Public Safety

One of the pillars of my platform from my 2004 campaign for city council was to ensure that our community had the resources needed to deal with the raging methamphetamine crisis.  Twenty years later, the drug has changed (fentanyl), but the need still exists.  Because of a failure by the Federal government to stop the flow of this killer drug into our country, it is left to communities to fight this battle.  Fentanyl and other illicit drugs are already negatively impacting our community, but I will advocate for a proactive approach to protecting our citizens.  I support having our local police build upon the partnership with the Sherburne County Sheriff's Office Drug Task Force to address the issue.  One of my top priorities will be to open the lines of communication between these two law enforcement agencies to see how we can more effectively address illegal drugs within our community.  We can continue a strong tradition of our local police department while still inviting the Sheriff's Office to enhance their current efforts and join in this battle.  Other cities within Sherburne County dedicate staff as members of the Drug Task Force and I endorse exploring this possibility for Becker.  Our kids and citizens are worth it, and we need to have a comprehensive approach to this fight.

We also need to ensure that the Becker Fire Department has the resources it needs to respond to emergencies within our community.  I was a strong advocate for the department in the past and will again support investing in their preparedness and ability to respond by providing the necessary equipment, training and financial incentives to maintain proper staffing levels.  These fine men and women render aid to citizens in their most difficult times, and we need to do our best to support them.