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John Atkins frames campaign around child protection, crime and transparency for Davis County sheriff
Summary
John Atkins, a Davis County sheriff's office employee and candidate for sheriff, outlined priorities including protecting children from exploitation, focusing on serious crime, safeguarding constitutional rights, preparing for cyber threats and improving transparency to reduce staff turnover.
John Atkins, a candidate for Davis County sheriff and a current employee in the sheriff's office, said he would prioritize protecting children, tackling serious crime and restoring transparency and morale within the department if elected.
Atkins introduced himself as a 14-year military veteran who also works as a part-time firefighter-paramedic with North Davis Fire and in criminal affairs for the sheriff's office. "The sheriff is essentially the only real elected law enforcement representation in the whole US," Atkins said, adding that the office must protect constitutional rights while serving all county residents.
Why it matters: The sheriff leads local law enforcement, oversees deputies and shapes policies that affect public safety, civil liberties and how the office interacts with other government agencies. Atkins told forum participants he sees high deputy turnover, cultural problems and a need for clearer public reporting as barriers to effective policing.
On priorities, Atkins said his top concern is protecting children from exploitation, citing work with child-exploitation task forces: "There are a substantial number of children ... in Davis County that are victimized and targeted by people," he said. He listed tougher enforcement on serious crime and attention to everyday quality-of-life issues such as traffic among his leading goals.
Atkins also emphasized constitutional protections and caution about enforcement overreach, citing COVID-era disputes over orders such as church closures. On immigration and ICE-related questions he urged reliance on complete facts before drawing conclusions from media reports and said enforcement is appropriate when crimes occur.
To address internal problems at the sheriff's office, Atkins proposed greater transparency and accountability for administrators as well as front-line personnel. He recommended regular public reports on goals and progress and said improved culture and clearer strategic goals would reduce turnover and duplicated efforts with other agencies.
The candidate criticized expensive signature-gathering routes to the ballot and said he prefers the caucus/convention process because it forces candidates to meet voters directly. He described his campaign as grassroots work and said he has spent about 20 hours a week campaigning since he started.
Atkins noted endorsements and experience to bolster his bid, including the support of Jeff Burton as mentioned in the forum. He also described family sacrifices during deployments and said he retains a top-secret clearance after extensive vetting.
The forum closed with organizers saying they will continue interviewing other candidates. Atkins invited voters to contact him with concerns and questions about representation and policy.
