Dezso Polgar 100 Pleasantview Drive Weirton, WV 26062
A lifelong resident of Hancock County. The son of the late Desi and Eleanor Polgar. I have two children, Allyson and David, and four grandchildren.
Graduated from Weir High School in 1984 and pursued further education at West Virginia Northern Community College in Criminal Justice, followed by Mountain State University in Organizational Leadership. I graduated from the WV State Police Academy in 1988.
30 years of law enforcement experience, I retired from the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office with the rank of Lieutenant. Additionally, I have had a 40-year career in EMS, serving as the Director of Operations with the New Cumberland Ambulance Service for the past 33 years, which I was responsible for establishing in 1991.
I have held the following positions at the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office: Patrol, Prevention Resource Officer, Instructor, Child Passenger Safety Technician, Field Training Officer, Hostage Negotiator, Drug Recognition Expert, Sergeant, and Lieutenant.
I received several awards for my community service. The WV Governors Highway Safety Committee acknowledged my patrol activity with multiple awards. While serving as a Prevention Resource Officer, I also received recognition for Distinguished Service and was named Prevention Resource Officer of the Year. Additionally, the WV Office of EMS recognized the Ambulance Service for achieving 3rd place overall in the state for Response Time (time from call received to arrival at the emergency) and 3rd place overall for Time on Task (time from call received until units are back in service for the next call).
What prompted me to run for sheriff:
The structure of the Sheriff’s Department. “The department currently lacks structure, which leads our deputies to be reactive rather than proactive. If elected, I will prioritize effective budget management, provide training for our deputies, recognize the deputies for their achievements, and hold regular meetings or briefings with the deputies. I will re-establish four important principles: fairness, honesty, integrity, and compassion.”
The Safety of Our Schools. To ensure the safety of our children and staff in Hancock County Schools. Our Prevention Resource Officers should provide safety education to our children and staff, as well as facilitate non-traditional classes such as juvenile law, domestic violence, traffic laws, and impaired driving. This will help promote positive interactions between young people and law enforcement, making them less afraid to approach law enforcement officers.
Increase Drug Arrests in Hancock County. I would like to see our drug task force become more active in Hancock County, leading to an increase in police presence and more drug arrests and convictions. This will help keep our community safe.
Lack of Community Involvement. “I will address the lack of community policing by increasing the presence of police throughout the community. This will involve interacting with residents and businesses at events to hear their concerns. Additionally, I plan to collaborate with all emergency services in our county to better serve and protect our community.”
What do I think Hancock County’s greatest law enforcement problem(s) are and what action would I take to address those problems
Community Trust. I will rebuild community trust by actively engaging with residents and businesses, attending events, providing demonstrations, and interacting with the community.
Lack of Preparedness. “I will need to improve the preparedness of our deputies by providing enhanced training to ensure their safety as they protect our residents and businesses. The deputies should undergo training alongside all the emergency agencies in Hancock County to ensure they are prepared to collaborate during larger-scale incidents.”
Communications. The lack of radio communications in our county is a serious issue. The Sheriff’s Office is currently unable to communicate with the Weirton Police Dispatcher and their Officers when on patrol. This puts our deputies in danger as they patrol all of Hancock County. Without a functioning radio system, we are unable to provide the necessary safety to our deputies and respond adequately to emergency calls for help.
