Ron Carroll running for VZC sheriff

Ron Carroll, recently retired Precinct 4 County Commissioner and a former chief of police, has announced his candidacy for Van Zandt County Sheriff in the March 1 Republican Primary Election.

After learning of the current sheriff’s decision to not seek re-election, Carroll said he decided to seek the position.  

“I believe that Van Zandt County is at a crossroads and the citizens deserve a full-time sheriff with proven conservative leadership and experience who will implement a long-term plan to improve response times, prosecute drug dealers, reduce burglaries and thefts and protect our community.” Carroll said. “Therefore, after much prayerful consideration and encouragement, I am officially announcing my candidacy for Van Zandt County Sheriff in the upcoming March 1 Republican Primary Election.”

Carroll and his wife, Sharon, have been married 42 years and have three grown children and three grandchildren. They have lived in Van Zandt County for more than 20 years.

After serving as Precinct 4 County Commissioner for 12 years, Carroll said he had aspirations of retirement and spending more time with family and friends, but because of the controversy and dissention plaguing the sheriff’s office he could no longer sit on the sidelines and let the problems become worse. 

“My sense of duty and patriotism compel me to offer my talent and passion to help bring consistency, professionalism and reliability to a department desperate for positive change,” he said. “We have great employees in the sheriff’s office who sacrifice so much for our county, but they are lacking the necessary leadership and a long-term plan to effectively fight crime.  As your sheriff, I will use my vast experience and leadership skills to make the sheriff’s office great again.” 

Carroll said he counts it a privilege to serve the public.  “For as long as I can remember, public service has been my calling and I have been honored and blessed with many opportunities to serve my country and my fellow citizens,” he said. 

For 16 years, both active and reserve, Carroll served in the United States Air Force where he was honorably discharged as a master sergeant.  Carroll’s military occupational specialty was firefighter in the Crash Rescue Unit where he was assigned to the 7th Bomb Wing and 301st Tactical Fighter Squadron. 

During the Vietnam War, Carroll served one tour of duty at the Saigon Air Force Base. During his reserve duty, Carroll was promoted to reserve fire chief at Carswell U.S. Air Force Base where he was afforded the opportunity to assist in providing fire protection for Air Force One during President Lyndon B. Johnson’s visit to the base. 

“As a proud American and veteran of the Vietnam War, I believe we live in the greatest country on earth and we should never apologize for our values and what we stand for as a nation,” Carroll said.

He added that, “as a constitutional conservative and NRA member, I will continue to protect and guard the Second Amendment and ‘the right to keep and bear arms.’ ”

In 1969, after serving four years’ active duty with the U.S. Air Force, Carroll’s became a Certified Peace Officer with the River Oaks Police Department.  Carroll’s law enforcement career began on the street as a patrolman.  

After returning from the Vietnam War, he used the G.I. Bill to earn an Associates Degree in criminal justice.  In 1970, the River Oaks Police Department selected Carroll for the “Rookie of the Year” award. Employed with the Keller Police Department in 1971, Carroll advanced through the ranks from sergeant to chief of police. 

After serving a few years at Keller PD and looking to further advance his career and law enforcement experience, Carroll accepted a position with the DFW Airport Department of Public Safety serving in many capacities with the DFW Airport Police, including the SWAT team where, he said, he gained “valuable operational experience with anti/counter terrorism tactics and training.”

Carroll also worked undercover operations to help eliminate car thefts at the airport.  Upon obtaining the rank of senior corporal, he was cross-trained as a certified police officer/EMT/firefighter. 

“As a motorcycle officer, I had the distinct honor and privilege of providing escort and security detail for several dignitaries including, President Jimmy Carter, Vice President Walter Mondale, President Ronald Reagan, Vice President George H.W. Bush  and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger,” he said.

In 1981, Carroll was selected chief of police for the city of Lindale.  In the evenings he was an instructor for the police academy at Tyler Junior College.

“Leading and instructing the next generation of law enforcement officers was a very rewarding experience,” Carroll said. 

Carroll led the Lindale Police Department for 10 years before returning to the private sector as a licensed private investigator and operator of a small business at First Monday Trade Days.  

Soon thereafter, Carroll made the decision to return to law enforcement and was hired by the Canton Police Department where he held various ranks and positions. 

