We have sent numerous units to answer the complaints outlined in Bonnie Grady's letter to the editor, including narcotics units, narcotics supervisors, several deputies and a K-9 unit with a narcotics detecting K-9; Street Crimes Unit, and we even questioned neighbors and a family member to the author of the letter. No one -- I repeat, no one was able to detect this odor. I even drove to the area in question and was not able to find any criminal activity.

Allow me to address the one occasion a deputy did detect the odor that Bonnie Grady called about, claiming it was a "meth lab cooking." A deputy identified the odor source as desert sage.

The K-9 unit was sent over on numerous occasions to see if the odor could be narcotic, but gave no indication as to the odor of any narcotics present in the air. When this was presented to Mrs. Grady, she stated to me that she had a better sense of smell.

The point of fact is, humans only have five million odor receptors and canines have over 220 million receptors dedicated to detection of odor. With training, the number in canines becomes higher.

When I read in the newspaper criticisms of this office, I find 99.9 percent is not true; as is the case here.

Just because a person pays cash, it doesn't make him/her a drug dealer. In fact, one of the people you mention should be a sheriff who has stated on numerous occasions in public that he pays only in cash. Is he a drug dealer? I would state, not to my knowledge.

People cover windows so other people can't look in for the sake of privacy. Do you not cover your windows?

I resent the statement that we (the sheriff's office) give criminals here a thumbs up to continue in their criminal enterprise. It is not true -- at least not by this part of the criminal justice system. Wasn't it last year when I was brought up on a trial in the Pahrump Justice Court for giving (lawful) permission to deputies in my office to keep re-arresting a suspect that kept committing crimes in this jurisdiction?

No one is given a free pass by this office to victimize the citizens of Nye County. Please read the newspaper and the sheriff report to see that for yourself.

As far as meth labs, they are not here in Nevada as they were years ago. There has been a steady decline; from 125 in 2003, to 35 for 2006, in the state of Nevada.

When we get "intel" of a potential lab we investigate it. Sorry to disappoint you, they aren't here as they once were. We have busted marijuana operations, but the meth labs prevalent before I took office are gone.

Let me state this -- the biggest dealer of drugs in Nye County we arrested recently -- was the so-called "perfect neighbor."

We ask for people to keep a log of suspicious activity so we can send resources to those areas. If a pattern is present, it enables law enforcement to establish assets to capture information for warrants and arrests. Remember, before we can arrest people, we need probable cause. Regardless, we still investigate the activity.

Our motto is " In Partnership with the Community" Protect and Serve. Why state the obvious? This is what all in public service are dedicated in doing believe it or not, including NCSO. We adopted our motto because it is through partnerships the community and law enforcement make a real difference. We in law enforcement recognize that we can not do this alone.

I can not address all the faults that you mention in your letter; apparently government is to blame for people not taking responsibility for child and animal care. Rest assured, if we find that a crime is being committed, we investigate.

As far as "corrupt cops," I hear people throw that around a lot when they don't get what they want; when they want laws done their way, even though its illegal. Please give me the name of the cops you think are corrupt and I will be more than happy to give them to the head of the FBI in Vegas who I meet on a regular basis along with the Director of Public Safety, who I also talk with and/or meet on a regular basis as well.

As for three of the four individuals you believe should be sheriff, none of them -- I repeat, non of them ever spent one day on the street in Nye County as a cop. None of them are POST certified. Two of them were never cops and the other spent several years in an agency in California.

Let me address Sheriff Joe Arpaio. While I respect him, I believe there is crime in Maricopa County. In fact, in a report released in 2006 titled "Costs and impact of meth in Maricopa County"--from 1990 to 2004 was 855 percent higher, from 2000 to 2005, 408 children were rescued from meth labs, 281 children from Maricopa County alone. Phoenix, which is in Maricopa County, is a major drug transshipment point.

So, as tough as Sheriff Joe is, drugs and crime are present in his county as well. There isn't utopia here on earth, I wish there was, and I'm sure Sheriff Joe wishes the same. There is no perfect place to live, but with law enforcement working together we can make it better.