President’s Message

Greetings,

I am honored to serve as the 2026 President of the Indiana Sheriffs’ Association and look forward to working alongside every sheriff in Indiana to carrying on the traditions and values of the Indiana Sheriffs’ Association and the Office of the Sheriff. As President of the Indiana Sheriffs’ Association, I want to reaffirm what it means to serve as an Indiana sheriff.

We are constitutional officers, elected by the people, entrusted with a duty that is both historic and deeply personal: to protect life, preserve peace, uphold the law, and safeguard the rights of every citizen. Our responsibilities as sheriff reach far beyond simply wearing a badge. It is operating county jails, serving civil process, providing court security, coordinating emergency response, and working hand-in-hand with local police, prosecutors, and community partners. At the heart of it all, being a sheriff is a simple promise to the citizens of Indiana; we will show up on your worst day, we will act with integrity, and we will treat every person with fairness and respect, because public safety and public trust must always go together.

The Indiana Sheriffs’ Association exists to strengthen that mission across all 92 counties. The ISA stands for the elected sheriffs standing together by sharing training, best practices, resources, and a unified voice for the deputies and staff who carry the daily load of public safety. We support our members through professional development, leadership opportunities, and collaborative problem-solving that helps every county do the job better, safer, and smarter. Just as importantly, the ISA serves our citizens by advocating for policies that improve safety while protecting constitutional freedoms. At the Statehouse, we work with legislators on future laws that address real challenges like the drug epidemic, mental illness, violent crime, jail overcrowding, staffing shortages, and the increasing demands placed on local law enforcement. We bring practical, real-life experience to lawmakers so that new legislation is realistic, constitutional and serves to better Indiana communities.

Finally, we cannot arrest our way out of every problem—building community engagement is vital if we are going to fight crime and prevent it in the first place. When residents trust their sheriff’s office, they report suspicious activity, cooperate with investigations, mentor young people, and stand up against the threats that weaken neighborhoods—whether that’s addiction, domestic violence, human trafficking, or gangs. Community engagement means being visible and present in our schools, neighborhoods, churches, and civic groups; listening before reacting; being transparent when we make mistakes; and being consistent in how we enforce the law. In 2026 and beyond, the ISA will keep pushing forward a simple, powerful truth: safer communities are built when citizens and law enforcement work together, because public safety is not just the job of the sheriff’s office; it’s a shared responsibility across all of Indiana. I look forward to being a part of the successes of the ISA this year, but most importantly I am humbled to work with my fellow sheriffs to make the communities we have been elected to protect, safer, stronger and better.

Sincerely, Jeffrey A. Balon

Porter County Sheriff

2026 ISA President