CHICKASHA - Guy Huggins has announced his intention to run for Grady County Sheriff.

“I have been a life long resident of Grady County and feel that I have much to offer the position as well as the people,” He said. “My heart belongs to this community.”

“My education prepared me for over 23 years of law enforcement experience,” Huggins said.

After graduating high school from Chickasha High School in 1981, he continued his education at Kansas State University where he earned a degree in Correctional Administration and Sociology. He graduated from the Council on Law Enforcement Education Training, CLEET, in 1989.

“My career has been built with all aspects of law enforcement, as an officer for Probation and Parole all the way back to my days as a Grady County Sheriff Deputy,” Huggins said. “ I also worked for Oklahoma Department of Human Services as a Child Protective Services worker and a Child Protective Services Investigative Unit supervisor. One thing I am quite proud of is being the founding Coordinator of the Grady and Caddo County Drug Courts; a program that is thriving today and making Grady County a safer place to reside as well as reducing the introduction of new inmates into the prison system.”

“I have always strived to make Grady County a better place to live,” he continued. “I believe one of the jobs of law enforcement is to seek out justice for crime victims. As a member of the criminal justice system, I have tried to meet the needs of victims through involvement with community agencies and resources. I have trained as a peer advocate with the Women's Service and Family Resource Center, I am a founding member of the Grady County Children's Advocacy Team and currently am a Master Level Cognitive Forensic Interviewer for Children. I also am one of the only law enforcement officers in the State of Oklahoma who is certified as a Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Professional. I sincerely believe that appropriate response and treatment of a victim and their family is key to successful information gathering. This ensures that a case can be presented to the Office of the District Attorney and an informed prosecution may be obtained. Whether a person is victimized or accused, emotions will run high. However, a professional calm response from law enforcement officers with appropriate referrals to helping agencies is vital to all parties and can create a calmer, safer community for us all.”

“The Office of Grady County Sheriff should be the most approachable Office in government. I hope that serving as a Chickasha Councilman for the last 10 years, I have shown myself to be a man of my word and a man of my constituents. My name is Guy Huggins and I would appreciate your support and your vote on Tuesday July 29th, 2008.”

“Feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns at 405-313-1477 or visit www.guyhugginsforsheriff.com.”