BENTONVILLE -- Three men so far plan to try and replace Sheriff Kelley Cradduck as Benton County sheriff in next year's election.
Cradduck said Friday he plans to formally announce soon that he'll seek his third term.
Filing Period
The filing period begins at noon Nov. 2 and ends at noon Nov. 9.
The primary election is March 1, 2016.
Source: Staff Report
More information on the candidates can be found on their websites.
Timothy Filbeck’s website is at www.filbeck4sheriff…; Latham’s is at www.latham4sheriff.…; and Parillo’s is at www.paulpillaro.com.
Timothy Filbeck, a corporal with the Siloam Springs Police Department, Glenn Latham, a senior systems administrator with Wal-Mart, and Paul Pillaro, a lieutenant with the Lowell Police Department, have announced their candidacies via social media. The three will seek the Republican Party nomination for sheriff.
Latham of Highfill said the current leadership, or lack of leadership, must be addressed. Latham said he observed a lack of leadership when he worked at the Sheriff's Office from June 2013 to January 2014.
"I worked right down the hall and (Sheriff Kelley Cradduck) was there maybe one to two times a month," Latham said.
Latham feels it's important for the sheriff to be visible in the community, but also to deputies and other employees at the Sheriff's Office.
Latham says the sheriff should run the day-to-day operation of the office. He believes the office has lost good employees because of "dysfunction" in the office.
Pillaro of Lowell also wants to bring leadership back to the office. Cradduck has been absent for one reason or another and those absences has left a leadership void, Pillaro said.
"I'm looking to restore leadership to the department and for the deputies who deserve good leadership," Pillaro said.
Pillaro, 43, also wants to establish better working relationships with area law enforcement agencies.
"I would like to come in and bring everyone back together," Pillaro said.
Filbeck of Siloam Springs also said the biggest complaint he's heard about Cradduck is he's not at the office.
"I've challenged people to try and contact him and he will not return calls," Filbeck said. "People at the Sheriff's Office say they can't even reach him."
Cradduck stands behind his leadership of the office and notes he has a good reason to be absent at times.
"I am not going to apologize for taking time away to care for my sick wife," he said.
Cradduck said he has good people in leadership positions and they were in constant communication during his absences.
"Every person running against me has zero experience," Cradduck said. "This is a complex job that they are not ready for."
Pillaro wants to place an emphasis on patrolling in unincorporated areas of the county rather than inside cities.
"People have told me over the last couple of years that they don't see deputies out in the county," Pillaro said.
Filbeck believes it's important the Sheriff's Office communicate with other law enforcement agencies and work with them to solve crimes and protect victims.
"The last thing any police chief wants is to receive is a call from someone asking about deputies at an operation in their city and they don't know anything about it," Filbeck said.
Filbeck said in most instances it's important for police departments to take the lead in operations in their cities while deputies act in a support role.
Latham also wants deputies to patrol more in the unincorporated areas of the county.
"I live in an unincorporated area," Latham said. "I haven't seen a deputy drive down my street in about three years. They are busy patrolling areas in cities."
Latham also wants to establish a resident review panel to review complaints, including those against deputies. The panel would bring more openness and improve the office's relationship with the community, Latham said.
Latham, 44, has more than 19 years of law enforcement experience, He started in dispatch and later worked as a jail deputy, patrol corporal, detective, in undercover narcotics and in cyber crimes. He has worked for the Washington County and Benton County sheriffs' offices.
Pillaro, who has been with the Lowell Police Department for 17 years, said his sister, grandmother and aunt were murdered because of domestic violence. He wants to bring that personal experience and knowledge to help victims.
Filbeck, who was a firefighter before beginning his law enforcement career, wants to establish a mentoring program for youths to help prevent gang and drug involvement. He wants to re-establish DARE programs in schools to help tackle youth issues. Filbeck, 48, also plans to hold town hall meetings to hear concerns from residents.
NW News on 08/29/2015