Editor, Smithfield Times

Recently I had the opportunity to instruct classes at the Surry County Sheriff’s Office. The training was about a proactive approach to assisting Surry County residents with special needs who have a tendency to wander; if they are not found in a timely manner the outcome can be very expensive as well as lead to either injury or death of the missing person.

Sgt. Mike Bailey of the Sheriff’s Department became aware of a grant to bring this program to Surry County; the grant paid 100 percent of the costs and no local dollars were expended.

Sgt. Bailey worked with me to set up the training; I then had the privilege of spending three days in Surry County working with him and several other deputies. I left extremely impressed with Sgt. Bailey and all of the other staff at the Surry County Sheriff’s Office; they work great together as a team.

As a retired police chief, I know firsthand what it takes to run a law enforcement agency and Sgt. Bailey clearly has the training and experience to professionally manage this Sheriff’s Office. I am proud to give my 100 percent support to him and encourage you to vote Sgt. Mike Bailey for sheriff of Surry County, as he clearly is the most qualified candidate for the job.

Gary W. Reynolds
Retired police chief
Forest, Va.