Hello, my name is John House and I have lived in the Mooretown Community since 1991. I have been married to Rena Peeler-House for 28 years and we have 4 children Jonathan, Elizabeth, Emily and Elana. Rena is the daughter of G.L. and Kay Peeler. We attend the Sugar Tree Knob Church of Christ.
I have been actively involved in the community with 4-H, fundraisers for several county school BETA Clubs. I am a member of the Woodbury Lions Club. Previously, I was the president of the local Fraternal Order of Police Cannon Lodge 88. I have a vested interest in our community in which I live since this is where I chose to set roots and raise my family. I also own and operate two small businesses in the county; The Dog House and Big John’s Mowing.
I have been in law enforcement for 37 years. I started my career with the Tennessee Department of Corrections in 1985 and worked until 1997. While working at the prison, I supervised approximately 36 employees and worked in almost every position.
I have been employed with the Woodbury Police Department for 26 years. Currently I am a Sergeant with the department. While employed I have worked in patrol, Narcotics K-9, DARE Officer, School Resource Officer, Departmental Training Officer, Field Training Officer, Firearms Instructor and the General Departmental Instructor. I am also with the Tennessee Dangerous Drugs Task Force.
There are several reasons I am running for sheriff of Cannon County.
- We need to get the jail certified. The jail has not been certified since at least 2013. Some of the problems were overcrowding, staffing, square footage per inmate to name a few. As sheriff, I will work with the Tennessee Corrections Institute and will start a County Corrections Partnership Initiative. This voluntary initiative will help create a path to certification for the jail.
- We need to address the problem of deputy and correctional staff turnover. In the last election the current sheriff stated staff turnover was due to low wages. The current sheriff has gotten the starting salary with included benefits to around $45, 000 a year, but is still having a high turnover rate. It seems like the reason for the turnover rate is not money, but leadership and moral.
- The law needs to be enforced and be applied impartially to all.
- The sheriff needs to have a good working relationship with the county commissioners and other law enforcement agencies.
- There needs to be transparency and accountability at the sheriff’s department.
- There needs to be services available such as GED classes, parenting classes, drug and alcohol counseling, some type of job training etc.…
I believe the sheriff’s responsibility is to enforce laws, protect life and property, and oversee the administration of county tax dollars and personnel. I believe that jail needs to be jail. I believe all inmates should be treated humanely and fairly. I believe that able body inmates who are sentenced should work to receive good time. The job of the correctional officer is custody and control.
If elected as your new sheriff, I will do everything within my power to make sure your sheriff’s department is one for every citizen to be proud of. I will be tough on crime and those who commit the crime. There will be an open door policy for staff and citizens to address any issues or concerns.
I, John House am formally announcing my candidacy for the office of Cannon County Sheriff. I will not be able to meet everyone in the county during this election, but I am asking and would appreciate your vote and support in the upcoming General Election on August 4th, 2022.