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Highlands Today

Sheriff Benton

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John Moseley

Published: October 12, 2008

For the past several months I have been reading letters to the editor in the newspapers regarding Sheriff Susan Benton. I thought from the papers that the sheriff was "walking on water" in her job, by doing such a good job. But now I find she wants a new $12 million building. The Highlands County Commissioners have approved this request which had been ongoing for three to five years.

She says she is having trouble with evidence. Her office has seized so much evidence and in such large quantities that storage and identification became a problem. This is not good as all evidence must be accounted for. Her office is in the process of doing this now.

Some un-named employees say morale is bad and that they are not happy in their job; also that they want a new and much better sheriff, and know who would make a good sheriff for Highlands County.

Let me say this, I served over four years in the Navy. I was the first regional director of the Drug Enforcement Administration in Miami, where I was in charge of all federal narcotic agents in the state of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands; prior to that I was the supervising customs agent for the same area, also the customs agent in charge in New York, N.Y., for four years and also a customs agent in charge in Baltimore, Md., St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, and Houlton, Maine.

I worked with many local police departments, sheriff offices and state police offices. My judgment of Sheriff Benton is the highest, from talking with sheriff's personnel and reading newspapers. Morale is good in the sheriff's department; job satisfaction is high, equipment is good and the sheriff runs a fair shop. Women are well represented.

I have never met Sheriff Benton but my belief is we in Highlands County are very lucky to have such a fair and dedicated person in the position of sheriff. As a registered Republican I am voting for Democrat Susan Benton!

John Moseley
Lake Placid

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