and taking advantage of all the outdoor recreation amenities that our great state has to offer. Some of my hobbies include hunting, camping, kayaking and racing stock cars.

I attended the Montana Law Enforcement Academy, earning my diploma for graduating the Peace Officer Basic course #157. I also graduated from the Montana POST Coroner Basic course. I currently hold my basic, intermediate and supervisor Montana POST certificates. I have served as a patrol officer, patrol deputy, deputy coroner, corporal, sergeant and undersheriff during my career. I have also served as a volunteer fireman and with the Ambulance Service in Golden Valley County. I have investigated and received convictions in major cases from sexual assaults to embezzlements, worked and maintained budgets, managed social media platforms, implemented community policing-based programs such as Chaplain, Reserve and Explorer, and have been an integral part of day-to-day operations. I am very proficient in technology, which is an ever-evolving tool in modern law enforcement, and I have strived to save time and money by using new technologies.

If elected, I plan to work with the drug task force and send deputies to the necessary training that will equip them to better assist the community. The citizens of Lake County deserve a sheriff who is willing to work hard to achieve lower drug and crime rates in Lake County. I will provide the citizens of Lake County a transparent Sheriff's Office using modern law enforcement for modern crime. I will demand the highest standards of honesty, professionalism and integrity from myself and everyone on my staff to maintain and improve public trust, mutual respect and build a strong community partnership. Another goal of mine is to have every deputy trained in crisis management to better assist those who are in crisis situations. I will focus on retaining and properly training staff to limit the current strain on the budget due a very high turnover rate in deputies and detention staff. The less that is spent on constantly hiring new employees, the more that can be used in other areas to better serve the community.

I have been working and living in Lake County for most of my life, and I understand the community needs and have a vested interest in every citizen in Lake County. I am asking for your support and would appreciate your vote for Lake County Sheriff.

Corey White, a sergeant with the Ronan Police Department, lives in Polson.