COLUMN: Remembering our mission and core values

Submitted photo.

Ellis County Sheriff Johnny Brown.

Another year has almost reached its end, bringing with it an opportunity to look back where we’ve been as well as have the chance to look ahead to where we’ll head next. I personally want to take this opportunity to thank everyone again for their support during this election year.

It’s an honor for me to continue serving you as your elected Sheriff and to serve alongside the exceptional people that make up your Sheriff’s Office. We will continue to do our best to hold true to the mission statement we established when I first took office Jan. 1, 2009:

"The Mission of the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office is to provide professional law enforcement services to citizens and visitors of Ellis County. Realizing this Office has the authority to arrest and apprehend, we will strive to enforce the laws and maintain order in a fair and impartial manner.

"The Sheriff and his Deputies recognize that no law enforcement agency can operate at its maximum potential without supportive input from the citizens it serves. This Office actively solicits and encourages the cooperation of all citizens to reduce criminal activity and within legal limits, to assist in bringing to justice those that prey on the person and property of others."

Your Sheriff’s Office also recommits itself to the Core Values that serve as an integral part of our Mission:

• We value the lives of our citizens and will strive to protect and defend those citizens.

• We value the property our citizens have inherited and or worked to obtain. We will work to help them protect that property.

• We value peace and public order and will work to maintain that as the law provides.

• We value the employees that assist our citizens and will work to provide them training and encourage them to enhance their education so they may better assist the citizens.

• We value communication with our citizens and will work to provide venues for easier access to their Sheriff.

• We value professional and ethical conduct by our employees and will strive to provide the citizens with personnel in the Sheriff’s Office that share that goal.

From all of us here at your Sheriff’s Office, may you have a merry Christmas and an enjoyable holiday season as we approach the New Year. We hope that 2016 has been a good year overall for you. If for some reason it wasn’t a perfect one, may you have a better year ahead in 2017.

As always, please keep our military and service personnel in your thoughts and prayers. It’s because of their service and safekeeping of our great nation that we’re able to enjoy the rights and freedoms that we have.

May you and your loved ones have a Blessed Week.

Johnny Brown has served as Sheriff of Ellis County since Jan. 1, 2009, and is a graduate of the National Sheriff’s Institute. He has been in law enforcement for more than 20 years and holds a Master’s Peace Officer’s Certificate with the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education.