Letter to the Editor: Experience, work ethic and integrity make him a good choice

I am writing this letter to wholeheartedly endorse Brad Shutts for Jasper County Sheriff.

Brad comes from a family of law enforcement officers. When I began my career as a deputy sheriff in 1974, I worked with Brad’s dad, Mike Shutts, a Poweshiek County deputy sheriff, and his uncle Doug Shutts, a Grinnell Police Department officer. Both were dedicated career officers. Mike raised two sons, Brad and his brother Blaine, and both chose to follow their father’s lead to serve the public as peace officers.

I first hired Brad to fill a part-time deputy position in 2002. He was a dedicated, thorough, competent deputy, and when a full-time position became available, I did not hesitate to put Brad in the position. Through the years, Brad displayed a willingness to go above and beyond any assignment he was given, and was always willing to learn and accept new duties and responsibilities.

In 2009, I promoted Brad to Lieutenant, and he served in a rotating position from Patrol supervisor to Investigations/Drug Task Force supervisor. He did a great job in both positions, and through experience, learned how to manage officers and their various duties in all areas of Sheriff’s Office operations. When I retired in 2012, I knew I was leaving Sheriff John Halferty with a Lieutenant he could depend on in all aspects of his operation. Sheriff Halferty made Brad the Dispatch supervisor when Ed Roach retired, and Brad worked to improve and upgrade the county-wide communications system.

The Sheriff’s Office is a multi-faceted operation. It consists of a patrol division, criminal investigations, civil division, 911 Dispatch, and jail operation. Brad’s twenty-eight (28) years of Sheriff’s Office experience make him the best and logical choice to serve as Jasper County’s next sheriff.

Please join me in voting for Brad Shutts for Sheriff on June 4th. His experience, work ethic, and integrity make him my choice to be the next Jasper County Sheriff.

Sheriff Michael J. Balmer(retired)

Newton