100 locals forming plans to stem theft, burglary, drug issues

By Kyle Troutman ktroutman@cassville-democrat.com

Approximately 100 Barry County residents held a meeting on 24 hours notice on Thursday at the American Legion Pavilion, calling for action by local elected officials to address the growing problem of theft, burglary and drug use locally.

Donnie Stumpff, of Cassville, organized the meeting through a social media post late Wednesday, about 24 hours before it was held.

The meeting

Stumpff began the meeting by saying he is pro-law enforcement, and the intention of the group is not to bash deputies, officers or elected officials, but to call for action to help stop a wave of thefts and burglaries largely affecting rural areas of the county.

Stumpff said the meeting was spurred by a neighbor being robbed twice in a four-day span and wrecker service owner Brice Stehlik dealing with burglaries on a weekly basis.

“We are here as a community to pull together and get some changes done that have been coming for a long time,” he said. “If we don’t put a stop to what’s going on, our kids and grandkids will deal with it later. From what I’ve been told, officers have been making arrests and the prosecutor, [Amy Boxx], and the prosecutor kicks it out. There’s guys put in jail for 24 hours for burglaries, and the next thing you know, 24 hours later they are back on the street.

“It starts with us. It’s not one person, two persons or 10 people. It needs to stop, and we can do it. If these elected officials do not want to pay attention to the voices of the public which they have been put in office by, they need to be out and we need to put someone in that can do the job.”

Steve Blankenship, presiding commissioner, was the only elected official in attendance. Multiple individuals said they notified the Barry County Sheriff’s Office, prosecutor’s office, city of Cassville, State Sen. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, and State Rep. Scott Cupps, R-Shell Knob.

A question the group agreed should be answered related to budgeting and staffing, and what can be done to increase the number of deputies.

“We have two deputies on one shift at a time, two deputies to cover the whole county, and that’s absolutely ridiculous,” Stumpff said. “We are building a $20 million jail up there. Why are we building a jail that big if we don’t have enough people to staff that thing.”

Stories of thieves burglarizing homes were shared by multiple individuals at the meeting. When Stumpff asked the crowd how many had been burglarized, more than 50 percent raised their hands.

One woman said she had $30,000 in property stolen from her, and when she reported to police where the perpetrator was, police allegedly sounded their siren in the driveway of the location provided, then left.

“When I called the officer, he said his hands were tied,” she said.

“You’re about the fifth person today who has told me that very story,” Stumpff replied. “So, I know you all are not making that story up. If someone robs you and you know who robbed you and you tell them where that person is and law enforcement or the prosecutor won’t do anything about it, we’ve got a problem.

“If their hands are tied, we want to know why their hands are tied.”

Stehlik said individuals would hop the fence into his vehicle yard and rifle through cars, leaving doors open and spreading trash.

“I’ve caught them on camera several times,” he said. “It’s the same group of guys. I’ve reported them twice. sometimes I knew they didn’t take anything of value so I didn’t waste anybody’s time.”

At one point, Stehlik did have significant property stolen, and he took action he would not recommend.

“I have cameras in the shop and pictures of who did it,” he said. “I tracked them down and got my stuff back. I don’t encourage anyone to do that. They could have [attacked] me just as easy as anyone else.”

Stehlik said it has been a month or two since his last encounter with the group of burglars, but before then, it was every other weekend they would appear on camera, or at times, twice a week.

Ideas to help stem the issues varied throughout the meeting. Many individuals supported finding a way to force Boxx out of office, though one attendee said she had written letters and made complaints to the state, only to be told repeatedly Boxx had done nothing that would rise to the level of a forced unseating. Stumpff advised attendees to help search for an attorney that may run against Boxx in the next election, which will occur in 2026.

Another person said one burglar who was convicted was sentenced to seven years in prison but let out after just one because it was a non-violent crime.

“Even if she does her job, we still have a big issue because they won’t keep them there,” she said. “It’s not just here.”

The conversation also centered around creating a neighborhood watch program, with a “chief” in each small community and a handful of watch members to report or act when necessary.

“I guarantee if there’s only two deputies on and they are in Monett and you live on the other side of Golden, it’s going to take them an hour to get to your house at best,” Stumpff said. “I think we need to have one chief in each area and that chief is responsible for having six or eight guys and an emergency number, and when someone calls in the middle of the night and says, ‘I’m being robbed,’ that chief gets ahold of those six people and they head straight to that house.”

“What are they going to do then,” an attendee asked. “They can’t take the law into their own hands.”

“I realize that, but let me tell you something, if there’s a single mother or an elderly person out there and they need help, wouldn’t you rather respond to that person versus letting them sit there and get killed,” Stumpff said. “I’m going to do everything I can within the law to either scare them off or help detain them in some manner until the cops get there. I don’t want to take the law into my own hands — I want to help my neighbor, and we should want to help each other.”

Another attendee said if such a program was set up, burglars would likely see headlights coming their way and flee because they know they are being watched.

