Support for Sheriff Gary Anderson

May 20, 2008 11:16 am

— Dear editor,
I am writing this letter to the citizens of Appanoose County who may have heard of Sheriff Gary Anderson but do not know him. I became a Special Deputy for Appanoose County in 1982 and became acquainted with Gary in 1986 when he worked as a jailer, then later as a deputy. I became a full time deputy in 1989 due in a large part to Gary. Gary was promoted to Chief Deputy in 1990 then elected in 2000 to the earned and deserving role as Sheriff, the office that he proudly serves for the people of Appanoose County.
Since that time, I think I have gotten to know Gary better than anybody else that I know. I have learned more from Gary than can be learned in the classes that are required to be and stay certified as deputy, in the state of Iowa. As for learning Gary attends and sends his personnel to schools and training to keep his office knowledgeable and up to date for the people of Appanoose County.
Gary is not the type to sit back and watch and be content at the way things are going. He is always and I do mean always striving to make not only the Office of the Sheriff a better office, but to make Appanoose County a better place for all of its citizens. As an example, Gary was very instrumental in getting the 911 system going in Appanoose County and is still the one that gets the calls when it is not working properly or when the 911 signs and mapping need updated or corrected.
Gary is the most knowledgeable person I know when it comes to law enforcement. He makes himself available 24/7 to everyone at the Sheriff's Office and the dispatch. I have called numerous times at all hours and he is always available for assistance. It may be because of an accident a hostage situation, pursuit, death, lost child, an adult that has wandered away from the nursing home, because I don't know the answer to something, the sewer has backed up in the basement, the entire radio system has gone down, lightning strikes, power outages, changing the clocks for the time changes, this is the man that gets that call. Gary know the Sheriff's Office and the Law Center from the sewer to the antenna that sits atop of it.
I have been with Gary many times over the years in very serious and dangerous situations that my life as well as his, has depended upon the trust that, not only I but, every other deputy that works for him has in him as well as in each other. I can think of no other person that could fulfill the office of the Sheriff in a way that the citizens of Appanoose County deserve than to put your trust in this man and re-elect him to the office of the sheriff come election.
As for the complaints that we have to many cars sitting at the Law Center, these are parts cars and backups. The sheriff has not purchased a new car since 2002, rather buying them used in an attempt to keep the cost to you, the tax payer, down. You think the Sheriff's Office has too much equipment? You can also thank Sheriff Anderson for that equipment as much of it is from grants or money that would have been given to some other county or entity had he not put forth the effort on his own to get it.
You may ask after reading this, does Sheriff Gary Anderson have any faults? Yes, he is human but you don't have to ask him which is his biggest? I can tell you that one. He is too dedicated to his job and the people of Appanoose County.

Dennis Daniels
Appanoose County Deputy Sheriff