To Improve Public Safety & Deliver Better Value: We must recruit and retain experienced professionals, better integrate volunteers, and reallocate resources to ensure effective public safety services countywide. We must communicate more effectively, both internally and with other jurisdictions in the region, to improve crime fighting/solving and emergency response. We must continually assess homeland security and natural disaster threats and be prepared to act quickly and decisively in the event of an emergency.

Almost any public safety worker can tell you the moment he or she decided to pursue a career in police, fire or emergency services. For most, it was a memorable interaction with someone in the profession that influenced them. Years ago, policemen and firemen regularly visited our high schools, not only to talk about safety issues, but also to encourage our youngsters to pursue lives of public service. This outreach was vital to communities, but also valuable in the recruitment of new talent. This outreach needs to resume.
Recruiting and retaining talent need to be top priorities to keep our county safe. We are contending with neighboring counties that offer better pay and benefits, as well as lower costs of living. The current system makes it hard for us to attract recruits and even harder to retain experienced professionals. Plus, we will lose a large portion of our personnel to retirement over the next few years.	"Recruiting and retaining talent need to be top priorities to keep our county safe."
As with our teachers, public safety personnel can serve us better if they live in the communities where they work. We need to seek solutions for affordable housing, especially in growth areas like West County. And we need to seriously look at our compensation packages and grade structures to reward experience and merit and to compete more effectively with other jurisdictions for workers.
Necessity and innovation have brought a lot of new equipment and technologies to police, fire, and emergency work in the last few years. Training our people and providing the technology they need to do their jobs are the most important investments we can make. Both physical and technical training need to be major considerations as time, money and people are reallocated.	"Training our people and providing the technology they need to do their jobs are the most important investments we can make."
Finally, with the growth of West County and other areas, and the changing demands on existing services, planning and management will be key as new facilities are designed, built and brought online. Common sense must be brought to bear as we invest in the future of public services and keep pace with current demand.
"The public safety personnel of this county have spoken and I have listened. We can provide the talent, training and technology they need to succeed AND pass along significant value to the taxpayers. The path is clear."