The crowd also expressed worry that should something happen as a result of someone defending themselves, they would be put on trial before the burglar.

“A lot of this is happening at 2, 3, or 4 o’clock in the morning, and what’s going to happen is one of you is going to catch them in the act and one of us good people standing in here is going to fear for their life and shoot that person or injure that person really bad, and guess who’s going to jail — it’s us; it’s not them,” Stumpff said. “The prosecutor will be in action then and prosecute you.”

One individual said he shot at two individuals attempting to break into his home the week prior.

At another point in the meeting, it was suggested a fund be raised to support gas costs for individuals to patrol the streets themselves.

“We already pay for that,” an attendee responded.

Another suggestion from the crowd was to get yard signage for those involved in the watch group, with the intent said sign would serve as a warning to any would-be burglar.

Stumpff ended the meeting calling for individuals to email citizensforjusticebc@gmail.com with their questions for elected officials and proposed solutions to crime issues.

Stumpff said the group would meet again in about a month, and he intends to bring budget information and convince officials who did not attend to do so.

“If they don’t want to do their jobs, we need to get somebody in there who will,” he said. “And, I’ll tell you who that’s going to start with. It’s going to start with you people getting out and voting and getting your friends and family to vote and get them out and someone in to do it. We need to get someone to run, and run on the same agenda that you are here for.

“We’re going to put as much pressure on county officials as we can. They have got to know there’s consequences coming. That’s the only way we can make a change.”

That message was echoed multiple times throughout the nearly hour-long gathering.

“I think the message that needs to be put out as this progresses is that each individual person, do your job and you’ll be fine,” one attendee said. “But if not, we’re going to find somebody who is going to.”

The response

At the Barry County Commission’s regular on Monday, commissioners said they hope to see representatives of the group get on the agenda to bring up their concerns.

“I know it’s hard for people sometimes to get off work, but if there are serious issues, they can com in during office hours and we can address them,” said Gary Schad, northern commissioner. “We have an open door policy and will be glad to answer any questions.”

Blankenship said from what he heard at the meeting, many of the problems discussed, he said, go beyond Sheriff Danny Boyd or Boxx.

“A lot of what thy talked about goes beyond the sheriff or prosecutor and up to the state,” he said. “They have to abide by the laws set forth for them, and we need better laws to allow them to hold people longer.”

“There’s so much more to it than people see,” said Gene Robbins, southern commissioner.

Commissioners said they supported a county-wide neighborhood watch program, but hope people do not become vigilantes.

“A county watch program — not a vigilante group — could keep an eye out and curtail some of this,” Blankenship said.

“And, they need to work with the sheriff’s office to do that,” Robbins said.

Commissioners said when it comes to staffing at the sheriff’s office, a lack of recruits in the area is hampering hiring efforts. Some departments and counties have been paying individuals to go through the police academy if they commit to a certain amount of time with that department. Robbins said Barry County is looking into offering something like that, and any such effort would have to be in cooperation with Boyd. Raising deputy salaries more is also on the table.

“There is some opportunity there,” Schad said.

“We have to work with the sheriff’s office, and people need to know we can’t take it all on ourselves,” Robbins said. “I hope people understand that we are trying.”

Boyd said he was informed of the meeting the morning of, and a couple of people came to his office to request information on calls for service in the first six months of the year, which he provided, and to discuss other concerns and questions.

“The reason I was not at the meeting is because that afternoon, we had a situation arise with an inmate that needed to go to the hospital,” he said. “My jail administrator accompanied the inmate in the ambulance to Springfield hospital for security reasons. Therefore, due to the high volume of calls my road deputies were taking that afternoon, I chose to go to Springfield to get my jail administrator so that he had a ride back home.

“That way, I did not have to call another deputy in while they were off duty or leaving the county with only one deputy on. While I was at the hospital in Springfield, I was contacted by KY3 for an interview about the town hall meeting. I met with the reporter a parking lot near the hospital and conducted the interview.”

Boyd said when another meeting is schedule, he will attend.

“I want to work with the citizens of Barry County to hear their idea’s and proposal’s to gain the ultimate goal of making Barry County a safe place to live and raise a family,” he said. “It is a concern that there is a rise in burglaries and other calls for service. As law enforcement, we continuously try to patrol areas with a high volume of thefts and burglaries. Please keep in mind that with a high volume of calls for service per shift, it takes away from our departments ability to police the areas like they are needed.”

To help stay ahead of thievery, Boyd encouraged the idea of neighborhood watch programs.

“We need to ‘come together’ as a community and be proactive,” he said. “Start neighborhood watch programs, and report suspicious activity and crimes that you see being committed to authorities right away. Victims and witnesses of a crime need to remember that they have be willing to come to court and testify against the defendant/suspect. Otherwise, these criminals could go free back into the community.

