October started on a somber note with the passing of retired Sheriff Carl Watson. Sheriff Watson served Texas County from 2005 to 2012. Prior to being elected Sheriff, Watson had a long career with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, most notably as an investigator in the Division of Drug and Crime Control. I was a part-time patrol deputy and supervisor for the reserves during Sheriff Watson’s first term.
I remember Sheriff Watson briefing the staff on the plans to try and seek voter approval for a new justice center and jail. It seemed like it would be a tough task to get approved, after the county had twice failed to approve a law enforcement sales tax, but Sheriff Watson, along with the other elected officials, did an excellent job of presenting the need to the citizens and we now utilize one of the best facilities in the area. I’ve always tried to learn from the experiences of other law enforcement officers and there was plenty to learn from working for Sheriff Watson.
On Oct. 7, 2023, the Houston Eagles Club hosted a cruise-in event at Simple Grow to raise money for “Shop with a Hero.” Bennie Cook and I, along with the Houston Police attended the event and had a good time. The funds raised at this event along with other donations from the Eagles Club are significant contributions for the “Shop with a Hero” program. It was kind of a cool and windy day, and our canopy decided to try and fly at one point.
On Oct. 12, the county salary commission held a meeting. The salary commission consists of all the elected officials of the county and its purpose is to review the salaries of all elected officials minus the sheriff and prosecuting attorney. The sheriff and prosecuting attorney salaries are fixed by state statute and cannot be adjusted by the commission. I voted yes to an increase in salaries for the other elected positions because I feel that if we want qualified people to spend time and money to run for county offices, there needs to be an adequate salary to attract qualified people. The elected officials of Texas County are not just “figure heads” for their offices, each one is involved in managing the day-to-day operations of the county.
During the last week of October, several deputies attended Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) for response to active shooter incidents. ALERRT has a reputation as the gold standard in law enforcement for this type of training and is provided by trainers at no cost to local law enforcement. The course the deputies attended was in Nixa, Mo. Much like having an insurance policy, this is the type of training law enforcement hopes they never have to use.
Deputies and the sheriff handed out candy at locations in Cabool, Houston and Licking for community trick or treat events. It’s always fun to interact with the kids and see their costumes. The month of October is domestic violence awareness month. On a sad and ironic note, domestic violence calls were one of the most prevalent calls for service during October. There have been several ATM machine break-ins in the counties surrounding Texas County. The usual modus operandi for the suspects is to steal a truck in the vicinity of the ATM and use that truck to commit the crime. Please report any suspicious activity and be aware that criminals are targeting ATMs in the area.
A few quick reminders on how to contact me or the sheriff’s office. The quickest and best way to get assistance is to call 911. The sheriff’s office phone number is 417-967-4165 with menu option 1 ringing to dispatch. The direct line to the sheriff is extension 1200 during the menu or I can be reached at sheriff@texascountymissouri.gov. I’m always willing to visit about problems, but if you need to report a crime or file a report I recommend calling dispatch first.