Perry County sheriff hopefuls outline plans

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Both Republican candidates for Perry County sheriff have simple priorities if elected.

Current Sheriff Gary Schaaf said he will continue to focus on the same goals he had when he took office 16 years ago: reducing burglaries in the county and increasing drug arrests.

Burglaries have dropped from 77 in 1992 to 13 last year, Schaaf said.

Schaaf, who has been on the Executive Board of Directors of the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force since its inception, said his department continues to work closely with both the task force and federal authorities on drug investigations.

The year Schaaf took office, Perry County made fewer than a dozen arrests related to drugs. Last year, there were 179 such arrests, he said.

"We consistently make more drug-related arrests in Perry County than any other agency operating within our jurisdiction," he said.

Schaaf's opponent in the August election, Joe Martin, a sergeant with the Perryville Police Department, said he plans on looking at policies and procedures within the sheriff's department and enacting new ones if necessary.

"If you don't have clear policies and expectations as a street officer, you don't have any hope of enforcing the laws in a fair and consistent manner," Martin said.

Martin said that if elected he will form an advisory council made up of county residents with backgrounds in business, law enforcement and social, civic and school organizations to develop recommendations about spending and other ways of raising money besides a sales tax. A quarter-cent sales tax initiative to help law enforcement was rejected by voters in the April election.

"I will not spend money in any way that doesn't directly address my goals of making the jail safe for staff and secure for prisoners, paying deputies a living wage and providing the tools needed to protect the citizens of our county," Martin said.

Martin also plans on creating an auxiliary to help raise money for needs outside his specific goals.

Martin has been in law enforcement for 30 years.

Although the sales tax initiative was to help with a renovation of the jail and keep wages competitive for sheriff's employees, Schaaf said the passage of the bill creating the Deputy Sheriff Salary Supplementation Fund earlier this year will help the county to start personnel with a more competitive wage.

The law allows Missouri sheriffs to receive an additional $10 fee for processing any civil summons, writ, subpoena or other court order. The money will go into the fund, which will be used to bolster the pay of county deputies.

Though an exact amount the fund will bring in is not yet known, Schaaf said, he no longer feels a sales tax is necessary.

"We should be able to attract and retain good people much easier with this arrangement," he said.

Democratic candidate Ted Christisen could not be reached for comment.

bdicosmo@semissourian.com

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