I thought since my last few columns have been political in nature that this one should be a little different, so I am going to specifically write about the Sheriff’s Office.

I like would start by saying this summer has been busy! Calls since the beginning of summer have made it one of the busiest since I’ve taken office.

I can tell by the interaction with everyone that our citizens are happy to be out of their houses and able to interact with one another. Unfortunately, this is also evident in the number of calls that we’ve received and the enforcement interaction with the public.

On a positive note, we’ve participated in several community events which saw attendance like no other year as well. The Ogle County Fair was one example of that attendance. Even with the slow start due to extremely hot weather, the weekend finished with the lines of people on Saturday.

We were able to provide over 2,000 bags of educational items to kids during those three short days. We came out of the fair on Saturday and went to National Night Out on the following Tuesday. Our National Night Out was held in Byron in conjunction with the Byron Fire Department and the Byron Police Department and again attendance was incredible.

I do enjoy the interaction with the public whether it’s on a positive note like the fair or National Night Out or even on the enforcement side responding to calls for service. Both types of activities help our communities, they keep us safe, they keep us engaged and they continue to provide the values that we hold dear.

I would be remiss if I didn’t conclude this without mentioning the officers that lost their lives in the past month. I can guarantee you they held those same values, the same ideals and went out every shift to try to better their community.

Remember this the next time you see a police officer or sheriff deputy, why they are really there, and remember what they’re trying to accomplish because it is truly for the community.

For those of you who like the political discussion, I think next month will probably make your blood boil, but only time will tell. 

Brian VanVickle is the Sheriff of Ogle County.