Karen Pearce endorsement letter

This is a letter of endorsement published in today's issue (April 1, 2014)  of The Republic-Monitor (http://www.perryvillenews.com), by Karen Pearce, owner of Willow House Bed & Breakfast. I'm grateful to my friend Karen for sharing her support with the community!

Dear Editor -

I wanted to share my support of Joe Martin for the role of Perryville City Marshall/Chief of Police.  Although Joe is my dear friend and was a very close friend of my husband David’s, and we have valued that friendship very much during the years we’ve lived in Perryville, my support of his political platform is due to his professional approach to his service to our city. 

We’ve known Joe during the time when he was a Police Officer, patrolling our streets.  And we’ve known him during the time when he has served as Code Enforcement Officer, making our streets clean and safe.  Our city has an improved image in many ways due to his diligent work in both roles. 

We know many examples of how Joe has put his most professional foot forward in dealing with alleged criminals, as a Police Officer, and in dealing with citizen’s who have violated code in some way, as Code Enforcement Officer.  The way Joe presents himself in our community comes from professional maturity and a genuine concern for the welfare of its citizens and condition of our surroundings.

I’m confident, that if elected as Chief of Police, Joe will show this same care and concern in his approach to leading the Police Department.  The group of men and women in the department have been through some trying and difficult times of late, and it will take a focused and concerned leader to provide all who work there with a renewed confidence in the unit as a whole.  Joe Martin has that care and concern, and the professional experience required to execute on a plan to make things right again.

Thank you in advance for printing my words…I’m grateful to have my voice heard, when it comes to sharing my thoughts on Joe’s candidacy (which I know echo what my husband David would have wanted to say).  I’m looking forward to my opportunity to cast my vote for Joe Martin on April 8^th!!

Most Gratefully –

Karen Pearce

Letter to the Editor

This is a letter to the editor that was printed in The Republic-Monitor today, April 1, 2014. I truly appreciate the local newspaper for allowing candidates to publish these letters at no charge. I've gotten tremendous response today, and I appreciate all the calls & emails!

Dear Editor,

I appreciate this opportunity to humbly ask the voters of Perryville for their vote on April 8.  I am running for the office of Perryville City Marshal, which is the city’s police chief.

I have been a law enforcement officer my entire working career. I was a member of the Class of 1977 at Perryville High School. I enlisted that spring in the United States Air Force as a security specialist, which is a police officer. After a 4-year enlistment, I was hired as a jailer at the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Department and worked my way up to jail administrator.

In 1986, I was blessed to be hired by the city as a patrolman with the Perryville Police Department, which allowed me to return home. I worked my way up to sergeant by 1993 and remained in that supervisory role until being promoted to Code Enforcement Officer in 2009.

You may wonder, if I’ve been working independently for 4 years, if I’m still qualified to lead the Perryville Police Department as your city marshal. The short answer is “Yes.”

I am a fully commissioned law enforcement officer, and I maintain my commission just like all other law enforcement officers by attending regular Police Officers Standard and Training (POST) certified classes. I qualify with my service weapon like all other officers. In addition, each year I complete many hours of additional training specific to my duties as the sole officer responsible for enforcing the city’s municipal codes or laws.

I believe my long history with Perryville Police Department, and my recent professional distance from it, put me in the unique position of being able to view the challenges facing the police department with a completely objective eye. I can bring a fresh perspective to old problems as well as new possibilities to best serve both the employees of the department and the citizens of our community.

I hope you’ll take a few minutes to visit my Website (http://joemartin4chief.blogspot.com/)

and personal Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/joe.martin.779?ref=ts&fref=ts) to learn about my credentials, my personal life and my hopes for the future of our city, which I love.

I have tried to approach my lifelong career as an enforcer of laws in a firm yet respectful manner. I have always tried to be tough on crime, but compassionate to the community members I’m sworn to serve. For 28 years, my door has always been open to the people of Perryville, and that won’t change if I become your city marshal. Please feel free to call my cell phone at 517-3995 if you have questions or concerns.

I have tried to earn your trust over the last three decades, and if elected, I can assure you that I will put my full focus on keeping Perryville a safe and peaceable place to raise our families. I would appreciate your vote on April 8.

Sincerely,

Joe Martin

Candidate for Perryville City Marshal

Newspaper profile

Thanks to The Republic-Monitor for allowing candidates to participate in candidate profiles. Click this link to read mine: http://www.perryvillenews.com/news/article_77a28152-aece-11e3-995e-001a4bcf6878.html

Looking at the fish bowl from the outside in

Last night, I had the privilege of participating in the candidate's forum at Perry Park Center. The event gave candidates a chance to tell voters a little about themselves and why they are seeking public office. It was hosted by the park center, The Republic-Monitor and the Republican and Democratic Central Committees. 

I have to admit that I was a nervous wreck! I'm a terrible public speaker, so I read my prepared statement.  During the question-and-answer portion of the event, an attendee repeatedly questioned me about not being "an active law enforcement officer," which puzzled me since I am a commissioned police officer. I work independently to enforce the municipal ordinances in Perryville and write as many tickets as many patrolmen. I was glad when it was over, and I appreciate all the people who have called me today to offer support and encouragement. 

Below is my speech, which I think pretty clearly states why I am a candidate for City Marshal. I hope you take a minute to read it and consider giving me your vote on April 8. 

