Burnett County is not unlike other rural counties with long distances between neighbors, beautiful countrysides and magnificent outdoor activities. However, there are some distinct differences between us and the rest of northern Wisconsin.
We are like Hayward with our tourism. We are like the Twin Cities with the summertime population. We are a border county. We have casinos. Unfortunately, lately we have a lot of crime.
Policing Burnett County cannot be done like the other areas that I mentioned because we are not those other areas. We are our own community with our own distinct problems. Community policing in Burnett County is how I see us battling our growing crime rates.
Community policing begins with communication. School safety is very important to all of us. I watch the news and see the school shootings and other tragic incidents that happen to our children. We will train in the schools with the staff. I will have regular meetings with our school counselors, members of our Sheriff’s Office and members of our local police departments. Often issues can be prevented with information sharing and brainstorming. We need to prevent these horrible tragedies before they happen.
Burnett County is very fortunate to have two volunteer organizations that assist the Burnett County Sheriff’s Office. The Burnett County Citizens Patrol assists us by being the eyes and ears for us. They patrol our rural areas and report what they see. They gather and maintain statistics for us that will allow us to target certain areas for extra patrol. The Burnett County Citizen’s Auxiliary has raised thousands of dollars to start and maintain our K9 program. They have also provided funds for other items of equipment when needed. This has helped immensely when levy limits have prevented budget increases.
Our department members are also community members. They are parents, brothers, sisters, volunteers, coaches etc. I want our employees to be active members of the community. Many times a crime can be solved or prevented just because we, as a department, know the citizens and their extended relationships.
When the Sheriff’s Department becomes visible to the citizens and makes positive relationships we increase our ability to prevent and stop crime. Part of this is transparency of the Sheriff’s Department. I want the public to know how we operate and have knowledge of why we operate as we do. Body cameras, squad cameras and proper documentation of incidents will show the community what is happening with this department and the direction it is going.
I grew up in this community and raised my family in this county. I know what the problems are and have the knowledge and ability to make this community safer. We will do this with Community Policing the Burnett County way.
Vote Finch for Sheriff on November 6, 2018.
Paid for by Tracy Finch for Sheriff
ABOUT THE CANDIDATE
Tracy Finch
Tracy has 29 years experience with the Burnett County Sheriff's Department. Tracy started with the department in 1989 as a jailer/dispatcher. She then worked as a patrol officer. She is currently a detective and has been for 18 years. Tracy is the lead detective and has investigated every type of crime. She has won numerous awards and has specialized training in all aspects of Law Enforcement. Tracy has lived and worked in Burnett County her entire life. She is dedicated to making Burnett County safe. If you would like learn more about Tracy, please visit her official Facebook page.
Last Update: Nov 07, 2018 1:00 am CST
