My name is Robert Wesley, I am a deputy with the Addison County Sheriff’s Dept.

There are two purposes to me writing this letter, the first is to offer my full support to Mike Elmore is his bid to become the next Sheriff of Addison County. The second is to shed some light on who Mike Elmore is as a person for those of you that might not be too familiar with him.

Mike is one of the most honest and genuine people I have ever met. I have never once seen Mike waver from his values in any way.

I’m sure you’ve heard the term “age is just a number” which is usually reserved for someone of my age (57) who always says they feel younger inside than their actual age. But in Mike’s case it works in the opposite direction. Mike is far beyond his age of 27 in professionalism, respect and leadership than his age might suggest. Although I have 30 years on Mike I have never once had an issue in taking direction from him.

One the most important lessons I’ve learned in law enforcement did not come from the Academy, as great as they have been in preparing me for my job. It did not come from all the continuous education that is required. It came from riding with Mike one day on patrol when a call came over the radio about a missing 12-year-old girl. We happen to have been in the town of the call and within five minutes located the girl sitting on the ground in the corner of a baseball dugout. Looking back now when I was standing over her in full uniform I must have looked scary to her. The first thing Mike did was sit down getting on her level introducing himself, starting the conversation. Within 10 minutes she was reunited with her family. I remember driving away saying to myself “Thanks, Mike. You just taught me an important lesson and don’t even realize it”.

I’ve also been roadside with Mike, having to make an arrest on an individual with an outstanding warrant. I’ve been on numerous search warrants with Mike, including one of our last taking 10 firearms off a convicted felon. I’ve seen Mike deal with an individual that needed a mental evaluation after smashing out the window of one of our vehicles. So not only does Mike have the compassion as shown with the lost girl he also has the grit to quite frankly get the job done no matter the situation.

Lastly, I want to say how proud I am to be working with Mike, proud to see the growth he has shown. Yes, Mike is my boss, perhaps having some people believe is the reason for this letter. But the truth is I not only think of Mike as my boss but even more importantly as a friend. As a friend I want to see him succeed and excel at his new venture.

So, when you go to the polls in August please vote for Mike Elmore as your next Sheriff of Addison County, you can be proud doing so.

Robert Wesley

Ripton