One of the pleasant parts of being your sheriff is the wonderful staff I have to work with and the many years of experience they bring to bear.

Before one can become a full-time officer, he or she must complete the training at the academy, at the expense of the county. I was blessed to be able to retain the staff without such expenses, but more importantly, they brought the know-how, the general knowledge of the roads in such a large county and the needs of the many communities.

I am sure the staff members could have gone elsewhere for better pay and benefits, but they chose to stay in Adams County. I am personally honored and their choice is also a special complement to our county being a great place to live.

To understand the sheriff’s office, I’ll tell you a bit more. We have 66 employees, for which budgets must be established and followed, not just for payroll, but also for fuel, equipment, maintenance and special events. Establishing work schedules to be properly staffed takes a lot of time and attention.

I hope you have noticed how smoothly the department is operating, for which I give my thanks to my staff.

Finally, I want to convey our thanks to all of you for the confidence you have, not just in me, but for my staff.

With your support, we will continue to be a sheriff’s office attuned to your needs.

To this end, this office is open to ideas and suggestions for improvement.

Chuck Mayfield is the Adams County sheriff.