Dennis Crawford, Merrimack County Sheriff Candidate

Dennis Crawford

Age (as of Election Day)

62

Position Sought

Sheriff of Merrimack County

Party Affiliation

Republican

Family

Married to my wife LYNDA for 41+ years

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

no

Education

H.S, then studied at NHTI, U-Mass Lowell and the most important 35 years at the Merrimack County Sheriff's Office

Occupation

Deputy Sheriff at Merrimack County Since 1984

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Retired as Supervisor of Operations at the Sheriff's Office in 2007. I remain on the job currently as a working part time Deputy, four days per week.

Campaign website

https://www.facebook.com/CrawfordForMerrimackCounty

Why are you seeking elective office?

When the former Sheriff resigned I spoke with several of my highly respected Law Enforcement Officials seeking a candidate. None were quite ready to run or willng to jump into politics. They all said I should run having the hands on experiance and integrity. After careful thought, I made the commitment to run.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Restore Team Spirt and Integrity which will lead to Team Work. I have already spoken to many of the Sheriff's Office staff. Upon becoming the next Sheriff, I will speak to every Sheriff's Office employee. I will find what needs to be fixed or changed with their jobs. I will get their suggestions to solve the problem. I will tackle the most common problems first and budget for those that will require more effort and funding.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I have been a member of the Merrimack County Sheriff's Office since 1984. I have worked hands on in every position, Dispatch, Court Security, Warrants, Civil Process, Prisoner Transports, etc. I have seen where problems have developed and I am ready to fix them. My opponent is sworn deputy, but not an employee of the Sheriff’s Office. He works as a Program Director for another County Department. I am a career Merrimack County Deputy Sheriff.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

N/A

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

Update our polices, Increase Training to include Diversity Awareness, Use of Force and Communication, Mental Health Awareness, Suicide Awareness, more Cross Training with local agencies and in house. Use Social Media and the Press to keep the public informed of our activates, Coordinate with the local Police Chiefs, Keep more Deputies in the communities to assist local agencies. Lead by Example.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I worked my way from Deputy, to Deputy First Class, then Sergeant and finally Lieutenant, the Supervisor of Operations. I was also involved with several multi agency groups which involved working with State, Local and Federal agencies.

The best advice ever shared with me was …

Nobody knows all the answers, you just need to know where to find them.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am not a politician. I am running on my Integrity and Experience. I am running for the citizens of Merrimack County, and the staff of the Merrimack County Sheriff’s Office