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2/25/08 Why I'm
supporting Lowell Cannaday for Dallas County Sheriff
The best candidate in either party this year is my
friend, Lowell Cannaday. He is the most qualified of all your options.
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When I first met Lowell Cannaday, he was a Lieutenant with the DPD.
He went on to become Assistant Chief, and retired from the DPD after 28 years
protecting Dallas citizens. He served as the Chief of Police of Irving for
10 years after retiring from Dallas.
Chief Cannaday's 38 years of police
experience, and police administration experience, is just what the Sheriff's
Department has been needing for the past 3 years. |
County leaders and law enforcement personnel from almost every city in the
County asked Chief Cannaday to run for Sheriff because of the embarrassing
conditions in the Sheriff's Department. He is endorsed by most of the
major law enforcement groups in Dallas County: Dallas County Sheriff J. E.
Decker Assn., Dallas Police Association, Irving Police Association, Irving
Fraternal Order of Police, Grand Prairie Police Association, DeSoto Police
Association and Wylie Police Association.
When you consider that Lowell
Cannaday was a commander with the DPD and the Chief of Police in Irving, those
three endorsements are particularly relevant. These are officers who know
this man. He was their boss, and they respect him so much they are
endorsing him over all candidates in both primaries. Being a police
commander or a Chief of Police frequently puts you at odds with the rank and
file, but Chief Cannaday was able to lead the officers under his command and
maintain their respect, trust and affection.
I first met Lowell when I lived in Oak Lawn and served on the Oak Lawn
Committee. He was totally available to us when the community was in an
uproar regarding the overwhelming number of bars and clubs on Cedar Springs.
The Oak Lawn Committee probably had an even number of gays and straights.
The bars were drawing huge crowds from all over the city and making life
unbearable for people who lived on adjacent streets. Residents, many of
whom were gay men, could not get out of their driveways because of bar patrons
parking in the adjacent neighborhoods. Also, many bar patrons were being
victimized going to and from their cars. It was a very emotional situation, but
Lowell Cannaday was fair to both sides. At a time when there was much
distrust from the gay community toward the police, Lowell built a lot of
bridges.
Lowell Cannaday understands the Dallas County Sheriff's job. There will be
no learning curve. There will be no embarrassment of his not being able to
pass the peace officer's test. There will be organization rather than
embarrassing chaos. There will be results rather than embarrassing
excuses.
There's another reason to vote for Lowell Cannaday. He respects the office
and will conduct himself with dignity. The Sheriff should set the standard
for the deputies and not be exempt from rules the deputies must follow.
Sheriff Cannaday would conduct himself in the same manner as he expects from his
deputies. There will be no double standards under Sheriff Cannaday.
It's just not the way he operates.
If you are a Democrat reader of DallasArea.com, you will not get a chance to
vote for Lowell Cannaday until November. If you are a Republican reader of
DallasArena.com, you can take the first step toward fixing things in the
Sheriff's Department by voting for Lowell Cannaday during the primary.
That's what I'm doing.
sb
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