BENTONVILLE (KFSM) – Glenn Latham has become the second candidate to announce he is running for Benton County sheriff against incumbent Kelley Cradduck.
Latham, a senior systems administrator at Walmart, is a former detective in the sheriff’s offices in Benton and Washington counties.
“We have two choices in life; accept things as they are, or take action to change them,” Latham says on his Latham for Sheriff Facebook page. “Join me in taking action.”
Latham said Independence Day was a “fitting day” to unveil his campaign Facebook page with an “informal announcement” of his candidacy for sheriff.
As first reported by 5NEWS, Siloam Springs police Cpl. Tim Filbeck has previously announced he is running in the 2016 election.
Another potential candidate said to be eyeing a run for the office is Paul Pillaro of the Lowell Police Department.
On Monday (July 6), Latham submitted a letter to 5NEWS on his campaign and his stance on the issues. Below is the letter in its entirety:
I never imagined this kind of support or inquiry without a formal acknowledgement of my intention to seek the Office of Sheriff for Benton County.
First, let me say this. I am a whole hearted supporter of the Constitution of the United States, as well as the Constitution of the State of Arkansas. I believe the guiding principles put into place all those years ago are still worthy of our respect and adherence today.
One of the most debated topics is the right of each person afforded under the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution. The 2nd Amendment is a cornerstone on which this country was not only founded, but secured and remains this way today because of it. I believe in ownership of firearms, and the rights of the citizens in their possession. I will be steadfast in my role as Sheriff, if so elected, in guaranteeing those rights are not infringed upon.
I believe we must be fiscally responsible in our usage of tax monies and the waste needs to be trimmed. There will always be waste, it is a fact of life, but we must be able to manage it to the best of our ability, not encourage even more spending of our tax dollars in which we, the citizens of Benton County, are seeing little to no results. I gladly pay my taxes when I see the benefits to the county as a whole, not to one man or woman. However, the good stewardship of our tax dollars is greatly lacking in the current administration.
Drugs continue to be a problem. As an undercover narcotics officer in the Fourth Judicial District Drug task force, I know the drug trade, even though it changes daily, the basic mechanics stay the same. We, however, have been focused for decades on the end user instead of the supplier. A user is an addict and will do whatever is necessary to procure his or her drug of choice. In every battle, good leaders know you must cut off the supply line to the enemy to heighten your chance at victory. We need to shift our focus. We don’t need to stop fighting the battle, but we must shift our focus to the supply chain. We need to work together with the surrounding agencies, not against them or in spite of them. Pool our resources into a task force and share the knowledge and intelligence! Work smarter, not harder. Our children’s future, my child’s future, depends upon it.
My oldest brother, 18 at the time, was killed by a drunk driver in 1980, in the presence of our family. This has left an everlasting memory of pain and will be a point of focus for me as Sheriff. This is a problem which faces every person who travels our roadways, whether they be a Benton County resident or not.
Last, I would like to talk about my affinity for technology. This is the single largest threat to our children, even past drugs. As we become more and more mobile in today’s world, we are moving away from a program based computer to an application based mobility on the smart phones and tablets. Our children are most vulnerable. I spent a great deal of time studying this, even prior to working as a cyber crimes detective, and know the dangers of the internet. A well-respected high school athletic director, a former jail deputy and a school bus driver are among those whom I caught in my snare as an undercover cyber crime officer in my first 12 months. As I learned and my knowledge evolved, so did the technology and it will only continue to grow. The largest amount of information available for law enforcement today is in the hands of the offender, in their cellular phone or tablet or computers. I know this world. I work this world. I understand this world and want to lead the charge into a larger task force in the Northwest Arkansas area where ALL agencies are working together to safeguard our children.
One of the major endeavors I will undertake as Sheriff is placing body cameras on each and every Deputy, Sergeant, Lieutenant and Captain who interacts with the public in an enforcement role. The camera is only one tool in a large tool belt afforded the officer. It is one where we ask for accountability. I do not think it is too much to ask.
I also want to place Automated External Defibrillators (AED) into every patrol car. These life-saving tools have dropped tremendously in price and are affordable enough to be accessible to all those whom could very possibly be the first on scene. Statistics have shown where victims of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) who have been treated with an AED have a higher rate of survival. Deputies, who are more mobile and can many times be the first responder on a scene, could greatly increase a person’s probability of survival.
I can guarantee the citizens of Benton County this; I will be the hardest working employee in the building. I never wanted to be a supervisor, turned down opportunity after opportunity to become one because I loved the work. I didn’t want to be relegated to sitting behind a desk shuffling papers. As your Sheriff, you will see me out in the unincorporated areas of the county, interacting with the citizens and speaking with them as to how they feel the Sheriff’s Office can improve their service. There is NO BETTER gauge on the impact of your service than the ones it effects the most, the citizens.
I will put an end to the “good ole boy” system when it comes to the Sheriff’s Office. I will implement a testing procedure for all levels of the hiring and promotion process.
I believe in doing what’s right, no matter who it benefits. We, as law enforcement, have sworn an oath to uphold the laws of the United States of America and the State of Arkansas. I did not take this oath lightly.
My experience over 19 years ranges from starting as a dispatcher, to working in the jail, as a patrol corporal, a detective, undercover narcotics and cyber crimes. I have experienced and worked every facet of the Sheriff’s Office with Washington County under Sheriff McKee, Whitmill and Helder and as a Detective with Benton County under Sheriff Ferguson and Sheriff Cradduck. You can locate all of my work information on LinkedIn.
I thank you greatly for the time.
Glenn Latham
