Editor, Gazette-Journal:

As a parent, I will be casting my vote for Holly Smith to be our next Gloucester Commonwealth’s Attorney.

Safety is a major concern of mine—safety in our homes, safety in our schools, and safety in our community. Holly Smith has a proven record of holding criminals, even the most violent criminals, accountable. She has shown that she will seek justice for victims of crime, even if it means taking on the tough cases and making the hard decisions.

Holly is the only candidate with a plan to educate our children in ways to avoid being victims of crime in the future. It is so important that we reach out to our children, early and often, to show them ways to protect themselves in this world which is so different from the world that most of us grew up in. Holly is willing to make that effort to visit the classrooms and speak to our children. Holly recognizes, respects and will work tirelessly to protect the value of our children.

Holly is also the only candidate with a long history of working effectively with law enforcement. She knows that successful prosecution of those criminals who want to do us harm requires a team approach, working side by side with law enforcement from the time the charges are brought until the final verdict. For our citizens to be protected, we must have a Commonwealth’s Attorney who will work with deputies as they protect and serve us in the streets and deputies who will work with our Commonwealth’s Attorney as she fights for us in the courtroom.

There is only one candidate for Gloucester Commonwealth’s Attorney who has shown by her experience that she can be trusted to protect us and our children. That candidate is Holly Smith.

Tim Doss

Hayes, Va.