Pair of Johnson County Sheriff candidates outline differences in election race

OLATHE, Kan. (KCTV) - A debate at the Indian Creek Library in Olathe revealed remarkably similar policy stances among the two candidates for Johnson County Sheriff. Even their resumes are similar: nearly a decade in the military and nearly three decades in law enforcement.

Democrat Byron Roberson and Republican Doug Bedford could frequently be heard saying, “I agree.” They positioned themselves as the better choice based on where each of them obtained their law enforcement experience and what roles they served.

THE CANDIDATES’ EXPERIENCE

Roberson served eight years in the United States Marine Corps. He then spent 30 years with the Prairie Village PD, the last four as police chief, which is his current position

Bedford served eight years in the United States Navy, most of it as a Navy SEAL. He worked at the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office briefly before ing the Navy then returned afterwards to spend 26 years with the agency. In his last five years, he was undersheriff. He then left in 2021 and now works for the Kansas Department of Revenue’s Alcoholic Beverage Control.

Bedford highlighted his experience in the very agency he would be leading if he wins as more relevant than his opponent’s.

“A sheriff’s office is completely different than a chief of police or a police agency because of the duties, responsibilities and what you need to do,” Bedford said. “There’s so many different divisions. There’s 12 different divisions within the sheriff’s office, to include the detention division, which is the largest we have.”

Roberson touted himself as the only one who’s had the head role in an agency, and portrayed which agency as a plus.

“There hasn’t been an outside person that has run the sheriff’s office in decades, and sometimes that’s what’s needed,” Roberson said. “They need a new perspective. They need a person that has a new outlook, that has trained outside of the sheriff’s office. And I have done that.”

WHO THEY WOULD REPLACE

The outgoing sheriff, Calvin Hayden, was a polarizing figure who aligned himself with former President Donald Trump.

He lost the primary to Bedford after initiating controversial investigations into the 2020 presidential election results, casting doubt on President Joe Biden’s victory in the county.

Hayden’s investigations resulted in no charges, and it’s unclear how much it cost taxpayers.

Bedford was part of his istration for five years but left right around the time that the controversial election investigation began. He was openly critical of Hayden during the primary for being “too political” and too divisive.

COLLABORATION

Both candidates struck a measured and centrist chord at the debate when responding to questions.

Both have expressed a desire to draw more city police agencies into the county’s drug task force.

Bedford said his leadership motto is “trust, teamwork, and transparency.” He emphasized that he learned teamwork in the Navy, in collegiate sports, and in law enforcement. He remarked that he created the county’s drug task force. Of 17 agencies in the county, only one, the Shawnee Police Department, participates.

“I can’t go in as Sheriff and say, ‘We will do it this way,’” Bedford specified. “You have to be willing to compromise.”

Roberson highlighted the need for communication and emphasized the most important part of that is listening.

He later added as vice-president of the Johnson County Police Chiefs and Sheriff’s Association, he has already developed relationships with agencies in the county and throughout the metro.

PREVENTING RECIDIVISM

The candidates were asked about the value of specialty drug, mental health, and veterans courts. Both ed them.

“There are a number of very, very good people that have made a mistake and they’ve been incarcerated in jail,” said Bedford. “That shouldn’t be the scarlet letters that will follow them for the rest of their life.”

They were asked about programs that should be offered in the jail to reform inmates and decrease the likelihood of reoffending. Both praised the value of such programs.

Roberson suggested in-house programs for substance abuse, mental health, and job training. He made a specific and emphatic goal of bringing the county’s mental health agency back into the jail. In June of this year. Hayden terminated the jail’s contract with Johnson County Mental Health in favor of using a private company.

“We have to bring them back because the continuity of care can only be better if you have the same person on the inside as you do on the outside,” Roberson said.

Bedford suggested Alcoholics Anonymous, a GED program, and mental health services.

“If it is some other company, I wasn’t there whenever it came through. We need to make sure that whenever they are released from custody, there is just a smooth transition into Johnson County Mental Health,” Bedford said.

The topic of mental health resonated with Overland Park voter Amy Carter, who spoke to KCTV5 after the debate.

“I felt (Roberson’s) ion more on the mental health side, but I also felt Bedford had referenced the different courts, the specialty courts, that were also really important.”

SENSITIVE SUBJECTS

When asked about qualified immunity, both candidates said that it should not be ended but handled carefully.

When asked about immigration, something Hayden took a hard-line stance on, both agreed that immigration enforcement was a federal matter, not the duty of county law enforcement.

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