The Good Life - Nov-Dec 2013

These and the several other programs that Sheriff Laney
and his team have developed are what make an organization
with over 140 employees (many of whom carry guns with
real live ammo) tick like a finely tuned clock. The key is
mentoring the people in charge of their departments – to
motivate them to want to lead, as well.
LANEY’S “DRIVE THE ROAD”
PHILOSOPHY
Sheriff Laney and I had a two-hour
interview, and during those two hours
there were three major points Laney
kept reiterating. One is the Paul Laney
“drive the road” philosophy. Number
two is the love he feels for his wife Patty
and two daughters, Danielle and Katy,
and number three is the near-obsessive
dedication Laney has for the position
of protecting and serving the public he has been elected to
serve, along with his “family in brown.”
Sheriff Laney makes no bones about the expectations
he has of himself and everyone else who works for the Cass
County Sheriff’s Office. His standards are very high. And
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Sergeant Jon Morse, Deputy Cynthia Briard, Sheriff Paul Laney,
Deputy Vincent Smith, Sergeant Amanda Henrickson
“Each and every day
as I back out of our
driveway, I thank God
for being able to go to
a job I absolutely
love doing,”
— Sheriff Paul Laney
that does include everyone who works for the Cass County
Sheriff’s Office — regardless of their actual job. From the
person who hands out shower towels to the sheriff himself,
Laney’s position is “if they wear a brown patch on their
uniform, they are part of the family in brown: the Cass
County Sheriff’s Office,” and they work under his guidance.
I asked about a couple of his “no can
do” rules; for instance, no one within
the sheriff’s office is allowed to work in
a saloon serving drinks. Laney’s reason:
how does one rationalize serving
booze to someone one night, then
perhaps having to arrest them the next
for a DWI or DUI? Sheriff Laney has
a point, as it seems that would create
a conflict. He also has a steadfast rule
about moonlighting for private security
firms. Other than that, contrary to
several rumors I’ve heard, Sheriff Laney has no issue with
anyone wanting to work another job during their off hours
from the sheriff’s office.
Sheriff Laney’s “drive the road” philosophy is actually
pretty common-sense and uncomplicated: do nothing