(CENTREVILLE) – A man who served with the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department for 26 years is running for Sheriff.

Dennis Allen has announced his candidacy for the position of St. Joseph County Sheriff. He filed his paperwork Thursday morning.

Allen spoke with Swick Broadcasting and explains why he decided to run for the Sheriff's position. LINKC.

Both Lori and Balk have endorsed Allen and are supporting his campaign.

Allen is a graduate of Centreville High School with the Class of 1973. He joined the United States Marines and served for six years as a member of the Military Police and as a Criminal Investigator.

After being discharged, Allen returned to St. Joseph County. He completed the Kalamazoo Valley Police Academy in December, 1981, and was hired by the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department as a Corrections Officer in 1982.

Allen was appointed Undersheriff on January 1, 1989 by newly elected Sheriff Matt Lori, and held the position until he retired in 2008.

Allen ran for Sheriff in 2008 but was defeated. Since then, he has served on the Centreville Village Council for three years, and for the last seven years as been a St. Joseph County Commissioner.

If elected, Allen says he will work to improve the Department’s effectiveness by addressing recruitment and retention shortfalls; training needs and emphasizing a culture of transparency.

Allen is asking all St. Joseph County residents to support his campaign. If you would like to know more about Allen and his run for sheriff, you can visit his website. LINKA.