Joe Martin address, Candidate's Forum, March 13, 2014

 I would like to take a second to thank you all for coming here tonight. It shows that you care about the future of Perryville.

 That’s the main reason that I am standing here tonight. I care about our community and I care about our police department and its officers.

During the last year, the Perryville Police Department had a lot of negative publicity. I am glad to say that I played no role in the investigation of our former chief and that I have not benefited from it in anyway.

Although I am still a Perryville Police Officer, I have worked independently as the code enforcement officer for the last 4 years.

I think that my distance from the police department and what has happened there gives me a great advantage as a candidate.

I use this analogy: During my 24 years of working as a patrol officer I worked inside a fish bowl. For the last 4 years, I have had the opportunity to view the fish bowl from the outside in.

I’ve had the opportunity to see many of the everyday processes that I have taken for granted and the way they affect the public.

 I’ve been reminded that no matter what a person’s name or social stature is, they are still a person. Everyone should be treated fairly and with empathy.

The good citizens we are sworn to serve should not dread having to deal with the police when getting a speeding ticket or filing a report.

The investigation has also given some people the very wrong idea that all of our officers are corrupt in some way or another. That could not be further from the truth.

 The men and women of Perryville Police Department leave their own families every day to protect ours. They don’t do it for a big paycheck or glory. They do it because being a police officer is a calling. They want to help people in need.

There are good men and women working at Perryville Police Department. They need to be given the opportunity to shine, to have a chief who sets high expectations, and then helps them reach or exceed those expectations.

Last fall the citizens of Perryville were given the opportunity to decide if the city was to appoint a City Marshal or keep it in the voter’s choice. Perryville strongly voiced their opinion, to keep it the choice of the citizens.That’s exactly why I decided to put my name on this ballot, to give people the choice.

 After Brad Pitts was removed from the race, I was especially glad I filed, because we still have a chance to choose our next city marshal instead of having it pre-determined by an appointment.

 I have 32 years in law enforcement, with 27 of those years being in a supervisory position. I have experience with budgets, and I’m known for always fighting for what’s right, not necessarily what’s popular.

I believe that Police Officers should hold themselves to a higher standard on and off duty and be proud of the uniform that they wear.  I would appreciate your vote on April 8.

Thank you!  

Fair and Compassionate Leadership

 

Last fall the citizens of Perryville were given the opportunity to decide if the city was to appoint a City Marshal or keep it in the voter’s choice. Perryville strongly voiced their opinion: to keep it the choice of the citizens.  That’s exactly why I decided to put my name on this ballot, to give people a choice in who would lead the Perryville Police Department into the future. 

Now, one of the candidates has been removed from the ballot, so without a third candidate, the people would not have had a choice on April 8. My opponent is a good man, but I think that today, we need more than a good man to lead Perryville Police Department the right direction. I think we need a completely new leader to make a completely new start. 

It's true that I'm an "old cop." I was a police officer in the Air Force, then a jailer at Cape County Sheriff's Department. I worked my way up to Jail Administrator there, and then I got to come home to Perryville as a patrolman. I worked my way up to corporal and then sergeant, and I put 24 years in on the street. Almost 4 years ago, I was promoted to the city's codes enforcement officer and moved to city hall.  Now I'm the police officer who enforces all the nuisance codes in our city. (See my earlier blog for more about that.)

In all my jobs, I have always tried to be fair and faithful to the law. I was an effective leader at the police department and I have effectively run my own department within the city. But what sets me apart from my opponent is that I no longer work within the walls of the police department. This distance from my fellow officers puts me in the unique position of being able to start with a clean slate with every officer and every citizen. I was not involved in with the turmoil of the last year, and I did not benefit from it in any way.  I have no allegiance to anyone but the people I am sworn to serve.

I think the most important thing we can do as citizens right now is to demand that our new police chief focus on getting his house in order. I can be that chief, and you can count on me to be focused on what's best for our community. 

Please check out my blog and visit my personal Facebook page. If you have questions or concerns to share, please email me at mrjoemartin@ymail.com. 

I'd appreciate your vote on April 8!

 

Visit my personal Facebook page

When someone files for public office, they can expect their private life to be open to public scrutiny and comment. It's not an easy position to be in, as anyone who has ever been a candidate or held a public position can confirm.

As voters, we want to know who we're voting for: Where do they come from? Who are their family members? Do they support charities or have friends in common with me?

With that in mind, I did not create a "Joe Martin for Perryville City Marshal" Facebook page. I just made mine completely open to public view. Click here to visit my personal Facebook page. You can see photos of my family, my work history and even photos from boot camp. Feel free to check it all out, and if you have any questions, send me a Facebook message or email me at mrjoemartin@ymail.com.

Not for sale

photo: http://www.waltonsinc.com/

My name is Joe Martin and I'm asking for your vote on April 8. I'd like to be Perryville's  next City Marshal/Chief of Police.

I've been honored and humbled by the outpouring of support and offers of campaign contributions to fund things like signs, t-shirts, bumper stickers and advertisements.
I sincerely appreciate those offers, but I am not accepting any campaign contributions. I think it's important that a police officer avoid even the appearance of owing someone a favor, so I will fund my campaign myself.
If you'd like to support my campaign, I simply ask for your vote on April 8.