To the Editor:

Nathan Shields is well qualified to become Polk County Sheriff.

He is a family man with a wife and six children. He is mature and experienced, at a time when more drug gangs are moving westward from Charlotte we need strong law enforcement.

Sergeant in the U.S. Army four years; Polk County Sheriffs Department under Sheriff Carswell (one and a half years); Landrum Police from patrolman to assistant chief (three years); Polk County from patrol system sergeant to captain of patrol under Sheriff Satterfield; Polk County Communications Director (two years); Polk County Police Department patrol supervisor (two years); retired from Columbus Police Department July 24, 2009; July 25, 2009 became a security officer II for Spartanburg Regional Health Care Village Hospital at Pelham in Greer, SC; Army National guard first sergeant (16 years) 105th M.P. Company; Present Operation- sergeant for 210 M.P. Company in Franklin, NC; Two deployments- first to Afghanistan and after returning home, was sent to Iraq three months later.

B.A. in Sociology in Criminal Justice- Shaw University, Raleigh, A.A. Physical Education; course in criminal justice at Arizona Junior College, Yuma, Az.

Well known and highly respected Nathan is a man who says what he means and means what he says. We definitely need such a man at the head of our sheriffs department.

Vote for Nathan Shields for sheriff May 4.

Annette Koluch