Issues
Like the majority of our community and most candidates seeking office, Sheriff BeGole believes in providing services to veterans, protecting children and seniors, improving education, protecting the unborn, safeguarding the second amendment and supporting agriculture and family farms. Others can only talk about what they would do but Sheriff BeGole can point to a long list of accomplishments he has made while overseeing the counties 7.4 million dollar public safety budget which includes the operation of the county jail, road patrol, detective bureau, court security, central dispatch, emergency management and animal control. With the economy in decline, prices up, our workforce dwindling and the supply chain unreliable, we need action more than words.
Recovery
Right now our community is recovering from probably its biggest challenge ever to date. Everyone wants a return to normalcy. Kids in school with face to face instruction, small businesses, restaurants, and service providers open with regular hours and a full workforce, along with a return to the world's greatest supply chain that keeps shelves filled with food and products. Sheriff BeGole has seen firsthand issues with transportation and food shortages when he worked with other members of the community during the pandemic to ensure food was delivered from Lansing to local distributions for those needing assistance. As a parent, he knows our kids receive the best education when in a classroom with other students and receiving instruction from an in person educator. Sheriff BeGole experienced the difficulty of labor shortages during the pandemic when running a 24/7 department of over seventy staff without the option of shutting down. As our local community recovers it is important that any level of government does not hinder and block recovery. Instead of passing out checks and giving lip service, Sheriff BeGole wants the state and federal government to provide technical assistance and tax incentives to those struggling to return to everyday operations. Mandates and increased regulation are never the answer when rebuilding an economy.
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Criminal Justice Improvement
Lately there has been a nationwide movement to tarnish and disgrace officers of the law enforcement profession. Whether done for national political purposes or social justice reform, efforts have been made to defund programs necessary and critical for public safety. Now, becoming a police officer is no longer viewed as a noble profession and there are recruitment issues and labor shortages. On top of this movement, a recent criminal justice reform initiative passed into state law just isn't working. Criminals need to be arrested and lodged in jail in order to appear before the courts. Giving citations and appearance dates just doesn't work for all situations. Is there room for improvement, education, and additional training? Yes. But we can't regress when it comes to keeping our community safe. Sheriff BeGole wants to make sure our community is properly represented in Lansing and the clock is not turned back on public safety.
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Protecting Constitutional Rights and Election Integrity
Sheriff BeGole is a strong supporter of the 2nd Amendment whether for self defense, hunting, or recreation. His record is clear whether it has been from offering CPL courses to adults or hunter safety instruction to our youth along with supporting Shiawassee County becoming a 2nd Amendment sanctuary county. But our U.S. Constitutional rights do not start or end with gun ownership and this became very clear locally during the pandemic as Sheriff BeGole quickly became known as one Michigan’s constitutional sheriffs because of his unwillingness to enforce unconstitutional mandates and personal requests made by the administrations of Michigan’s Governor and Attorney General. While the state watched as a local barber shop struggled to stay open for business, Sheriff BeGole found the proper balance of protecting our constitutional rights while maintaining public safety and public health.
Just as important as protecting our constitutional right is making sure we have a fair, accurate and accountable election process. While near impossible to change results from what has happened in past elections it is important we move forward by learning from history and ensure fraud does not occur and that future elections are not stolen. During the last election, Sheriff BeGole sent correspondence to all election clerks prior to election day offering assistance if necessary on election day. Sheriff BeGole wants to make sure election reform in Lansing isn't about making it easier for people to vote but ensuring that the public can trust and have faith in election results.