Carter County elects ex-Navy officer to replace disgraced former sheriff

VAN BUREN, Mo. -- Carter County voters elected a retired U.S. Navy captain as their new sheriff during Tuesday's special election to fill the unexpired term of former Sheriff Tommy Adams, who resigned amid allegations of wrongdoing.

Democrat Bruce Van Belle of Eastwood, Mo., was elected by a 17-vote margin over independent candidate Cliff Cumins of Van Buren, according to Carter County Clerk Becky Simpson Gibbs. With 351 votes, Van Belle received nearly 27 percent of the 1,309 votes.

Republican Don Frazier of Van Buren received 180 votes, Cumins 334 and two other independent candidates, Wendell Clark of Van Buren and Tracy Green of Fremont, Mo., received 307 and 123 respectively.

Van Belle, who was to be sworn in today, will serve until Dec. 31, 2012, when a new sheriff takes over following that year's general election. When Van Belle is sworn, he will replace Richard J. Stephens Jr., who had been appointed April 5 to serve as interim sheriff until the special election could be held.

Stephens, who had served for four years on the Van Buren Police Department, wasn't eligible to run for the position because he didn't meet the residency requirement of living in the county one year before filing for office.

Former sheriff Adams resigned in disgrace April 2, the same day he was arrested by the Missouri State Highway Patrol on charges of distributing methamphetamine. He was released on bond earlier this week pending his trial.

Before campaigning for the position, Van Belle said, he didn't know many people in the county.

"I was honest (with the people) and just said what I was going to do and what I thought I brought to the job," Van Belle said. "I guess in talking to people and hearing their responses, my concerns were the same as theirs.

"What I thought needed to be done is what they thought."

Meeting with the citizens for a brief period of time and then being elected sheriff by them is "overwhelming in a good sense," Van Belle said. " … I met a lot of people, and even if I had lost the election, it would have been worth the effort of campaigning.

"The people I met and the places I went, I probably never would have met in my normal business. The fact they trusted me to do the sheriff's job says a lot. I feel I owe them to do the job I said I was going to."

Van Belle said one of his first priorities will be working to regain the trust and confidence of the community.

"I have to do that by getting out in an official capacity, not just a campaigning capacity," he said.

In addition, Van Belle said, he intends to fulfill a campaign promise by setting up a countywide neighborhood watch program, so there are more eyes on the ground, and the department can "more efficiently use our resources."

Van Belle said he already met with other law enforcement personnel in the county while he was campaigning.

"I want to go back and officially meet with them and increase how closely we work together and pool our resources," Van Belle said.

The other officers, he said, were "very supportive, even during the campaign, with offers of help."

These tasks, Van Belle said, will keep him on the streets for a while, but "it's stuff I can do without extra money or people, (which) I campaigned on in the beginning. Now, I need to go do what I said I was going to do in the beginning."

A native of Philadelphia, Pa., Van Belle enlisted in the U.S. Navy at 17 and served until his retirement at age 50 at the rank of captain.

Van Belle and his wife, who grew up outside of St. Louis, moved to Carter County about six years ago.

About 31 to 32 percent of the county's registered voters turned out for the special election, said Gibbs, who described that number as being higher than she expected for "this kind of election."

"When you get ready for something like this, you don't know if (turnout) will be low or high," Gibbs said. "There wasn't a lot of talking about this. (People) were not hashing and rehashing, like they do on an election."

Pertinent address:

Van Buren, MO