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The Arkansas City Traveler Online - Arkcity.net -> Traveler Talk -> Local - In the News -> Emerson running for Sheriff
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Elee


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Emerson running for Sheriff
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Randy Emerson
Emerson again seeking sheriff's role

By ROY GRABER
Managing Editor

Randy Emerson ran for the office of Cowley County Sheriff four years ago, stating he wanted to see some changes made.

Although many of the changes he wanted have happened since he was defeated by incumbent Bob Odell in 2004, Emerson still thinks improvements to local law enforcement can be made.

Emerson filed for the sheriff's position earlier this week, making him the second candidate. Don Read, Odell's undersheriff, has also filed. Odell has announced his intention to retire when his term is completed in January 2009.

Emerson, a 1990 law enforcement academy graduate, has six years of law enforcement experience. He served as deputy for the Pratt County Sheriff's Department, interim police chief in Udall and police chief in Douglass.

"I was in law enforcement before, but I got out of it when I came back (to Cowley County)," Emerson said. "I just always missed it, and what better way to come back than in the top spot?"

Emerson said he hopes to bring some of his managerial and organizational skills to the office. For the past 12 years, he has been the executive director of Winfield Housing Authority. He also serves as the director of disaster services for the Cowley County Red Cross, and he is a national safety and security supervisor for the American Red Cross.

When Emerson sought the sheriff's office in 2004, he stated that he wanted to have the jail at its current location, but he also wanted to change the deputies' work to allow better coverage. Other changes he sought were to have an outside agency provide better meals for the jail and more accountability of the funds. He also stressed purchasing patrol vehicles locally whenever possible.

Emerson acknowledged those changes have all been made, but he hopes for more.

One area in which he hopes to see improvement is to have resource officers working in county schools. While Winfield and Arkansas City already have police officers in their schools, Emerson said he would want to see the sheriff's department develop better relationships with county schools such as Dexter, Central and Udall.

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He also wants to have more visibility at community activities such as the Walnut Valley Festival, the Cowley County Fair, the Winfield Country Roundup and high school and college sporting events.

"(Sheriff's department officers) can definitely work at the fair and at Bluegrass as the police officers do, and I'd encourage them to stop in and walk around at different ball games while they are on patrol, even if it's just to say hi. That should be part of the patrol," Emerson said.

A rising drug problem is also a concern of Emerson's.

"I will work hard to reduce this problem," he said. "I want to see the county have a SWAT team, especially with some of the recent incidents such as the shooting at 14th and Main in Winfield. We need to be better prepared and equipped to handle these incidents. We need to have a team made up of officers from each county department to work together for safe entry of homes to serve search warrants."

Emerson also wants to look at the feasibility of using inmate labor to help reduce the work loads of county workers in other departments.

Both Read and Emerson have filed as Republicans. In the 2004 election, Emerson ran as a Democrat, but he said he did so to extend his campaign. He said he's been a lifelong Republican, however, and decided to stay true to his political roots.

Emerson and Read will face off during an Aug. 5 primary. The general election will be Nov. 4, according to Cowley County Clerk Karen Brooks. No other candidates for sheriff or any other county office had filed as of Thursday afternoon, Brooks said.

I found this article in the Winfield Courier today. I am glad to hear he is going to run. Although I do feel like Bob Odell has done a good job over the years with his retirement will be an excellent opportunity to see some change at the department. With the high turn over there it is obvious a change is needed. I realize law enforcement is a high stress job and those who work there are subject to burnout due to the broad range of things they encounter from day to day. I believe the twelve hour swing shifts they work plays a huge part for the high turnover. The last I knew they work from 6am to 6pm for a short time then work the opposite shift the next tour of days. However, the time allowed doesn't allow the deputy to get used to his sleep pattern before the next change occurs.  Several years ago wages were blamed for the high turn over. Wages were raised but the turnover still seems to continue. Some where something needs change. It cost the county quite a bit of money to send each newly found deputy to the academy that is unless they are certified already. If we send them and they don't stay here in this county it is money lost. Many are going to the academy and staying for a while and transfering to other departments with better hours, that are more family friendly, or go into something else altogether. I was told once by a sheriff from another county  that 12 hour shifts were very bad to expect fromhid deputies. In his oppinion after 10 hours the fatigue safety factor has changed to a dangerous level. I have to tend to agree with him. With the long hours and the flip flop type swing shift they are working I can see that we are very lucky that we have not had any serious injuries or incidents in our county. Just a few thoughts.


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S23246G


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When sending officers to the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center, all the department has to pay is the wages for that officer (8 hours a day, five days a week). The Training itself is done at no cost to the agency.

And yeah, 12 hour shifts suck.

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Elee


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Thank you SG for setting me straight on the fees for training....but wages lost to send someone to school to come back and leave to go to another department is a loss to the department. When they are at school the department works short to get them through, then they leave....the next one hires on...you work short till they get through school...the leave...and so on and so forth....I gues that would be a loss in a round about way...But thanks for the information....

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Bilt


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As an employee for the Sheriff's department I speak from my personal opionion and not from the views of the department. Having that in mind I will say I work 12 hour shifts and love the 12 hour shifts. My schudule changes from 3 months on nights and one month on days which does let my body get used to the sleeping pattern. And since I have been working for the SO I have seen a few "turn overs" yet these were all years ago. In the last three years I, personally" can only think of three officers leaving the department, one of which left so he could be an instructor at the academy your were speaking of. I feel this was an honor for the Sheriff's Department to have one of our own now teaching the new officers at the academy the duties of the job. A second officer recently moved back to Cowley and is now working for the Sheriff's Department again. I would say three officers in three years does not constitute a turn over and I would personally believe this would be above average for a typical business. I hope I do not sound rude because I am not trying to be, I just wanted to share my personal views on the subject!

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Elee


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Bilt,
I by no means feel you sounded rude, I suppose we can chock it up to the excellent training you recieved. Thank you for your input. Having that in mind, it still is a long shift to work, and could be a safety factor if you spend your time out on patrol, not much danger happening in dispatch.

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