Carroll County will have a new sheriff next year, as Randy Mayfield did not file for re-election. Mark Bailey does not have an opponent in the Democratic primary, but three candidates will compete for the Republican nomination.
At a candidates’ forum last week at the Farm Bureau in Berryville, all three spoke highly of their opponents, and choosing among these well qualified candidates may require a run-off election.
Jack Gentry, Jr., has 14 years experience in law enforcement, and currently serves with the Harrison Police Department. He said working at a larger department has given him valuable experience, and mentioned he has also worked at the detention center and dispatch.
Gentry emphasized the importance of training for deputies, jailers, and dispatchers. “Each department needs at least twelve weeks of training,” he said. “It affects performance, and it affects morale.” Sheriff’s offices typically lose deputies to higher-paying police departments, and Gentry hopes increasing the level of training will help him retain good deputies.
Although better training and higher pay will increase costs, Gentry hopes to show the Quorum Court that the county will come out ahead in the long run. Training a new deputy costs $40,000, and it makes economic sense to invest in experienced deputies, as without adequate training of all personnel, the county could face expensive lawsuits. “It’s not a question of if, but when,” he said.
Gentry also wants to involve the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office with community events, and will work on improving relations with the police departments in the county.
Alan Hoos has worked with the Berryville and Green Forest Fire Depts. He was a first responder in Green Forest, licensed EMT, and a reserve officer for the Green Forest Police. He joined the CCSO in 1997, and then went to the Berryville Police Department. He returned to the CCSO as an investigator, and became chief deputy in 2007.
“We need to provide an atmosphere where everyone will want to stay and work together as a team, and that will require consistent training,” he said.
Hoos said as chief deputy he often gave the department’s monthly report to the Quorum Court. He promised to provide detailed reports to the county, and called for more transparency from the CCSO.
Hoos also promised to increase the department’s contacts with the public, and mentioned social media as one avenue for that outreach.
After retiring from a career with the postal service, Jim Ross joined the Berryville Police Department. He has served with that department for 14 years, and was named Carroll County Law Enforcement Officer of the Year in 2017.
Ross was postmaster in Berryville and in Green Forest, and said his management experience will serve him well as sheriff. He said he would focus on employee retention as well as “rebuilding the public trust and building better relations with police departments.”
Those challenges will take time, Ross said. “We won’t fix it overnight, but we’ll work to reestablish relationships with our citizens and with law enforcement at every level.”
Ross would like to see city police deputized, to give them more authority outside their municipal areas.
The newly elected sheriff will serve a four-year term. Previously, sheriffs held two-year terms. Other county officials, except justices of the peace, will also begin serving four-year terms.