Recently I had the opportunity to sit down with Dan Charleston, the Republican candidate in the Polk County (Iowa) Sheriff’s race. Dan is a daytime patrol supervisor with the Polk County Sheriff’s Department, and he has been with them for over 15 years. Before that he served with the Los Angeles County (CA) Sheriff’s Department and the Pamona (CA) Police Department. He is running against, the incumbent, Sheriff Bill McCarthy. This interview followed a heated forum on Monday.
We discussed his record. His ideas for improving the department, and his top concerns that he will focus on should he be elected. Two of which are his opposition to traffic enforcement cameras and the current supervisor to staff ratio that has left patrol shifts and the jail understaffed. He described what it means to be a “Constitutional Sheriff,” his involvement with Oath Keepers and put down the myth that Sheriff McCarthy has spread that he only wants to feed inmates bologna and cheese. He brings a lot of ideas to the race, and went in depth on the issues facing law enforcement in Polk County even after the video was shut off (I wish I turned it back on). Dan Charleston, in my opinion, would make a fine Sherriff and I commend him to you. He has a grasp on the issues which not something I can say of Sherriff McCarthy after Monday’s forum.
You can watch my interview above.