By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett is running for his second term, challenged in the Republican primary by St. Joseph Police Sergeant Keith Dudley.
Puett has been with the sheriff’s department for more than 33 years, the last four as sheriff. He has taught at the Law Enforcement Academy on the Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph for 25 years and actually had Dudley as a student.
Puett says he has accomplished much during his tenure as sheriff and is running for a second term, because there remains work to do.
Puett says a restructuring of the Buchanan County jail under his administration freed up personnel and money.
“We were able to restructure, take some of those deputies, move deputies out into enforcement positions, restructure some of the job requirements and so we were able to provide deputies a raise a couple of years ago,” Puett tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline.
Puett says the department has become a leaner, more efficient agency during his tenure. He says the department is aggressive on crime while treating everyone with respect.
Dudley says he got into law enforcement in his early 30s as a second career. After taking a United Way Leadership St. Joseph course, Dudley decided it was time for him to step forward and do more for the community.
Dudley says recruitment of qualified deputies would be a top priority.
“When I applied 19 years ago or however long ago it was, we had about 160 to 200 people who would apply. Now we’re lucky to get 30-35 people,” Dudley tells Birr on the KFEQ Hotline. “There’s not a lot of people out there. Everybody’s trying to get them. You have got to do something to make your department stand out above the others.”
Pay is important, according to Dudley, but the working environment can attract the right people. Dudley says he would restructure the department so that it could free up deputies to help St. Joseph police patrol crime hot spots.
There is no Democrat running, so the primary will decide who is the sheriff.