Porter County Sheriff David Lain is seeking re-election.

In a statement released on Monday, Lain announced that he will file as a candidate at 10 a.m. Thursday.

Lain began his law enforcement career in 1977 with the Valparaiso Police Department. He retired there after 22 years of service to accept the position of chief with the Porter County Sheriff’s Police under former sheriff David Reynolds. He was elected sheriff in 2006.

“The Sheriff must have the support of the department he leads,” Lain said. “I am so proud of the men and women of the Porter County Sheriff’s Department for the sacrifices they make daily to provide the people of this county with superior public safety services. We have worked as a team to form a partnership with those we serve. The result is a greater level of public trust that our staff is indeed working for them.”

“Four years ago I made a commitment to accomplish several goals,” Lain said. “I vowed additional manpower dedicated to undercover drug task forces operating in our county. We did that. I promised to create a separate cadre of officers to focus on traffic enforcement. Not only have we done that, but this year we will expand their mission to allow us to have a stronger and more immediate response to burglaries, vandalism, and other crimes that require urgent attention.”

“As promised, we met with every school superintendent in the county to discuss the issues they felt important,” Lain said. “The result was a county-wide forum held for parents and students to highlight solutions for combating Internet predators, bullying, and prescription drug abuse by teens.”

“Later this year we will create a civilian Jail Advisory Board to assist our jail staff and me in finding the most effective and cost saving measures to run a facility the size of the Porter County Jail,” Lain said.

“Several months ago I made headlines in the local print media for something I never publicized,” Lain said. “Since taking office I have never requested nor accepted a salary increase for myself. I would rather devote my energy toward acquiring adequate compensation and equipment for the men and women who serve on the front lines.”

Lain is asking anyone who wishes to contribute to or participate in his campaign to write to David Lain for Sheriff, P.O. Box 1983, Valparaiso, IN 46384.

Posted 2/3/2010