Challenger Palmer sees morale down, spending up

Former Lyon County Deputy Brett Palmer said he decided to run for sheriff because he sees the county's law enforcement officers struggling with low morale.

"I would like to provide some protection and bring the morale back to the Sheriff's Department and let the deputies feel the integrity of the profession and do away with a hostile workplace that they've had to deal with in the last four years," said Palmer. "It's more of an adversarial administration toward the deputies. It hasn't been a partnership."

Palmer, 58, retired from the Lyon County Sheriff's Office in 2008 after working 18 years as a patrol deputy,

16 of which he spent in a dual role of field training officer. Before coming to Nevada, Palmer worked in law enforcement in Idaho and Utah.

Palmer said his understanding of the importance of morale in the department is one of the reasons why he was endorsed by the Lyon County Sheriff's Employee Association.

"Over the last three years there have been well over 70 internal affairs investigations against 70 sworn officers. A share of them were heavy handed and malicious," he said. "Morale comes from the top. If you're disgruntled, your work is going to suffer from it. I really feel for them."

Veil disputes that figure, saying that there have been three or four internal investigations.

Palmer also disagrees with the building of a new jail in Yerington, a move approved by the Lyon County Board of Commissioners and supported by incumbent Sheriff Allen Veil. There has been some vocal opposition to the project's costs and plans to build in Yerington, where the current jail is.

"My concern right now is some fiscal irresponsibility. We are probably in the worst economic crisis that this country has ever seen and we go from leading the nation in growth four years ago, to now, little Lyon County, leading the nation in foreclosures. And we are going to blow between $24 and $30 million dollars on a jail complex?" he said. "Common sense says that jail needs to be centrally located within the county and readily accessible for every citizen in the county."

Palmer said he also would like to focus on combating drugs.

"I'd like to see another full-scale drug enforcement team complemented with canines. Canines are not an expensive proposition, but the results of that dog is phenomenal."

Palmer said his lack of budgeting experience will not be a problem. The Lyon County Sheriff's Office's has 98 employees and an annual budget of $10.5 million.

"I have very little experience in budgeting and I don't mind telling people that. But I'm a proven leader. I'm very capable as a leader to look around me at everyone I work with, identify the resources that are available and delegate to those competent people that can take care of the different facets of the office," he said.

Palmer, a former Marine, is an active member of the American Legion and the American Legion Riders. He is the president of the Northern Nevada Veterans Coalition and formed the N.N.V.C. Honor Guard which serves the Northern Nevada Veteran's Memorial Cemetery.

He said he is eager to make the sheriff's department work for the people.

"Our job is to protect and to serve the public," he said. "Having a whole department full of community-minded deputies who create positive role models is what we need."