“At that time, Sharon and I knew Van Zandt County would be our home,” Carroll said, “so, I dedicated the next 10 years to serving the citizens of Canton as their chief of police, and in the process learned a great deal about public service and how to best train and lead officers.” 

During his tenure with the Canton PD, Carroll said he was able to create new programs and services to better protect the community, including the first SWAT team in Van Zandt County, the first city narcotics division, the first K-9 unit, the first motorcycle officer division, as well as establishing a reserve force. 

In addition, Carroll helped coordinate crime prevention programs for residences and businesses, including an anti-drug program “Together Against Drugs” for the Canton intermediate students.

He said some of his other accomplishments include computerizing the Canton PD for efficiency, creating a community policing concept and helping establish the WANTED Narcotics Taskforce, serving as past-president.

“I was proud to lead this small department and its officers to serve and protect our community,” said Carroll.

As a Reagan conservative who served more than 33 years in law enforcement – 21 years as chief of police, obtaining a Master Peace Officer Certification, and with over 3,000 hours of law enforcement training – Carroll said he felt the call to retire from active duty and run for public office. 

In 2002, he was elected to serve as Van Zandt County Commissioner of Precinct 4.  The job of County Commissioner consists of helping set the county budget, holding departments and department heads accountable, and maintaining county roads, he said.

“As Precinct 4 County Commissioner, I worked within a conservative budget and fought to keep our tax rate one of the lowest in the Northeast Texas region.” Carroll said. “Unlike politicians in Washington D.C. and Austin, while serving on the Commissioners Court I fought for our conservative values.  In fact, by cutting costs and reducing waste in Precinct 4, I was able to build the emergency reserve fund from $50,000 dollars to over $500,000 dollars. 

“When I left office, Precinct 4 was in the best fiscal shape ever and was debt free.”

Carroll said some of his other accomplishments as commissioner include paving or seal coating over 80 miles of county roads, assisting in planning construction of the county’s new minimum jail facility that holds 48 inmates, increasing the Sheriff and D.A. budgets in order to provide additional resources to aid in protecting our community and property rights, in 2007, voting to freeze county taxes for home owners 65 years or older and the disabled, and assisting in starting the Veterans Memorial in Canton.

Prior to leaving office, Carroll said he voted in favor of an outside audit to help hold elected officials accountable and uncover criminal wrongdoing.  

As Van Zandt County Sheriff, Carroll said his primary focus and priorities will be to provide better training and equipment for officers thereby helping to prevent domestic terrorism/active shooters; reduce response times by placing more deputies on the street; target repeat offenders, prosecute drug dealers, and reduce thefts/burglaries; manage jail overcrowding and eliminate outsourcing of inmates to other counties thereby saving tax payer money; meet fiduciary responsibilities by working within a conservative budget; reinstate the sheriff’s posse and recruit experienced/retired peace officers for the reserve deputy program; maintain, improve and streamline neighborhood watch programs with training and active community involvement; improve employee morale within the sheriff’s office; utilize social media to improve community education and involvement; encourage open, proactive and improved communications with all elected officials, courts, and municipal police departments; seek to restore cooperation between all county departments; cooperate with all criminal justice agencies to create alternative incarceration programs when appropriate to help reduce recidivism; protect individual lives, rights, liberties and property rights; work closely with victim advocacy groups to protect victims’ rights; and return all phone calls. 

“As your sheriff, I will use my experience and relationship with the commissioners court to implement a work program for prisoners,” Carroll said.

Carroll emphasized, that better management of jail overcrowding will help eliminate the need for outsourcing prisoners to other counties, thereby saving the taxpayers money. 

“Folks, it is unacceptable to be spending over $30,000 a month to house our inmates in other counties when we can work together to develop a plan to solve this problem,” Carroll said. “The next sheriff of Van Zandt County must work alongside the Commissioners Court to help get the county out of debt so we can afford better roads and improved infrastructure.  Improving county roads will increase the response time of all emergency first responders.” 

In conclusion Carroll said, “I strongly believe that my many years of experience as a military veteran, former Chief of Police, and County Commissioner can be utilized to offer positive solutions that will make our sheriff’s office more responsive to the needs of the community.  I look forward to serving the citizens of this great county and making the sheriff’s office great once again.”