BENTONVILLE -- Shawn Holloway said he doesn't plan to make any major changes in the Benton County sheriff's office when he takes office in January.
Holloway, a Republican, defeated Independent Glenn Latham in the Nov. 8 election. Holloway will be sworn into office Jan. 1.
Holloway said he plans to build on the progress that started under Sheriff Meyer Gilbert, who was appointed in May to serve the remainder of former Sheriff Kelley Cradduck's term, which ends Dec. 31.
There will be one change to the command staff, Holloway said. Gilbert will move into the chief deputy spot that Holloway now holds.
Holloway said he wants Gilbert to continue working at the sheriff's office because he has been impressed by Gilbert's leadership as sheriff. Gilbert plans to accept the chief deputy position.
"I want to continue with the work we started while working as sheriff," Gilbert said. "I want to continue my law enforcement career and help with the continued success of this department."
Holloway wants to implement more programs aimed at helping children. The sheriff's office will restart a youth diversion program that will be used as another way to resolve juvenile court cases, Holloway said. The six-month program will teach life skills and provide mentors for youths, Holloway said.
Benton County Circuit Judge Tom Smith said the county had to end the diversion program about 18 months ago because of a lack of volunteers.
Smith wants to get the program running again. The program is a great way to resolve cases and provide mentors to the participants, Smith said.
Holloway said former sheriff's office Deputy Brandon Rogers and his wife, Nicki, were instrumental in starting the program and that they will work with it again.
Holloway also is exploring the possibility of beginning a Sheriff's Explorer program that will provide role models for teens interested in law enforcement careers. Holloway wants to have enough volunteers before going forward with the program.
Holloway also said he wants to corral the more than 8,600 outstanding warrants at the sheriff's office by starting a warrants division that would have a sergeant and four deputies. The Benton County Quorum Court did not approve the overall manpower request but did approve hiring two deputies.
The majority of warrants are for misdemeanor crimes, and their number increases weekly, Holloway said.
"It's not someone's main job right now," Holloway said.
Many of the warrants are served when individuals turn themselves in or are arrested after traffic stops, Holloway said.
The courts and the sheriff's office need to work together, especially when courts have amnesty days, Holloway said. Some people have warrants out of more than one district court, so they might not turn themselves in for amnesty programs, he said.
The sheriff's office also plans to add one more position to the cybersquad division that has a sergeant and three detectives. A fourth detective will handle investigations that involve people who attempt to meet children for sexual purposes, Holloway said.
Jail operations will stay the same, Holloway said.
Inmates washed buses for the Bentonville and Rogers school districts during the summer. Other school districts in the county have already approached the sheriff's office about washing their buses this summer, so a fifth crew might be needed, Holloway said. Two to six inmates work on a crew, but the number also depends on the type of job the crew is working, he said.
A jail expansion project may be completed as early as February. The $2 million project will add space for misdemeanor inmates and a new secure holding cell for female inmates. The project is scheduled to be completed in March, but the work is ahead of schedule, Holloway said.
Metro on 11/28/2016