State your name, position, and why you are running.
Eric DeBoer, Candidate for Sheriff. The Sheriff’s Office is a large and complex organization. The values we hold shape how we serve the citizens of Ottawa County. We have always enjoyed the overwhelming support of the people of Ottawa County. This is because of the relationships that the agency has fostered with the communities over time. There are improvements that need to be made to the Sheriff’s Office but without the intimate knowledge of the history and core values of the department, everything that we have worked toward could be ruined. I am unwilling to sit by and risk that happening and am therefore running for sheriff
What expertise and strengths are you bringing to the board?
I believe that the combination of my experience, my education and my connection to Ottawa County make me uniquely qualified for the Office of Sheriff. I have worked for 25 years in numerous units within the Sheriff’s Office. I have time in the marine patrol, road patrol, community policing, undercover investigations, the detective bureau, supervision and administration within the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office. This has given me a comprehensive understanding of the department and its strengths and challenges. I have an associate degree, a bachelor’s degree, and a Master of Public Administration. This has helped to improve my communications and critical thinking and has given me the tools to evaluate and improve programs and systems within the department. And as I noted before, I have been a part of this community for the last 25 years. I have been invested in making this county and its numerous communities safe. I have lived in Ottawa County for a quarter century, I attend church in Ottawa County, I have served as a firefighter and on a local planning commission within Ottawa County, and my wife, Hillary, and I are raising our two children in Ottawa County. I have a vested interest in keeping Ottawa County one of the safest communities in the state.
Why should residents vote for you?
For all the reasons listed above. I have been a part of the Sheriff’s Office for 25 years. I am endorsed by Sheriff Kempker and Prosecuting Attorney Fisher. I have an intimate knowledge of the department and its people and processes. I absolutely love this county and only ask to be able to continue to serve it and its citizens.