“A neighborhood watch program, when formed and directed correctly, is a huge asset to the community and for law enforcement. I would be very interested in setting up neighborhood watch programs throughout the county to be proactive towards criminal activity.”

Boyd said he hopes to work with local residents to bring down crime rates.

“I have an open door policy; come in or call me to talk about your thoughts or ideas on any situation,” he said. “I would like to work together to solve our county’s problems so that our community stays a safe place for everyone to live.”

Boxx said her office received a call about the meeting, but she was in a jury trial and did not receive the message. Attending any future meetings, she said, would depend on the purpose of the meeting and her schedule.

Boxx addressed concerns brought up on Thursday, specifically the process of filing charges and her abilities under state statute.

“As with any case, whether charges are filed is determined by whether there is sufficient evidence to support the charge,” she said. “I will not accuse someone of a crime without enough evidence to convince a jury, beyond a reasonable doubt, that individual committed that crime. That is how our system works. ‘We know he did it,’ without any evidence, is wholly insufficient.”

To prosecute more burglary cases, Boxx said more probable cause statements are needed.

“I suppose receiving more probable cause statements from law enforcement for the crime of burglary [would help in prosecuting more cases],” she said. “Again, with sufficient evidence to support the requested charge.”

Boxx said the county as a whole should come together as a community and report suspicious activity, and utilize security cameras whenever possible in areas of concern.

“Remember that law enforcement is currently shorthanded and may not be able to respond as quickly as you would like,” she said. “And, while in an ideal world every criminal would be caught, sentenced and never commit a crime again, that isn’t the world we live in.”

Boxx also elaborated on the process of prosecution, including bonds and sentencing guidelines. “As I understand, there were many comments that the prosecutor’s office isn’t doing it’s job; including some by an uninformed county commissioner,” she said. “Perhaps some clarification of the judicial process is in order. Law enforcement must conduct an investigation and provide reports and a probable cause statement to the prosecutor’s office before any charges can be filed. Should there be sufficient evidence to support a criminal charge, charges will be filed.

“The Missouri Supreme Court has established rules that determine whether or not an individual may be held in jail pending the completion of his or her case. Those rules are not set by the prosecutor’s office. If a defendant is not violent and does not have a history of failing to appear in court, he will not be held in jail. Should that criteria be met, the judge determines what bond to set for that defendant.”

Boxx said for all felonies, a preliminary hearing must be held within 90 days of arrest and any evidence her office has must be disclosed to the defendant.

“Again, that is established by Missouri Supreme Court rules, not by the prosecutor’s office,” she said. “As a result, charges are not filed until such time as we have received all evidence from law enforcement to support the charges. A judge determines at that preliminary hearing whether probable cause exists to bind the case over to circuit court. Should there be insufficient evidence, the case will be dismissed.”

Boxx also addresses the jail, which she said has been falling apart for many years, before Boyd’s election in 2022.

“That lack of maintenance should not be placed at the feet of our current sheriff,” she said. “It is a problem he inherited and is attempting to deal with as best he can. Many of you may recall, in June of this year, five prisoners assaulted correctional officers and escaped. That was due to the condition of that facility.

“As a result, the most dangerous prisoners are now housed in other county jails until such time as their cases can be brought to trial. A further result has been an attempt to minimize the jail population in order to save the county the expense of housing prisoners elsewhere. The new jail is not scheduled for completion until August of 2024. Until that time, we continue to struggle with the condition of the jail.”

Boxx further hoped to make people aware of sentencing guidelines, which are established by the Missouri Legislature.

“As the concern is about burglary, I’ll use that as an example,” she said. “The range of punishment for a conviction of burglary in the second degree is up to one year in the county jail, up to seven years in the department of corrections, a fine of up to $10,000 or any combination of the three. For a defendant who has not previously been sentenced to the department of corrections, if he received the maximum sentence of seven years, or 84 months, by state statute, he would serve 10 percent of that sentence — or 8.4 months. Again, the state legislature made that determination, not the county prosecutor’s office.

“The prosecutor’s office is tasked with working within the confines of the system established by the state legislature and Missouri Supreme Court rules. We do our best, with limited resources, to keep Barry County safe. Maybe, as a community, the response to our current problems needs to be ‘How can I help?’ rather than, ‘Who can I blame?’

The future

Stumpff said on Monday he was still gathering information and questions, and he hopes to meet with the commission on Thursday.

“The outpouring of concern has been overwhelming,” he said. “People have reached out by text, direct messages and phone calls with concerns, and they are spread all over the county. I hope to meet with the commission and the sheriff, come up with some solutions and go from there.”

Stumpff said the next meeting should contain budget information from the new 1/2-cent law enforcement sales tax, which freed up $1.7 million in the general fund, being used this year to fund the new jail. The sheriff’s office this year has a budget of $2.7 million.

The prosecuting attorney’s office has a budget of $494,735.67, up from $431,510.98 in 2022. The increase was at the prosecutor’s request to hire another assistant and another clerical staff.