Scott Lindsey, a Republican candidate for Texas County sheriff, shares information and answers questions before the August primary election.
Tell readers about yourself.
I have served as Texas County Sheriff since being elected in November of 2018. I grew up in Cabool and graduated from Cabool High School. This is my 26th year as a full-time law enforcement officer. I started my career as a part-time dispatcher with the Cabool Police Department and later the Texas County Sheriff’s Office. In 1997, I attended the law-enforcement academy at Drury University in Springfield. After graduating from the academy, I became a reserve deputy with the sheriff’s office and in May of 1998 accepted a position as a police officer in Licking. I moved to Licking and resided there for 22 years. I was promoted through the ranks of the police department, eventually being appointed chief of police in late 2006. I have a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice from Drury University. In 2020, my wife Mandy and I purchased property in Cabool where my childhood home once stood, which is where we currently reside with our children Carson and Teagan. My family are members of Cabool Christian Church, where I serve as a deacon. Mandy and I also enjoy volunteering our time to cover local high school sports via community radio and social media.
What prompted you to run, or rerun for this position?
I am seeking reelection for my second full term as sheriff. It has been a great privilege to serve as your sheriff. I feel like there are many positive things that I have been able to accomplish with the support of my staff and the citizens of this county. I am pleased with the progress that has been made but I am not complacent, and I want to continue to find ways to improve this office and provide equipment and resources for the deputies to provide professional law enforcement services to Texas County. When I decided to seek the office of sheriff in 2018 it was because I wanted the chance to be a leader and bring positive change to Texas County. Nothing has changed in my commitment to continue to improve. Since my election we have been able to increase manpower by adding deputy positions and working with the rural schools to have a commissioned deputy at Plato, Success and Raymondville. The sheriff’s office is 100% staffed for deputies and jail positions. I am asking the voters of Texas County to allow me to continue serving them and keep the momentum of positive change going forward.
How do you plan to actively engage with our community throughout your term?
I plan to continue engaging with the citizens of Texas County through a variety of means. I am always available to meet with citizens for in-person visits or via phone call. I know with the addition of central dispatching for emergency services in Texas County (911 Center) it can be a little more complicated than it used to be to get in contact with the sheriff. If anyone needs to speak directly with me, they can enter my extension, 1200, during the phone menu on the 417-967-4165 sheriff’s office phone or email me at sheriff@texascountymissouri.gov. I have and will continue to engage citizens through social media, print media, radio and public speaking. Since becoming sheriff, my deputies and I have had a presence at community events throughout the county, school events and neighborhood watch groups. I submit a monthly column to area newspapers and record radio announcements for local radio stations. The sheriff’s office maintains a Facebook page which my staff and I use to let citizens know about crime updates, arrests, scams, weather alerts and any other information in real-time. I would like to expand the neighborhood watch program to other areas of the county as well.
What are your top three priorities for our locality, and how do you plan to address them?
My top three priorities for Texas County are to improve equipment/resources for deputies to perform their job effectively, protect the constitutional rights of our citizens and maintain 100% staffing of the sheriff’s office. Maintaining and updating the equipment and technology that deputies have available to them is a constant challenge. I am grateful for the citizens passing the law enforcement sales tax which has given us the ability to purchase equipment that helps keep our deputies safe and increase their ability to respond to all types of calls. Our constitutional rights, specifically the second amendment, are constantly being challenged. As your elected sheriff, I will defend your rights from any person or agency that seeks to infringe upon them. It is very rare for any law enforcement agency in 2024 to have a full staff. I am grateful for the dedicated team that we have working as deputies and jailers. My goal is to maintain that staffing level with a combination of solid leadership, competitive salaries and overall team culture that people want to be a part of. I believe with the help of our citizens, the sheriff’s office can continue to work as a team to provide effective law enforcement in Texas County.