Friends,
As you know, election year is here once again. I would like to express my appreciation for having the opportunity to serve as your Sheriff since January of 2009. When I ran for office in 2008, I campaigned on what I would do if elected Sheriff. Now, I have to run on my record as Sheriff, which I am extremely proud of. I would also like to commend the men and women of the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office for the many accomplishments that we have been able to achieve in these trying times. We have strived to bring honor, trust, stability and accountability to this office.
Like many Sheriff Offices throughout the state, we have been adversely affected by the economy. Realizing this, I had to make some “outside of the box” decisions to balance the budget, keeping your tax dollars in your pocket. It has been a struggle, but we have met and exceeded the goals I set for my first term in office. Inside this website, you will see the accomplishments we achieved and how we met our goals, faced with funding shortages. Major accomplishments I would like to highlight during my term as Sheriff are as follows:
Although our nation has endured the worst recession since the 1930s; through unique budgeting techniques and extreme belt tightening, we have not increased the Sheriff’s Office budget, while absorbing over 2.5 million dollars in federal and state mandated increases outside of my control. By reallocating resources and eliminating unneeded administrative positions, I’ve been able to add ten (10) additional deputies to the road providing full-time law enforcement to the outlying communities. Even in these economic times, we’ve been able to lower the overall crime rate with proactive patrols and better trained deputies. In the summer of 2012 the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office will be a fully recognized, State accredited agency that will be held to a higher standard. We have also implemented numerous programs that will be detailed inside this website.
The future holds many challenges, and I look forward to serving you for a second term, as Hendry County needs stability in the Office of Sheriff. I know that together we can face these challenges. Thank you for your continued support and your interest in Hendry County.
Please vote August 14th 2012. If you have any questions, please contact me at home (863) 612-0678 or email via steve@wewantwhidden.com.
Sincerely,
Steve Whidden
Hendry County Sheriff
