Candidate Questionnaire: Dennis Allen

The following is Watershed Voice’s candidate questionnaire for August’s St. Joseph County sheriff primary election. We will run all completed questionnaires in the order they’re received prior to Election Day. ​

Dennis Allen filled out our questionnaire. These are his answers.​

Editor’s note: The formatting and content of this questionnaire are presented as they were submitted. Dennis Allen is one of five challengers including Jason Bingaman, Joe Bingaman, Gordon Evilsizor and Chad Spence.

Name: Dennis Allen
Age:   68
Address: 100 Amy Court, Centreville, MI 49032 
Party affiliation: Republican  
Are you an incumbent?  No I am not an incumbent.

Family:
I am married to my wife, Vicki. We have 3 sons, 2 daughter-in-laws and 11 wonderful grand kids. Our oldest son is Curtis, who is a Lt.Col. in the Army and served in combat in Iraq. Another son, Luke, was a Sgt in the Marine Corps and was in Iraq during shock and awe. He is a Purple Heart recipient. Our other son, Nick, is a supervisor at a manufacturing plant in Indiana. All of our sons are college graduates of W.M.U. Our oldest Grandson, Trevor, who just turned 21, is a WO-1 in the Army and flies Blackhawk Helicopters. He is stationed in Hawaii.

Background/Bio:  
I am a graduate of Centreville H.S. and have a Bachelor’s Degree from Chaminade University of Hawaii. I served 6 yrs and 3 months in the USMC. Three (3) years as a Military Policeman and three (3) yrs and three (3) months as a Criminal Investigator. After being Honorably Discharged from the Marine Corps I returned home and put myself through the Police Academy at Kalamazoo Valley Community College, where I graduated 1 st in firearms and first in physical fitness. I was subsequently hired by the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department in Corrections. I was then elevated to the Road Patrol and four (4) yrs later I was appointed Undersheriff by Sheriff Matt Lori, and served in that capacity for 20 years. I served a total of 26 years with the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department.

While serving as the Undersheriff I was directed to form and command our Special Response Team, which consisted of Deputies and Officers from other departments. I was in charge of that group for 18 years.

I was also directed to form and command our Major Crimes Task Force Team, which consisted of the State Police, Deputies, and Local Departments. While in charge of this unit I supervised the investigations of several homicides and other serious crimes. I commanded that unit for 18 years.

I was also directed to form and command our St. Joseph County Area Narcotics Team, (S.C.A.N.) which also consisted of Local Law Enforcement Officers and Deputies. I was in charge for approximately 18 years. Except for S.C.A.N., all of these units still exist in the department today.

Also, while serving as Undersheriff I was appointed as the interim 9-1-1 Director for 9 months so that I could get it organized and in order before they brought in a new Director.

I was also appointed as the interim Parks and Recreation Director for 6 months to get it organized before the county hired the next director.

Also, the Village of Constantine, hired me as their interim Constantine Police Chief for 9 months, to get their department organized and up to speed before they brought on their next Chief.

As you can see I have been either directed or appointed to do many different jobs in Law Enforcement or Public Service. This because of my leadership abilities to listen and solve problems as well as organize and bring people together to work towards a common goal.

Why did you choose to run for the St. Joseph County Sheriff? 

I am running for Sheriff because of the love and passion that I have for the department. I want to restore the trust and confidence between Law Enforcement and our community as well as make positive improvements for the employees of the department. I have been in public service for nearly 35 years and I believe that no one has the ability that I have to bring everyone together to restore that trust that has been tarnished in the last couple of years. I have an impeccable reputation and the people know that Honesty, Integrity, Transparency and most importantly Accountability will be the standards that I will use for correcting the issues. I have served in Law Enforcement for over 30 years and I have earned the respect and trust of the people of this community. I will set a great example for everyone to follow. I do believe that Law Enforcement should be held to a higher standard and everyone in the Law Enforcement field should act and serve accordingly.

Have you previously held public office, or have you served in a public leadership role?

I served on the Centreville Village council for three (3) yrs and I have been on the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners for seven and a half (7 ½) years. I was Chairman of the Board for four (4) of those years. I am presently Chairman of the Physical Resources Committee and was Chairman of the Law Enforcement Committee for over 7 yrs. I sit on the 9-1-1 Board and the L.T.I.B .

If so, what is your experience, and what are some of your accomplishments?

