by David Leonhardi
Over the past several months, the DSA has been exploring the idea of purchasing and operating the William B. Kolender Sheriff’s Museum in Old Town. On June 10, I presented the DSA board of directors with a purchase price which was agreed to by the Honorary Deputy Sheriff’s Association. The price was well below the appraised value of the museum, and in my opinion, is a deal that seems too good to pass up. Ultimately, the DSA board voted 7-0 to send a ballot to the membership with a recommendation to support a purchase of the museum.
I am an advocate for moving forward because I believe there is amazing potential and future benefit to our members and to our organization. A decision by our board to embark on this venture will undoubtedly result in many changes and additional duties. It will take a team effort to be successful. Part of the reason I support this endeavor is because I strongly believe in the ability of our DSA staff team, led by our CAO Rachel Parrott, to create something very special at the museum.
The Sheriff’s Museum is currently owned and operated by the Honorary Deputy Sheriff’s Association. The HDSA has done a great job creating and maintaining the museum, which has become a popular attraction in Old Town for tourists and locals alike. The HDSA is a great organization and wonderful resource to the Department and deputies by aiding and ensuring our folks have all the equipment they need. HDSA members are citizens who care about us, our profession, and making sure we have the tools we need to do our jobs well. But HDSA members are not deputy sheriffs. They have been recording and preserving our history just because they see the importance and value in doing so. I believe it’s our responsibility as deputies to do those things, which is why I see the DSA as a natural fit to own and operate a museum honoring our past.
I want to assure our membership that the DSA board did not take this decision lightly. Each of our directors was provided well over 200 pages of information to review, including profit/loss statements, an inspection report, an appraisal, and a detailed business plan. The board considered all these factors and decided to move forward and ultimately purchase the museum, pending approval by our membership.
There are several potential benefits to our organization and individual members. Some may view a purchase of the museum as an investment. While I am not an expert in real estate and won’t pretend to be, many believe owning a building in the middle of a tourist hub like Old Town is a great investment regardless of the business operations. I believe there is immense potential for the DSA to make the museum an asset for all of us.
For instance, I envision a place where we can organize field trips for school age children to come learn about the history of our department and the positive things law enforcement does for the community. I believe the museum would be a great place for us to host events, heighten awareness of the things we do, and improve public relations with our communities. I also envision it as a place where DSA members can bring their families to learn our history at no cost. We have many ideas to build upon the success of the museum, make it our own, and turn it into something each deputy can take pride in.
As I said before, I am an advocate for this venture. I hope the DSA can embark on this journey and that the membership votes to make that possible. Having said that, I also mentioned that this venture will take a team effort. Earlier this month, the DSA mailed a ballot to the membership so that each member can cast their vote on whether to purchase the museum or not. The DSA has created an informational slide deck to explain the vision, costs, benefits, and goals so that our members can make an informed vote. We also value transparency, and in that spirit, we have created a webpage where Class 1 Active DSA members can access the musuem building inspection, property appraisal, and other applicable materials. These are, of course, proprietary documents that should not be shared.
If any member has questions, concerns, or general comments on this topic, please reach out to me. I’m happy to help and I look forward to hearing from you!