Editor, Ceres Courier,

I want to thank the voters of Stanislaus County for their confidence and trust in electing me to be your next sheriff. I have devoted my professional life to public service and am excited and humbled by the responsibility to lead an outstanding organization such as the Sheriff’s Department.

There are many challenges confronting public safety organizations. One of the biggest we face is recruiting, hiring and training qualified local men and women. That will be a priority. I look forward to working with Sheriff Adam Christianson in the next six months to address that issue as well as many others.

I also want to publicly recognize Sgt. Juan Alanis. I respect his service to our county and the commitment he also brings to public safety. I appreciated the opportunity to discuss and debate our ideas for the Sheriff’s Department.

The nearly 700 men and women in the Sheriff’s Department share a common mission: To protect the people we serve. I look forward to helping us meet that mission.

Again, thank you for your trust.

Jeff Dirkse,

Sheriff-elect