While Chairman of the Board I directed the County through the Pandemic, pushed through funding for a new Sheriff’s Department Training Center, voted for improvements to the Jail Roof units as well as the Solar Panels, voted for bonuses for full time and part time deputies that worked during the pandemic, voted for designating funding from the legal marihuana sells tax from the state to go to the purchase of new Sheriff’s Department vehicles and equipment, voted for a new body scanner in the jail to provide for more safety for people incarcerated and for the Deputies working there. I also pushed through funding for new security doors and electronics system for the jail, voted for the purchase of the TR Library that has since been converted into Probate and Family Court.
  
How long have you lived in the area you are seeking to represent? 

I have live in St. Joseph County for 57 years.

In your opinion, what are the three most important issues in the area relative to the scope of your position, and why?

First will be to reunite the department as a whole and ensure everyone that things will not be made more chaotic. There is nothing harder on the Sheriff’s Department than a long hard campaign and election. Secondly I will be working on Recruitment and Retention. The department has suffered a 47% turnover in personnel in the last two years, which means there has been a significant loss of experienced people of which you can never get back. There are a lot of good young people there that just need time to get the experience needed. Reuniting the department as a whole and letting the employees know that they are the most important part to the organization is necessary. They must feel that they have ownership within the department and that their ideas and suggestions matter. I must make sure we are doing everything possible to lessen their stress and their family’s stress. Everyone must know that if needed, they and their families will have access to counseling either locally or out of the area for problems they may be having that is causing them to be more mentally stressed. I will have an open door policy and convey that message to all of those connected with the department.

Simultaneously, I would be improving on and restoring the county wide Narcotics Team. When the Medical examiner tells you that the leading cause of death in the county is opioids, fentanyl and meth you should not disband your narcotics team like this Administration has done. By disbanding the narcotics team it allows for a greater drug problem throughout the county. Enforcement is not the answer but it is a part of the solution. The department must be able to investigate the street level dealers in our county without having to rely on outside agencies unless it becomes necessary. The Sheriff’s Department and our own local Law Enforcement are quite capable of handling local drug problems. The narcotic’s team will be restored quickly and better. I will also look to add at least one (1) K-9 unit to the department.

What measures will you pursue to address those issues? 

I will seek out a Professional Counseling Firm locally and outside the area so that the employees and/or their family members will feel more comfortable in reaching out and confiding in them during their time of needing help.

In regards to working on recruitment and retention we will make sure we are competitive with wages and benefits. The county may have to also look at some signing bonuses and we will be recruiting all of the time. We will use all avenues of Social Media to reach outside of our immediate area. We will offer a bonus to another employee that may recruit a qualified candidate. We will be creative. One of the keys to recruiting is to have a very reputable department and unfortunately right now ours has been tarnished. In retaining good people we may offer educational benefits, additional training if Deputies are interested. Getting narcotics back up and running and adding a K-9 unit gives Deputies an incentive to stay if they are interested in lateral moves.

Restoring the narcotics team is a matter of re-assigning the (2) two Deputies that are already funded by the budget to work in narcotics. In addition I would ask that the Board of Commission fund a 3 rd narcotics officer from the legal sells of marihuana tax. That is money we get back from the State of Michigan for legal sells of marihuana. The county got over one million dollars this year and some of that funding should be used for education and interdiction.

What would you say is your leadership style, and how will you utilize its strengths in your position?

My leadership style is that of a team style. When an issue comes up I would want to sit down with my management team and listen to input from everyone before any decisions are made regarding whatever the problem is. I am a very good listener and have the ability to get people to work together for a common cause. When necessary we will involve the union reps so we can get a feel for how the employees may feel. I would include as many people as needed to make sure that when the decision is made it will be the best for the entire department. The idea of the team concept is to be able to make very informed decisions that are best for the community and the department without causing adverse effects on anyone.

How would you work to reform the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department? If you would not reform it, please explain why.

The department has good employees now. What I would bring back is Honesty, Integrity, Transparency and most importantly Accountability to the organization. I have talked with several employees who work there presently and feel that structure is lacking and needed. Within the first 30 days I will meet with all of the different divisions and answer any questions they may have regarding what changes may be made. I will also meet individually with all of the full time and part the employees and get to know them as well as solicit what they feel are the good things within the organization and what issues they feel may need to be addressed. Who better than the employees to know what the minor or major problems are that may need to be addressed in the organization. Most of the employees are looking for someone they can trust and have confidence in and is willing to address certain issues.

