Ex-Rogers chief makes sheriff bid

BENTONVILLE -- Another candidate with past ties to Benton County wants to be interim sheriff.

Mike Jones, who was a captain with the Sheriff's Office from 2006 through 2012 and spent 26 years with the Rogers Police Department before that, submitted a resume and letter of interest Tuesday to the County Clerk's Office. Jones also worked for eight years as an agent for the state Alcohol Beverage Control division. He ran for sheriff unsuccessfully in 2012.

Interim sheriff candidates

Former sheriff Andy Lee, former sheriff Keith Ferguson and Mike Jones, former Rogers police officer and captain with the Sheriff’s Office, have submitted letters of interest to serve as interim Benton County sheriff. Former county judge Bruce Rutherford and Timothy Filbeck, who ran unsuccessfully for sheriff in the Republican primary in March, also have submitted letters, along with Johnie Wood of Bentonville, Meyer Gilbert of Siloam Springs, Joseph Fabits of Bentonville and John Concoby of Rogers.

Source: Benton County Clerk

John D. Concoby of Rogers also submitted a letter of interest and resume Tuesday.

The Quorum Court last week approved paying Sheriff Kelley Cradduck $80,000 to resign. The figure is roughly equal to the salary and benefits he would have received if he had worked through December, which is the end of his term.

Jones wrote in his letter he's concerned for the employees at the Sheriff's Office.

"The men and women of the Sheriff's Office have endured a difficult period and their reputation has suffered from no real fault of their own," Jones wrote in his letter. "But they are strong and capable. With the right leadership, they will rise to the occasion and once again be regarded as a respected, professional law enforcement agency."

The Sheriff's Office needs to rebuild employee morale and restore the office's reputation for integrity, Jones said.

Cradduck was defeated in the Republican primary election in March. Shawn Holloway, who until recently was a major at the Sheriff's Office, won the Republican Party's nomination and will face Glenn Latham, an independent candidate, in the November election.

Jones said he would work with the sheriff-elect, whoever that may be, to ensure a smooth transition.

"I want to get that person to the office every day," he said. "I want to get his input and get it to where his first day in office it's operating as good as it can be."

Concoby works as a commercial truck driver and has a background in home construction. He listed several local agencies he said he has volunteered with including Habitat For Humanity and Helping Hands.

Concoby said he's a concerned citizen who wants to see county government operate properly.

"We've got problems," he said. "I have a very clean background and a history of volunteering in the community. I have no law enforcement experience, but being sheriff is an elected position that does not require law enforcement experience."

Cradduck faces a three-day jury trial in September on a felony charge he tampered with a public record and a misdemeanor tampering charge. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The County Clerk's Office will accept letters of interest through noon Friday. The Committee of the Whole will meet at 6 p.m. Monday to interview candidates. The goal is to name an interim sheriff at the Quorum Court meeting April 28.

NW News on 04/20/2016

Upcoming Events