Quick 5 questions for sheriff candidates

Tom Krahenbuhl:
Age: 48
Residence: Lee's Summit
Previous positions held: Currently stormwater and building codes administator  and reserve deputy sheriff
Degrees: Bachelor’s of Science degree in susiness administration
Endorsements: Has not actively sought or promoted endorsements.

John Richard Bullard, Jr.
Age: 51
Residence: Buckner
Education: Raytown High School  Class of 1974, Longview Community College, Associate of Arts Degree-Criminal Justice, Associate of Applied Science Degree-Criminal Justice, Park University, Currently working towards Bachelors Degree in Public Administration
Current Employment: City of Independence Police Department
Endorsements: Eight law enforcement-related organizations; 20 labor organizations; 31 elected and other officials; 12 various political organizations; and nine businesses. For the full list, visit www.bullardforsheriff.com

Candidate: Mike Mauer
Age: 59
Residence: Blue Springs
Positions held: Jackson County Sheriff's Dept, Retired from the Independence Police Dept., Past Chairman Jackson Co. Domestic Violence committee, Past Chairman Jackson Co. Redistricting Committee, Past member KC Realtor's Ethics Committee, Current member of Adam's Dairy Review Committee, Current Jackson Co. Democratic Committeeman
Degrees: BSBA management from Rockhurst University, Graduate of the Regional Academy of Criminal Justice, Graduate of the FBI National Academy
Endorsements: Mayor Ron Stewart (retired), Mayor Steve Steiner (retired), Chief Howard Brown (retired), Ken McClain, Albert Riederer, Margaret Rennau (widow of Sheriff Bob Rennau), and many others.

Mike Sharp
Age: 49
Residence: Kansas City, Mo.
Previous positions held: Police officer, KCPD
Degrees: Central Missouri State University, 1981, Bachelor's in Fire Science with minor in Criminal Justice.
Endorsements: Tom Phillips, Jackson County Sheriff; Herb Soule, Chief of Police Sugar Creek; G.L. Crystal, retired Lee's Summit Municipal Court & Missouri Circuit Court Judge; Steve Gildehaus, former Mayor Grain Valley; three Democratic clubs; Hispanic Organization for Justice and Equality; Larry Joiner, former Police Chief Kansas City, Missouri; Karen Messerli, Mayor of Lee's Summit, and others.



1 Why do you want to be Sheriff?
Krahenbuhl: I have spent all three years of my career with the Sheriff’s Dept., and this  was a personal goal I have thought of for a long time, and since Sheriff Phillips elected not to run again, the time is now.
Bullard: The Sheriff is the top law enforcement officer of the county and should be the advocate for not only the sheriff’s department but for all citizens. I believe that role has not been fulfilled in the past.
Mauer:  I decided to run for sheriff due to the dreadful condition of the Sheriff’s office today. The department has been asleep at the switch for a long time. The sexual predators’ registry is woefully out of date. Equipment, morale and pay all need repaired and brought up to today’s standards.
Sharp: I’ve spent 26 years learning not only how to be an effective peace officer, but also how to manage people and finances. Serving as sheriff and looking out for my neighbors is a good way for me to give back to the county I was raised in.

2 There is a crowded field of four Democrats running in the primary. What distinguishes you from the other candidates?
Krahenbuhl: I have been an active member of this department for going on 26 years with 16 in full-time service and the last 10 as an active reserve member. During the past 10 years I have elevated my service to the citizens of the county serving as an administrator in the county planning and zoning department where I deal with many of the vast county issues on a daily basis that overlap the many responsibites of county government.
Bullard: Thirty-three years of full time law enforcement experience. I am the only candidate that has been a full time active law enforcement officer in this decade. As a full time supervisor I have seen the trends and monitored the changes in this profession on a daily basis.
Mauer: My entire professional career has been devoted to protecting families and children in Jackson County. I have been commissioned as a law enforcement officer for 36 years. I have over 20 years of day-to-day active law enforcement experience in criminal investigation, and patrol activities. I have 15 years of active business experience handling employees, setting budgets and meeting customers needs. And finally I have 14 years of active duty in the Democratic Party.
Sharp: I think I bring a more modern law enforcement perspective, along with the business management skills needed to make the sheriff’s department a truly effective law enforcement and emergency response agency. 

3 What do you think is the most important skill of being a good Sheriff?
Krahenbuhl: Communication, self confidence, professionalism, and a true leader, all of which I represent.
Bullard: I don’t believe there is just one skill involved in being a good leader. One must be able to communicate (orally and in writing), listen, facilitate, mediate, supervise and make decisions. A leader must build cooperation and consensus, while guiding the team toward fulfilling the mission statement and goals of the organization.
Mauer: The Sheriff must have the ability to communicate and work with the Legislature, the citizens, and other departments. He must be able to identify and solve problems and he must be the Sheriff for the entire County. I have that ability.
Sharp: The ability to communicate. To understand the needs of the deputies and the people we serve, and to work with the county legislature and community leaders to ensure proper pay, equipment and training.

4 Assess the recent performance of the sheriff’s department and, if elected, would you keep it on the same direction or change course?
Krahenbuhl: My assessment of the department of recent years is that it has been reactive and not as proactive with in law enforcement leadership. It is my goal to take the department into a professional leadership role as it should be.
Bullard: D+, which is reflective of the department management as a whole, not the men and women who do the job on a daily basis. The department has had a lack of direction or goals for some time. This has resulted in morale problems caused by issues from both within and outside the department that have not been addressed.
Mauer: I would have to change course. The Department needs an entire change from the top down. It needs to become more customer friendly with the citizens, and other departments and develop a working relationship with the deputies and support personnel.
Sharp: The department has struggled in recent years with understaffing and substandard communications equipment. I am committed to improving morale and performance, and establishing a new standard of professionalism for the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department.

5. What is biggest need of the Sheriff’s Department now and what would you do to fill that need?
Krahenbuhl: To restore morale with in the department and respect from the citizens and other law enforcement agencies.
Bullard: There are many needs, the biggest is to pull the department back together and get everyone to work together as a team. I believe there are several ways to accomplish that including: developing a written policies and procedures manual so that everyone knows what the rules and goals are; developing a professional promotional system so the most qualified personnel are advanced to positions of supervision and authority; complete the contract negotiations which have been open since the contract expired in June of 2007.
Mauer: The Sexual Predator list needs to be brought up to date and current offenders identified. I will do this by doubling the deputies and staff needed to make sure that any citizen can obtain up to date info at the click of a mouse.
Sharp: I have several priorities, including toughening up on the monitoring and enforcement of Jackson County’s sex offender registry, and bolstering the number and quality of deputies, both full and part time, to make this department more efficient and more productive for the taxpayers of Jackson County.