DANNY GREEN FOR SHERIFF

Hey everyone, here is some more information on me, my family,my law enforcement experience and what some of my thoughts are on what I plan to do if elected.  Please send us some feedback and let me know what you think.

A very good friend called me a few days ago and said there was nothing in our web site about me being married.  So I guess I need to change that. I am very happily married to my wife Cheryl whom I do not think I could do without.  She has worked very hard in this campaign, designing the signs, ordering the signs and other things for the campaign.  She helps manage the campaign funds, and keeps me focused on what is important…Winning this election so we can bring a positive change to Shelby County.

I’ll go further and mention my three children as well.  My oldest, Amy graduated the University of Maryland with honors (I should add) and is a teacher in Annapolis.  We are very proud of her.  My middle child is Emily who graduated from Salisbury State University in Maryland and is an environmental and wildlife specialist for the State of Maryland and we are very proud of her too.  My youngest is Matthew who graduated from Shelbyville High School and is currently living in Los Angeles pursuing an acting career.  We’re waiting for him to be a big star.

My father Fred Green is a Shelby County native from Shelbyville and also an electrician. He was constable in Precinct 2 in the 60’s.  He met my mother Bessie while working in Port Arthur at the Texaco Refinery.

My Uncle Vance Green and my Aunt Betty live  in Shelbyville at Welcome Hall.

My working career aside from hauling hay, catching chickens, and other things to earn summertime money here at home started when I joined the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers at age 17.  I completed the electrical apprenticeship program and worked in electrical construction until I decided that I wanted to pursue a lifelong dream of law enforcement.  I am still an electrical contractor and a master electrician. Our company is C-D Electric and we are an active company working in Shelby and surrounding counties.

I completed the Regional Police Academy at Lamar University in Beaumont and worked for two years with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department.  When I decided to move back home, I called Sheriff Shofner who is a lifelong friend of our family and told him I was a peace officer and wanted to move home.  He had just received a grant for four new deputies and he suggested I come up and fill out an application. 

I started with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department as a reserve Deputy under Sheriff Carl Shofner. Shortly I moved into a full time position on patrol.  From there, I became a patrol supervisor and then into criminal investigations.  When Sheriff James Moore started his term, I was put in charge of criminal investigations and finally to the duties of Chief Deputy.  When Sheriff Moore left office, I resigned the sheriff’s office and worked for about a year and a half for the District Attorney’s office as her chief investigator.

My experience from a patrol deputy through investigations to the administrative duty’s of Chief Deputy at the Sheriff’s Department, then as Chief investigator for the DA’s office and the prosecution of cases in court gives me an edge on law enforcement experience.

I played a part, a small part in starting the Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) in Shelby County along with District Attorney Lynda K. Russell, and others. I was on the committee that formed the protocols for the Shelby County CAC.

I was a member of the first CAC multidisciplinary team. In this capacity, I investigated many child abuse and child sexual abuse cases with successful prosecutions.   I know how important these cases are.  If I am elected I will assign one of our most experienced investigators to handle these cases with the CAC from start to finish.  We will not have one deputy this week for this case and another for the next case. Child abuse and child sexual abuse will be a priority in our administration.

During the last half of Carl Shofner’s administration, myself and a couple of other deputies worked with State and Federal agencies to shut down one of the largest methamphetamine operations in east Texas and West Louisiana.  I have investigated large scale illegal drug operations right here in Shelby County with successful prosecution of individuals.  If I’m elected, I have friends in State and Federal agencies that will assist us when we do not have the resources or manpower to adequately investigate these cases.  Illegal narcotics are a very large problem here in our county and we will have a full time narcotics division at the Sheriff’s office.

Folks, one of the main reasons that any offender for any crime is not punished or they are “let go” is due to an inadequate criminal investigation by law enforcement officers. It’s not the D. A.’s job to collect evidence at a crime scene or take witness statements; it’s the police officers job.  And if we don’t do our job, then the D. A. can’t do hers.   An arrest is the easy part.  The hard part is to collect the evidence in the case, talk to and obtain written witness statements, interview victims and suspects, and then process all this information separating the good information from the bad. The bottom line is we need to obtain every possible shred of usable and provable information so that the prosecutor has the ammunition in court to get the offender convicted.  It’s not always an easy job.  But I know it can be done because I’ve done it.  And I’ve supervised deputies and investigators who have done it.  One of my priorities is going to be making sure that the investigations that we conduct are the best they can be.  Having experienced both the cop’s side and the prosecutor’s side, I know what needs to be done, how it should be done and I’ll make sure it gets done right.

Many citizens have expressed to me and my friends in law enforcement their views on what changes need to be made at the SO.  One of our main goals is going to bring the law enforcement agencies in the county back to working together.  I’m going to propose that the Constables, City Marshalls, and Police Chiefs get together on a regular basis and talk about what is going on in their precincts, cities and communities.

I have been asked if I am going to put the radars back in the patrol cars.  My answer is yes. 

The main areas where we will monitor speeders are in School zones.  The reduced speed limits in school zones are there for a reason.  Most students are not experienced drivers and have their mind on all manner of things not related to driving.  We will enforce the speed limits in school zones.

 Please don’t misunderstand me; I’m not saying that we will have deputies out writing tickets all day.  I’m sure Judge Tomlin wouldn’t mind the extra income to the county's general fund, but that’s not what we are going to do.  I am saying that enforcing traffic laws is a part of our responsibility as peace officers.  And certain areas are more important than others when it comes to enforcing the speed limit laws.

We will also do what we can to enforce the DUI and DWI laws in Shelby County.  To say that the only officers that should worry about drunk and unsafe drivers are DPS is irresponsible in my opinion.  Every Peace officer in the county along with their other duties, shares the responsibility to make the roadways as safe as possible.

We are going to explore the possibilities of bringing MADD and SADD chapters in the county.  I’ve been talking to a D.A.R.E. officer and I am learning more about the advantages and disadvantages and costs of starting a D.A.R.E. program in the County.  I believe that by educating our kids about drug use, we can help keep them out of jail.  Our schools are one of the best places to educate our kids about the consequences of narcotics.  That is where we have them sitting down and listening.  D.A.R.E. may be the best avenue for this education. 

These are just a few of my ideas that I am working on. I’ll be glad to visit with anyone who wants to talk about what  needs to be changed at the Sheriff's Office.  Let’s talk about your thoughts on what community oriented programs may help our county.

If you have any comments or suggestions please email me.

Thanks

Comments from Cheryl

 Hi everyone.

 This has been a very busy time for us all.  I enjoyed visiting with everyone at the Excelsior PTO carnival.  Wow, what a great turnout.  There were more people there than ever before and I know the school appreciates the turnout.

Oh boy, I didn't realize that it would take as much time and dedication to effectively run a campaign for sheriff.  However, we are dedicated and in this race to WIN!!!

AND WOW IT IS LOOKING GOOD FOR DANNY!!!!!!!!!

 Shelby County can not afford to have a repeat of the last 4 years.  We need a man who is fair, impartial, honest and will treat each person with the respect they deserve. 

WE NEED DANNY GREEN FOR SHERIFF!