Hunt is candidate worth supporting for Aiken Co. sheriff

Lt. Mike Hunt's plans to improve the Aiken County Sheriff's Office are welcome and long overdue. While the sheriff's office has seen tremendous improvements over the last decade, Mr. Hunt knows improvements must be continuous in order to be effective.

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Mr. Hunt has some very good ideas for increasing the number of deputies on the road, improving deputy response times, providing additional training for dispatch personnel and reducing as much of the sheriff office's administrative overhead as possible. In a county as large as Aiken County, which covers more than 1,000 square miles, innovative approaches must be considered in order to provide adequate coverage. Mike Hunt, fortunately, has not only the good ideas necessary to make real change, but also the administrative expertise to make them happen.

Mr. Hunt's plan to increase the sheriff's accessibility to the public is also wise and badly needed. A sheriff who loses touch with the public will become ineffective, and the loss of public confidence can greatly impede his best efforts. ...

Finally, it's worth noting that Mr. Hunt is seriously addressing an issue at the heart of many parents' nightmares: the increasing scourge of school violence. If our schools are unsafe, then not only are our children's lives in jeopardy, but so is their education and the future of our country. Mr. Hunt's plan to commit more resources to public school security is an investment not only in our children, but in our country as well.

The upcoming election is not only about who has the most experience and expertise, but also about who has the most ambitious and aggressive vision for the future. Mike Hunt has the experience, expertise and vision necessary to do the job. He's a decent and committed public servant, and I think he's the one worth supporting in the Republican primary on March 25.

Mark Stowell, Aiken, S.C.