Where I Stand: Support Johns
By Donald Stoy, Sheriff/Coroner, Retired
Several years ago, a young man came to me for a job. He wanted to be a deputy. I hired the young man, sent him to be trained, spent much time teaching him what we wanted in a deputy sheriff. Finally, it was time for him to be on his own and prove to us that he had what it takes. This man’s name is Todd Johns. Not only did he prove himself to us, but he went well beyond what was expected in everything he did. He showed us excellent leadership ability and most of all, a real and genuine concern for the citizens he served.
I am Don Stoy. I worked serving the Plumas County Sheriff’s Department for 31 years and retired after two terms as Plumas County Sheriff/Coroner. Todd worked for me long enough for me to more than appreciate him as an employee, but to also consider him as a true asset to our department in every way.
Since being selected by the Board of Supervisors as our interim Sheriff, Todd has continued to demonstrate excellent leadership qualities and has gained extended training and experience in the skills it takes to lead our Sheriff’s department. In addition to the everyday demands on a Sheriff, which are many and complicated. He now has the qualifications to meet and satisfy the many conditions and requirements of emergency situations such as a Covid pandemic and the Dixie Fire. During the Dixie Fire crisis, he demonstrated his ability with hands on leadership. He seemed to be everywhere trying to satisfy the needs of many, during such a crisis, he was coordinating the needs of your own department and those of other emergency responders and those of our citizens is a difficult task. Sheriff Johns met those needs through a sense of obligation and hard work. People that he helped carry belongings from their home and people that he helped put out spot fires with a garden hose will agree with me.
I understand there are a few in the department or who have left the department that have chosen to campaign against Sheriff Johns. The truth is I have never known a Sheriff who didn’t have a small group of dissatisfied employees. Not everyone is going to agree with the decisions of the leader, especially during a crisis. Maybe a couple of them thought they could do a better job maybe, but we will never know because after all they got mad and quit.
I read, with interest, a letter of response from the Sheriff to these individuals. He never threatened them, never tried to intimidate them, never tried to embarrass them, but instead thanked them for their hard work and told them he would consider their concerns to make himself a better leader in the future. That to me is the sign of an experienced sheriff who understands that the best way to meet the many goals of a Sheriff’s Department is through teamwork. Working together, helping each other and supporting each other is far more successful than angry division and that is the kind of sheriff I want for us.
Cheryl and I support Todd Johns for Sheriff of Plumas County. He has the training. He has the experience. He has the compassion for the needs of our citizens.
