Letter to the Editor: Why I support Sheriff Todd Johns
During my seven years as a prosecutor in Plumas County, I had the pleasure to get to know Sheriff Johns, both personally and professionally. He is a dedicated public servant who consistently addresses issues with honesty and integrity. I hope that during the events leading up to this election, voters have learned what I already know to be true – Sheriff Johns is the best candidate for the job.
Throughout his tenure as Patrol Commander, Sheriff Johns was someone I communicated with on a regular basis about a variety of patrol-related issues. I quickly learned that while he held himself and those he supervised to a very high standard, he was always willing to discuss possible changes that could help his department better serve the public. I knew that during our conversations, I could count on Sheriff Johns’s candor. He is not the type of person to tell you what you want to hear to avoid addressing a difficult issue. Instead, he confronts things head-on and invariably gives you his honest, professional assessment.
Since being appointed to the top position, Sheriff Johns has been faced with substantial challenges. He contended with continual staffing shortages and hiring issues. He had to find a way to run the jail and patrol the county during a global pandemic. He experienced a series of catastrophic wildfires that not only caused evacuations for nearly every community in the county, but resulted in the destruction of his hometown of Greenville. Going through any one of these crises would be enough to make many decide against running for the position, and yet he has chosen to stay. I can think of no better illustration of Sheriff Johns’s commitment to Plumas County.
Sheriff Johns’s decision to pursue this path after everything he has endured is a testament to his character and his obvious dedication to the citizens he has sworn to protect. I have great respect for him and I hope Plumas County voters afford him the privilege of continuing to serve as their Sheriff.
Kelly Styger
Former Quincy Resident
