Friends,

I’m often asked, "Why do you want to be Sheriff?”  After all, why would anyone want a job that takes them away from their family on nights, weekends and holidays, and puts them first on the scene of violence, tragedy and death? The Sheriff sees first-hand the pain of alcoholism, drug abuse, the abuse or neglect of children, family violence and the resulting impact on members of this community. It’s a job that demands that you deal with any and every problem that no one else wants to deal with. To see parents, sons, daughters and grandchildren being incarcerated for crimes they have committed and then see the pain that it brings to their loved ones is sobering.  Seeing a son or daughter unable to reach out and touch their Daddy when they visit him in jail is heartbreaking and it fills me with unspeakable sadness for that child. 

In my 34 years in law enforcement I’ve seen the worst that society has to offer and I’ve collapsed in my chair many days exhausted from all the world throws at a law enforcement officer today and wondered aloud, “Why the heck are you doing this? Why get up in the morning and pin that badge on for even one more day?” Some days it’s pretty tough to be positive, but then I remember the inscription on John Wayne’s tombstone… “Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It’s perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands.  It hopes we learnt something from yesterday.”  Even in death, the man from Winterset had some good words for us.

When I put on my star in the morning I take what I “learnt” from yesterday, recognizing that the citizens have put their faith & trust in me as Sheriff, and I set out to do the very best I can to make Hodgeman County a better place to live, work and play.  Let’s talk about challenges… some days there are just too many to list, but I firmly believe that I was called to serve this community and I’m devoted to making a difference in Hodgeman County both today…and tomorrow.

Folks, now that I’ve rambled on for a bit, here are some answers to that question…

• I do if for the toothless grin and the giggle of a five- year-old at the grade school when I call him by name and give him a high five!
• I do it for the “thank you” I get when I open the courthouse door and make sure somebody’s grandma gets down those old worn stone stairs alright.
•  I do it for the firm handshake from a veteran of the “Big War” that thanks me for saluting our honored dead at the cenotaph on Memorial Day.
•  I do it for the pride I feel in our community & our country when I put my hand over my heart and hear the Star Spangled Banner sung a cappella on a brisk fall evening before a Longhorn game.
• And finally…I do it because every once in awhile, a fella here in Jetmore calls me up out of the blue and tells me, “Sheriff, you and your deputies are doing one heck of a job and I appreciate all you do.”

And for these things at the end of the day I can rock back in my chair, put my boots up on my desk with a sense of satisfaction, tip back my hat and know that we all “learnt” something from today and that tomorrow comes to us clean again at midnight.

RON RIDLEY