Since winning election in November, Sean Smith has undertaken a top-to-bottom review of the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office. It is the kind of thing that has to happen in any organization from time to time, although Smith’s effort seems particularly ambitious.
With that have come some changes. There have, for example, been changes in seven of the 11 top leadership positions and a restructuring of the overall office from four divisions to two. Traffic will get more emphasis, as will community policing and school-resource officers.
Underlying all of this is Smith’s emphasis on a cultural shift toward “creating a high-performing organization committed to excellence, professionalism and community partnerships.” He says, for instance, that while he supports the use of dash cameras, the real answer to getting along with the public lies not with cameras but in fostering a culture that builds relationships and trust.
That sounds good, of course. More to the point, though, Smith appears to be acting on that thinking by asking his officers where the office can improve and how. After all, it is they who directly interact, not only with each other and the Sheriff’s Office administration, but with the public they serve.
He is also asking members of the public what they think. Toward that end, the sheriff is hosting a community meeting at 2 p.m. Thursday at the new La Plata County Administration Building (the old Vectra Bank building) at 1101 East Second Ave. Smith sees this as “a unique opportunity for the community to help define the ways in which the Sheriff’s Office can better serve you.”
The sheriff is wise to ask. And with that, he deserves some honest, thoughtful answers. Reinforcing the trust, Smith says, is fundamental and in everyone’s best interest.