With 20 years of experience as the Undersheriff and over 30 years of Law Enforcement I have a very good working knowledge of how the Sheriff’s Department functions, which gives the employees the confidence that I can and will address issues that need to be addressed. I have more Law Enforcement Managerial experience than all four of my opponents combine. Three of them do not have any managerial experience in Law Enforcement. (Editor’s note: The bold type is Allen’s, not our own.) That is huge when you are responsible for an 8 million dollar budget, approximately 150 employees, including full time, part time and volunteers, the jail with a capacity of 165 inmates and a county with the population of 62,000 people and 520 square miles.

How would you work to regain the public’s trust in the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department? 

Having served in public service for nearly 35 years the people that truly know me will say that I am a very honest and trust worthy individual. Those are major leadership traits you must possess to build trust with the community. Further that I am a leader who gets things done and will always do it in the best interest of the community. One of the initiatives that I plan on implementing is a Citizen Advisory Board made up of citizens from across the county.

As County Commissioner I formed an Ad Hoc Roads Committee. That committee strengthened the relationships between the County Commission, Township Supervisors and Road Commission. It lead to every group working together and greatly increased the amount of money spent on secondary roads.

Bi-annually I would ask local Law Enforcement representatives, Fire, EMS and other First responders to sit down with the Citizen Advisory Board and talk about issues we may be encountering in the community as well as ask for the community’s feedback with our group on concerns they may have regarding certain issues. I have found over the years the biggest hurdle to community relations is getting everybody in the same room to speak openly. I have been able to do that and will continue to build on that.

Do you consider yourself a candidate with high personal integrity? If so, why?

Yes I do consider myself to be a candidate with very high personal integrity. Over my career I have always been placed in leadership positions. From being the Platoon Guide Honor man in boot camp in the Marine Corps, to being Undersheriff at the St. Joseph County Sheriff’ s Department, to Chairman of the Board of St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners. I have either been elected to or appointed to these leadership positions because of my honesty and integrity and the ability to work with others to get thing accomplished. The only thing in Law Enforcement that you have that will earn you the trust and respect of the community and fellow employees is honesty and integrity. Without that you can’t get others to have the trust and confidence in you to follow you as a leader. As a leader you must always set a great example and live up to it. It is difficult to get others to follow your lead if you do not follow your own example.

How would your administration as sheriff differ from previous administrations? 

I will lead by setting a great example and everyone would be expected to follow my lead regardless of who you are. I will take the narcotics problem in our county seriously and re-implement our County Area Narcotics Team bigger and better than before. I will ensure that our Traffic Enforcement Grant cars are utilized for the purpose they are intended for. Policies and Procedures will be kept updated and everyone, regardless of who you are, shall be expected to follow them. Employees and the community will be treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. Honesty, Integrity, Transparency and most importantly Accountability will be the building blocks to restoring the trust between the department and community. All voice messages that are received at the department will be returned to the caller. I will work hard at making sure the employees feel that their ideas and views matter within the department. I will have an open door policy so that I may meet with a concerned citizen or an employee. I will continue the present in house Jail programs we have and look for others that may help people who enter the system with mental issues or an addiction. We need to address their issues the best we can to hopefully cut down on crime and the recidivism rate. Jail is not the answer but it can be an avenue to get the individuals the help that they may need.

How will you know that you’re accurately representing your community?

As I mentioned earlier I plan on implementing a Citizen Advisory Group and the information that is gained from that will be helpful. I will also be in touch with other community leaders through meetings within the county. I will also solicit information from them. In addition I will have a Face book page, email, and other social media that the community can correspond with me. I will make myself readily available to the different service groups in the county so that I am getting feedback from a variety of different groups. When necessary I will put out service messages via social media to keep the public informed as well as receive feedback.

Is there anything else your prospective constituents should know about you, your platform, your views, or your background?​

Yes. My wife and I have been a part of the Firm Foundation Ministries Church family in Centreville for 8 years. We belong to the Elks in Three Rivers and I am a lifetime member of the F.O.P. My wife and I are big supporters of Law Enforcement, EMS, Military and Veterans and give monthly to T2T and Wounded Warriors programs.

In addition I have received endorsements from former Sheriff Balk and Sheriff Matt Lori as well as nine (9) of the 16 Township Supervisors in St. Joseph County. I have also received endorsements from the Mayor of Sturgis, Frank Perez, who is running for State Representative and Mayor Tom Lowry of Three Rivers. In addition many other elected officials, such as a former Judge, House of Representatives and Village and Township Officers have endorsed my campaign. These are people that know me and have worked with me who are saying that I am the right person at this time to be elected Sheriff of St. Joseph County. I hope these questions and answers give you a better understanding of who Dennis Allen is and after reading this you will decide to vote for me, Dennis Allen for Sheriff of St. Joseph County, during the August 6 th election cycle.