Candidate Profile-Kootenai County Sheriff-Bob Foster (I)
Birth date: 12/17/45
Profession: Law Enforcement, Public Safety Administration
Educational background: BA Degree in Public Administration, FBI National Academy Graduate, POST (Peace Officer Standards & Training) Executive, Management, Supervisory, Advanced, Intermediate & Basic Certificates, POST Certified Ethics Instructor Certification, Emergency Management Certification
Public service (elected or appointed offices): 40 Years of Public Service as Chief of Police, City Personnel Director, Director of Public Safety and Emergency Operations Center Director, Captain of Police, Sergeant of Police, Police Officer, Field & Crime Scene Evidence Technician, US Navy Petty Officer, Code Enforcement Officer, Police Academy and Community College Instructor
Community service (service clubs, nonprofit boards, etc.): 40 Years of Community Service: Jr. Chamber of Commerce, Girls & Boys Club, Boy Scouts of America, PAL(Police Activities League), Kiwanis, Lions, Elks, SAAC(Substance Abuse Action Committee), Senior Center Board member, Parks & Recreation Coach, American Legion, VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars), and more.
How many years as a resident of your city: 8+
Marital status: Married
Family: Wife of 25 years and two adult children
Hobbies: Old Pickup Trucks, Working with Horses (Team Roping), Raising Chickens, Boating, Lawn Mower Racing, Gardening, Collecting Memorabilia
1. Why are you running for office?
Kootenai County is my home and where we’ve raised our children. Public Safety is crucial to our quality of life. My education and leadership experience is in public safety and I want to do all I can to maintain the character of, and improve the quality of life in our county. My professional credentials exceeds those of the other Sheriff candidates.
2. What do you see as the three biggest issues you’ll face?
Living within the budget: All of government must better manage existing resources and discontinue the historical pattern of the growth of expenditures. Government cannot and must not spend beyond their available resources.
Employee retention: Recognizing the most valuable resource in government is people. Underutilizing and failing to recognize their value discourages career minded employees.
Righting the Ship: The Sheriff’s Department has been allowed to drift into a sea of mediocrity and stagnation.
3. If elected, what steps will you take to resolve these issues?
I will ensure all expenditures produce value and contribute to the mission of the department. I will eliminate waste especially relating to use of staff. Every function, every position, and program will be examined against a defined value. All personnel will contribute to analysis and goal setting. The community will be involved in helping define cost/benefit.
I will provide a framework within which employees perceive they can succeed, improve the performance appraisal process to give employees on going quality and detailed feedback on performance, clarify employee purpose and expectations, provide an environment for employees to speak their mind without fear of retaliation, support training for on going career development, utilize talents & skills, promote professional standards and improve supervision.
Professionalism in service to our county will be our full time objective. We will redefine our mission, values and ethics to assist in regaining and improving community confidence. I will with help change that perception and utilize our community to assess our effectiveness. Eliminating or changing historical ways of doing things can result in better services and efficiencies.
4. What specific skills or experience qualify you for this job?
I’ve represented professional law enforcement as an Officer, Supervisor, Investigator, Trainer, Manager and at all levels of government for over 40 years. I served as Chief of Police for over 17 years - I am the only candidate that served at that Administrative-Executive level. I’ve also represented over 35,000 Police Officers and Deputy Sheriffs in their wages and working conditions.
5. Why should voters elect you, rather than an opponent?
My background of education and proven leadership expertise exceeds the background of any other candidate. If Voters want the services and operation of the Sheriff’s department to improve they should elect Bob Foster their Sheriff. If Voters want to run the risk of “business as usual” services vote for any of the other candidates who have no executive level experience.