Public safety isn't an abstract political debate for the families living in Memphis and across Shelby County. It’s a daily reality measured by whether you feel secure pumping gas after dark, opening your local business, or letting your children play in the front yard. Right now, too many our neighbors feel powerless against a rising tide of violent crime. We don’t need more talking points or finger-pointing from leadership; we need a return to fundamental, disciplined law enforcement. Brad Less is stepping forward to run for Sheriff because he believes that structural, lasting safety starts with a simple concept: getting boots back on the ground and restoring clear, unwavering command to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.

With a law enforcement career stretching back to 1995, Brad has spent three decades serving this community from the pavement up. He knows that the current atmosphere of lawlessness didn't happen overnight, and fixing it requires more than just reactive policing. It demands strategic visibility. Criminals thrive in vacuums where law enforcement is stretched too thin to be seen. Brad’s top operational priority is to maximize the department's active presence, increasing deputy visibility in high-crime areas to deter criminal behavior before it disrupts a neighborhood.

But true community safety isn't just about presence—it's about partnership. A Sheriff cannot police a county in isolation. Brad’s vision embraces authentic community policing, a strategy that moves deputies out from behind windshields and puts them back into the heart of the neighborhoods they serve. When citizens know their local deputies by name, trust is forged. When trust is forged, the community itself becomes an active partner in public safety, sharing the critical information needed to dismantle local crime rings. This isn’t a soft approach to crime; it is the most effective intelligence-driven tactic available to a modern law enforcement agency.

Brad’s background brings a rare combination of local grit and high-level federal training to the table. As a veteran Shelby County Deputy since 1997 and a Special Agent with the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) since 2013, he understands how to navigate complex multi-jurisdictional challenges. He knows that to truly make Memphis safe again, the Sheriff’s Office must seamlessly collaborate with the Memphis Police Department, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, and federal task forces. By bridging these gaps, Brad will build a unified front against violent offenders, ensuring that criminals find no safe havens or institutional blind spots anywhere in Shelby County.

Ultimately, this campaign is about restoring the core promise that local government owes to its citizens: protection. Every family, regardless of their zip code, deserves a safe community, a secure school system, and a thriving business district. Brad Less has spent his entire adult life defending those values—first as a Marine, then as a local deputy, and as a federal agent. He has the local experience, the federal command training, and the deep personal investment in Shelby County to lead our department out of the crisis and toward a safer, more stable future.