To the editor: Sheriff candidate Lake expresses concerns over ICE

As a law enforcement officer in the state of Vermont, I am held to a high standard of conduct because Vermonters have to trust us to protect them.

Despite that standard, too many Vermonters don’t trust law enforcement. When we have multiple sheriffs in our state that have been brought up on criminal charges and stay on the job, we have a systemic problem. When people of color are 40% more likely to be pulled over, we have a systemic problem.

I don’t have all the answers, and in this discussion I don’t have all the lived expertise that Vermonters of color may, but I do know that not trying is not an option.

ICE is murdering our people; citizens and immigrants alike. They are taking our neighbors off of street corners and denying them due process and human dignity. They are murdering our neighbors in cold blood.

Let me be clear: As your sheriff I will not collaborate with ICE or any federal agency while they violate the constitutional rights of anyone. We will take their calls, be civil and courteous, but we will not aid and abet any federal agency that violates due process, use of force laws or Vermont laws. We will work with the Vermont Attorney General and keep in close communication about statutory requirements and legal risks.

However, at the end of the day, someone has to put their foot down and tell this administration “no.” I will be transparent about our decisions, regularly open for public input and use partnerships outside law enforcement to make sound policy decisions.

I can’t do this alone. I need your support to protect our neighbors from federal violence. Whether you vote for me or not, please don’t be silent when we have so much on the line.

Joshua Lake
Chester
Candidate for Windsor County Sheriff