Former captain throws support behind Vandenberg for Sheriff

I was a Police Officer in Ft. Madison for 8 1/2 years. In 2021 I realized it was time for me to walk away. Stacy Weber called me to check in on me, and I will never forget that.
In the time that I served for the Police Department, I  served with many great men and women. I specifically  want to speak of two of the greatest men I know;  Lieutenant Robert Juarez and Lieutenant Matt Van  Berkum of the Lee County Sheriffs Office. When I was  a Captain of the Police Department, Lt. Juarez and I  handled many calls together. I would often meet with  Lt. Juarez on shift to discuss cases, investigations,  and proper practices in order to give the best service  that my officers and I could give. It is my opinion that  Lt. Robert Juarez is not only a great officer, but is a  terrific human being full of honesty and integrity. He is  one of the highest moral character. We had a saying  in the military, “I would trust him with my life, but not  my money or my wife.” I would trust Juarez and Van  Berkum with all three.
One night specifically, LT. Juarez assisted my shift in a  very deadly situation. Someone had already been  shot, and the gunman was on the loose looking for  their next victim. They all knew at any point in time
one of us could be ambushed at close range and take  a bullet to the face, but these men kept going. While  we were all trying to end this deadly ordeal, Lt. Juarez  was there every step of the way until the incident was  finally over. A true leader who leads from the front.
I also had the pleasure of serving with Lt. Matt Van  Berkum. As a young Officer on the joint Tactical  Response Unit (SWAT), Lt. Van Berkum took me  under his wing. Lt. Van Berkum took pride in training  the new guys in the proper tactics and techniques that  were needed for safe and effective search warrants  and high risk incidents. I saw his bravery and  efficiency firsthand on multiple high risk call-outs. Lt.
Van Berkum was dedicated to teaching young officers  in a game where life and death is not decided in  seconds and minutes, but nanoseconds. I would  follow that man to the gates of Hell.
I also had the pleasure of knowing Sheriff Stacy  Weber. I never worked for him, but Stacy Weber was  always fair to me. You will never hear me say a bad  thing about him. After the night I described earlier,
Stacy checked in on me to make sure I was doing  well. In 2018, in the middle of a rough patch at the Ft.  Madison Police Department, I looked for employment  with the Lee County Sheriffs Office. Lt. Van Berkum
worked very hard to recruit me because of how great  Sheriff Weber was to work for. Stacy offered me a job.  I will never forget that.
I told Stacy at the time, stallions want to run with  stallions, and the Lee County Sheriffs Office is the place to be. I still believe that was the case back in  2016 and several years after. However, when two

great men such as Robert Juarez and Matt Van  Berkum find conditions bad enough to come out and  publicly support a different candidate, that turned my  head. These men were promoted by Sheriff Weber
because of their performance and high moral  character. These are good loyal men, how bad must it  be? Loyal men they are, but they would never jeopardize their integrity. Something must be wrong.
It seems the two loudest supporters for Stacy Weber‘s  re-election are both county board members. Although I have no personal or professional conflicts with these two, and I’ve liked and known Tom for a while, there is much more weight behind the voices of those who  work the street night after night for 12 hours at a time.
These men have actual skin in the game, and their  lives depend on good leadership. Much more than  board members who like the Sheriff, but don’t work for  his agency.
In 2016, a majority of local Law Enforcement Officers  and I believed Stacy Weber was the man best suited  to be Sheriff, and we were right. He was a Stallion.
However, the glory days for every great racehorse  comes to an end, and it’s time to walk away from the  track. I wish Stacy nothing but the best and hope he has a long and healthy retirement full of joy, he
deserves it.
Today, an overwhelming majority of local Law Enforcement Officers are voting for Elliot Vandenberg, and my gut’s telling me the same.
I’ll be voting for Elliott Vandenberg on November 5th.

Former Captain Cory Brown
Fort Madison