UPDATE: Third Candidate Files For Sheriff
Patrick Jamison became known in Kosciusko County last year for taking a hard stance on what he felt was an overall lack of caring county officials have for abused and neglected animals. Jamison, of Burket, was the driving source behind the conviction of Laci Harper for the starvation death of a German Shepherd puppy. (See related)
On Tuesday, Jamison made it official that he hopes to become the new Kosciusko County Sheriff.
We are learning more about Jamison, a Libertarian who emphasizes that “people have a right to be involved in the powers that control them. They don’t have to be law enforcement, they have to know and love the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Liberty is for everyone; I don’t care what flag they fly … they all have liberty.”
When announcing his candidacy, Jamison was immediately hit by public comments asking what kind of credentials he has to seek the office of sheriff.
“My credentials are that I was a Pierceton Police Department reserve and a full-time officer in Rochester for about a year,” he said. Medical finances for one of his children made it necessary for him to seek higher pay in the private sector, however, so he got out of police work.
“I served with the local Warsaw National Guard for 8 years, from 1990 to 1998. I carried a heavy machine gun and went to Honduras for about a month in 1992 on a humanitarian mission.” He added, “I took an oath years ago to defend the Constitution and I took that as a lifelong thing … Voter apathy and ignorance needs to change. I want people to know they have a right to be involved and if that means running for an office, they can. The office of sheriff has not been delegated to law enforcement only.”
What Jamison sees as more important than credentials is his dedication to protecting the liberty and justices for everyone. He is a firm believer in a system of checks and balances and explained, “It is entirely up to the people to install the people of their choice. I’m about constitutional enforcement. All of our deputies are good, honorable men, this isn’t about them and I will walk the beat with them to have their backs.”
He noted, “The people of the county want to see new faces; I think they are tired of seeing the same people rotating in office at every opportunity, which leads to a monarchy. We have a monarchy here in Kosciusko County. People have allowed a rolling power grab to occur. The average citizen needs to wake up and help stop the rotating power. It’s sad that no one has had a realistic chance due to the robotic ‘push the R’ mentality at the polls.”
Though hailed as an animal lover for his good deed last year, Jamison said he is seeking the office of Kosciusko County Sheriff to crusade for liberty, the enforcement of the Constitution and to stop federal overreach.
“It’s not all about dogs and cats, it’s about liberty for you! I believe in fiscal security and to keep a low budget and to stay on budget. I would like to see us come down harder on child molesters and that could probably be done by using the esteem of the sheriff’s title to encourage lawmakers to make harsher laws. There’s only so much power the sheriff has, but they do have other powers to persuade lawmakers for laws that give true justice to the wrongs of society.”
Jamison concluded, “I would pledge my life for our deputies. A sheriff should talk to his people, answer questions even if they are tough questions. That is the transparency of a good character. I would walk the beat with these guys, I’d have their backs. The focus on them should be safety and more continued training, and that is ultimately part of their safety.”
Jamison has established a fund at Lake City Bank asking for donations to help support his campaign, and he also looking for volunteers willing to spread the word about his campaign. “I’m an open book and I hope people use my Facebook page to ask me questions,” he said. “I’ll do my best to answer their questions and, if I need to, I’ll go door to door.”
To donate to Jamison’s campaign for sheriff of Kosciusko County, the “Patrick Jamison For Sheriff” fund is at Lake City Bank.
Also seeking the office are Aaron Rovenstine, current captain at the KCSD, who is running on the Republican ticket, and Travis Marsh, a lieutenant with the Milford Police Department, who is running as an independent.