To the Editor:

My name is Joyce Allen and I am proudly writing this letter on behalf of Sean P. O'Brien, in support of his candidacy for St. Lawrence County Sheriff.

You're probably wondering what my position is in a race like this, but many know me as the proud and only daughter of Ceylon "Lefty" Allen.

My father was part of the St. Lawrence County Sheriff's Office for over 33 years. My father served many roles during his time in the Sheriff's Office, but his biggest achievement was serving as St. Lawrence County Sheriff until December of 1978.

My father was someone everyone loved, respected, and looked up to. He was a firm believer in and always said "People Over Politics".

I know many things have changed over the years, but that mindset I believe, is one that shouldn't. Being the Sheriff of St. Lawrence County is much more than answering to just the people within the office, it's serving and protecting all 108,000 people within our great country. Which is also why he strongly believed in making the right decisions for everyone.

Deciding who to vote for as the next sheriff is not something the people of this county should take lightly. It requires someone to uphold the same mindset my father had many years ago, along with having a vast knowledge of how to best serve the people.

Sean has been serving all of St. Lawrence County the past 3 plus years as Undersheriff. In this role, Sean has been able to manage the inner workings of the office, develop and implement new programs, operate under new and challenging laws, and most importantly, keeping that extremely important mindset at the forefront ... "People Over Politics".

Sean possesses a lot of the same qualities my father had. Sean holds his people accountable to make sure our tax dollars are being allocated efficiently, he's honest, and above all, he works hard for all the people of St. Lawrence County.

Becoming the next Sheriff isn't something you just wake up one day and decide you want to do.

This is a position that requires you to be knowledgeable and something you should be extensively trained in. Having a leader that does not possess these things could potentially be dangerous to our county.

With that, I strongly believe and support Sean in his candidacy to be our next Sheriff and I would encourage you to do the same. I know if my father, Ceylon "Lefty" Allen, were still here today, he would feel the same way. I truly appreciate your consideration in this very important matter.

Joyce Allen

Canton