After losing the primary in a landslide Art Frank has gone totally negative in his campaign to unseat our highly effective Sheriff Joe Nole. 

In a full-page ad in the Oct. 19 edition of The Leader, Mr. Frank accused Joe of having no plan for an active shooter situation and further characterized deputies on the force as untrained. 

Let’s look at these two assertions. Sheriff Nole says he has a plan. I take him at his word. 

However, the full-page ad essentially called him a liar. Now think about this for a minute. Do you really want the sheriff’s office to broadcast a detailed plan so a deranged person with a gun can study it to learn exactly how and where deputies would arrive to deal with the situation?

Three months ago a man with a long, violent criminal record was squatting in the recently vacated house directly across the street from us. At the time he was holding two young women prisoner against their will. 

The whole neighborhood watched as our sheriff deputies arrived, surrounded the house, and in an impressive display of proper training and good judgement, talked the man out of the house, and freed the women with no shots fired. 

We continued to look on in fascination as the deputies risked their lives to systematically clear the house. We can attest to the display of superior tactics, professionalism, and courage, most the result of good training and a sound plan. 

I suppose Mr. Frank and his supporters would prefer that the sheriff had published his plan of action before deploying his deputies, thus putting their lives more at risk.

Just a few weeks ago there was an active shooter situation in Quilcene. Two of our deputies were on the scene, and as a consequence of their fine training, precision marksmanship, and, yes, a plan for how to proceed, they took down the man who was firing at them without injury to themselves or any bystanders. Does this sound like a police force with no training and no plans?

From Mr. Frank’s full-page ad you would think Jefferson County was a hotbed of violent crime. Come on folks. Look around. We live in a very safe community largely owing to the diligence of the JCSO and the hard work of Sheriff Joe and his deputies.

Even if I hadn’t already decided to cast my vote for Joe Nole for sheriff based on his qualifications and spotless record, I would vote against Mr. Frank based on the extremely negative tone of his campaign. 

Join me on Nov. 8 and vote for a positive man, not a negative one.

Cliff Self
PORT TOWNSEND