Publisher’s note: The following Q&As represent the candidates’ views verbatim, as submitted via email in response to our questions, and have not been edited. The Primary Election will be held Aug. 6, with voters allowed to select one of the four candidates. As all candidates have filed as Republicans, the top vote-getter will be the Republican nominee in the General Election on Nov. 5 and the presumed sheriff elect unless challenged by an Independent, filing for which is open until July 29 with certain requirements that must be met through the County Clerk’s Office. – KT

1. What specifically, will you do to reduce the drug problem in Barry County?

I plan on getting a Barry County Drug Task Force.

Two deputies who want to work undercover 40 hours or more a week to significantly decrease the drug problem in Barry County. Only the undersheriff and I will know who they are. I will have a supervisor who will report to the undersheriff and myself, attend any Prosecutor meetings, make necessary trips to the office, and produce news releases. I also have one person who is POST certified and has a certified K-9 in drug detection and tracking, who is willing to come and work if I am elected. This person is also working with a second K-9. Once the second K-9 is active there will be two certified K-9s on the road 24 hours a day or on a on-call basis. The projected price of the K-9 program is approximately $250 total a year for veterinarian bills.

I plan to send deputies to classes for drug recognition. Training is very important for this job and is often an afterthought, I would like to change that narrative.

Lastly, I plan on working with other counties on information about drugs coming and going through Barry County.

2. How can you utilize other agencies (ODET, DEA, etc.) to curb drugs coming into the county?

I plan on speaking with the Prosecuting Attorney to enact harsher sentencing for repeat offenders. I personally know a detective in an adjoining county who works with COMET and is willing to assist with Barry County’s drug problem, due to drugs coming from his county to Barry and from Barry to this county.

I plan on working with other local agencies to gather information and find out who the “players” are in order to better target the source of this poison being introduced into our communities. Once an arrest is made ODET and COMET will be notified to see if they are working any cases on the arrestee(s).

3. How do you hope to lessen the amount of property crime in the county?

I plan on assigning districts to the county (State Highway VV from north to south and State Highway WW from east to west. I want to place a deputy in each district 24 hours a day 7 days a week. This will reduce response times and create more even coverage for the citizens of Barry County. I want a supervisor to oversee each shift, and be the backup deputy if needed. I want deputies to be seen patrolling the county. I would like at least six detectives with the county, divided into sections and one detective assigned to a section for investigations. I feel this will increase the success rate of solving cases that are often left pending due to case overloads.

4. What training do you plan to require of your deputies, and which specific skills do you aim to focus on?

I would like to send deputies to instructor classes in a large variety of areas to facilitate internal department training. This cuts down on training costs in the long run, as it would decrease the need to pay an external company or another agency to facilitate the training. I would like to increase the amount of Crime scene investigations and report writing classes, and I want to work with the Judge and Prosecutor to facilitate instruction on how to write a proper probable cause statement.

I also believe classes on the topics of Dealing with mental illness, how to handle stress, and DWI and Drug impairment are very important. Any classes a deputy wants to attend, I want to give them to opportunity to do so. There are free classes everywhere, and I, as a Sheriff, will work a shift to make sure they can go. Some of the most important training, in my opinion, are legal updates, report writing, and probable cause statements. Laws change every year, and if the report or PC is not good, the judge and/or Prosecutor will not file charges.

5. What tools do you hope to bring to the department to continually improve law enforcement?

I have 28-29 years of experience in Law Enforcement. I have worked with a big department (Clay County Liberty Missouri), and a small department. I have been a Chief of Police in Seligman Missouri, and Assistant Chief in Washburn Missouri. I have worked in the jail as a detention officer, in the courts, community service, road patrol divisions, civil branches, and fugitive apprehension divisions. I find myself at ease communicating with anyone because I believe in treating them as they should be treated. I will have an open-door policy for my employees for any concerns, issues, or suggestions they may feel are important. I want them to know they are not only employees but family. My philosophy is that God comes first, then Family, then your career.

I want Barry County Sheriff’s Office to be the place everyone wants to work at, and believe I can bring that atmosphere to the Sheriff’s Office through my plans. The more we can put on the road, the more protection the citizens of Barry County will have.

6. How will you set and assess deputy pay?

Law enforcement is not a “get rich” field of work.

However, pay is important to attract, and keep highquality personnel. I plan to work with the County Commissioners, to raise the pay scale for Barry County Sheriff’s Office employees to where we are competitive with similar-sized agencies.

The pay will be assessed by years of experience, prior education, evaluations, and job positions (patrol, detective, supervisor, fresh out of the academy, court bailiff, transportation, and jail).