Following are responses to a Q&A sent to candidates by The Salem News prior to the Aug. 6 Primary Election. Candidates appear alphabetically.
Mike Loveday, Republican
For those I haven’t had the privilege to meet yet, I would like to briefly introduce myself. I’m a native of Dent County, married to my amazing wife, Destiny, and have three beautiful boys.
I started my career in law enforcement with the Dent County Sheriff’s Office in 2009 and served there for three years. I then transferred to the Salem Police Department where I have served for the past 12 years. I have worked as a K-9 handler and moved up the ranks as a Corporal and now Sergeant.
Q: Why should you be elected?
My vision is clear: maintain a fair, transparent and honest office. Uphold the constitutional rights of every citizen and ensure Second Amendment protections. I will strive to provide the most professional services for criminal apprehension, drug/alcohol addiction and mental health preparedness.
I believe the best years of law enforcement in Dent County are yet to come. I am not in this for money, or to build a retirement plan. I am passionate about the betterment of our community and dedicated to a future we can all be proud of.
Q: What would you do to improve or change the position you are running for, or duties of the office, that would result in savings or benefits to the taxpayers?
On day one, we will begin working on instant, transparent communication to the citizens. We will implement regular and consistent press releases to help inform the public of criminal events that occur within the county. We will have a Community Relations Coordinator on call 24/7 in the case of a major incident that requires relaying immediate notification to the public.
We will also work with all emergency agencies in Dent County towards the goal of a centralized communication center which will save taxpayers money by not having to operate two different center which is the case currently.
Q: What major financial decisions are on the horizon for the office you are running for, and how would you prioritize and pay for those?
I know from experience, maintaining equipment for officers is a large financial expense. I will use currently trained grant writers to apply for state and federal grants to not only help fund basic equipment but also more modern technology to help our deputies better fight crime and prevent crime.
Q: Write about an issue that is or should be a priority to be discussed as we approach the primary election.
I’ve mentioned it in a previous question, but a central communication center is absolutely needed. Currently, taxpayers fund two dispatch centers, one at the police department and the other at the sheriff’s office. In emergency situations this leads to delayed responses or important information not being relayed.
Bob Wells, Republican, incumbent
I was born in Salem in 1956 and have lived my entire life in Dent County. My wife Babette and I have been married 33 years. We are proud parents to two daughters, Jennifer, who is married to Jason Bass, and Jessica, who is married to Michael Sullivan. Our family includes six grandchildren: Addi and Ella Bass, and Jasper, Hallie, Lyman, and Charlie Sullivan. I attended R-4 and graduated from Salem High School in 1974. Shortly after that I went to work for the Conservation Commission at Montauk State Park raising trout. In 1979, I started work at Craig Distributing Company where I held several positions including warehouse worker, truck driver, transportation supervisor, Equipment/Maintenance Supervisor and my last seven years as Night Facility Manager.
In 1995, my brother and I started our own logging business which is still in operation today with him and his son James. Twenty years ago, I received my Missouri Real Estate license and work with United Country-Salem Realty that is operated by my wife Babette, whom is also the Broker. In 2013, I attended Dent County’s first Law Enforcement Academy. It consisted of 700 plus hours of schooling and a Class A Law Enforcement license.
Upon graduating from the academy, I worked at the sheriff’s office and then went to the Salem Police Department as a Reserve Officer. In 2016 I was elected sheriff and remain in that job.
I am a 35-year member of the Masonic Lodge#225, an endowment member of the National Rifle Association. I take the second amendment very seriously. My wife, Babette, and I are active members of New Harmony Church.
Q: Why should you be elected?
I would like to continue the progress we’ve made the last 7 ½ years. The Sheriff’s Office has made great strides in the reduction of crime rates and increasing drug enforcement, which are very closely related.
Burglaries are down 81%, stealing is down 50%. Violent crimes are down 17.39%, aggravated assault is down 5.88% and sexual assault is down 50%.
Pertaining to drug enforcement, we have successfully executed 33 search warrants which consisted of 125 defendants, seized 810 grams of illegal drugs, 202 controlled substance and seized 39 illegal firearms. We conducted Dent County’s largest drug roundup in history following an extensive 18-month operation. We apprehended 50 offenders within a two-day period. The Dent County Deputy assigned to the Drug Task Force received accolades from the Missouri State Highway Patrol and MNOA, a statewide narcotics association, for outstanding performance. Currently we are engaged in a joint county Drug Task Force with Phelps County to sustain our efforts.
I contribute our success to proactive policing, aggressive prosecution and a partnership with community through the community watch program. In 2017, with the support of the Dent County voters, a ballot proposition was passed to construct a new jail replacing the old one where the Sheriff’s Office was located since 1979, accommodating up to 60 inmates in a 22-bed facility. We introduced Dent County’s first dedicated School Resource Officer for rural schools to help ensure the safety of our children. We standardized our firearm systems to enhance training efficiency and reduce operational costs.
Together with the Dent County Commissioners and County Clerk we enacted a Second Amendment Preservation Act to uphold our right to keep and bear arms.
Collaborating with the US Marshalls we oversee and enforce compliance with 60 sex offenders in Dent County. Additionally, we engage in training exercises with local Law Enforcement Agencies to enhance our preparedness and effectiveness in serving and protecting the community.
I just want to say thank you to the Dent County citizens for giving me the opportunity to be their sheriff the last eight years. We can continue to make progress in making Dent County a better place to live.
Q: What would you do to improve or change the position you are running for, or duties of the office, that would result in savings or benefits to the taxpayers?
We strive continuously to maintain cost-effectiveness. The Sheriff’s Office operates on funding from a ½ cent sales tax approved by Dent County voters shortly after the tragic loss of Deputy JoAnn Barnes on December 10, 2002. However, the purchasing power of that same ½ cent has significantly diminished due to inflation. As a result, we remain prudent in our expenditure. To mitigate financial shortfalls, we house pre-trial federal inmates and inmates from neighboring counties, not only assisting our neighbors but also generating revenue. This utilization of our new jail facility enables us to enhance our community services effectively.
Q: What major financial decisions are on the horizon for the office you are running for, and how would you prioritize and pay for those?
Over the last three years the sheriff’s office has been fortunate enough to be able to update the majority of our fleet with the help of our County Commission leaving only a handful of vehicles, they can be replaced overtime through normal channels within the budget. Our most recent project which should take place late 2024 or early 2025 will be to update our 911 dispatching system to next generation 911 what this means to you, is in case a 911 system goes down at Sheriff’s Office calls will be directed to the Salem Police Department. If both call centers are unavailable calls will be routed to one of the 12 additional counties in the NG911 system. The implementation of that 911 system is currently underway. This initiative was made possible through grant funding at no cost to Dent County taxpayers for five years at which time that cost will be divided among 13 counties that participate which drops our cost of equipment and maintenance on that equipment tremendously.
Q: Write about an issue that is or should be a priority to be discussed as we approach the primary election.
There are some topics to discuss that affect our community as well as communities around our state and in the entire country, mental health and crisis intervention. Drug prevention and rehabilitation are two of the most pressing topics we have to work on. Those two topics affect our jail and community every day. The majority of law-abiding citizens would be amazed at the magnitude of this problem. On a positive note, we are making some progress. We have ministries that come to our jail with the mission of instilling faith and hope in people that don't have anything to look up too. We are one of the few jails in the state that have been funded a jail navigator position to assist inmates that are wanting to turn their lives around and help them through the legal system and challenges associated with that. So needless to say, we have work to do as a society and putting the right people in the right places is key to making progress.
