Meet the candidates: Cherokee County Sheriff

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ks. (KOAM) - When you head to the polls this November, you'll see a lot of names on your ballot. But we want to help you learn more about the candidates you'll be voting for, starting with Cherokee County Sheriff.

KOAM News reached out to both candidates on the ballot. Russ Harper elected to not participate at this time. We still sat down with Brian Henderson to talk about what he hopes to bring to the position.

"It will be kind of a a homecoming, coming back to where it all started for me."

Brian Henderson is no stranger to Cherokee County. With more than two decades of law enforcement experience, he's previously worked for the Cherokee County Sheriff's Department, Joplin Police and Baxter Springs PD.

He believes his past experience will be useful if elected.

"I feel like I have a lot to bring to the citizens of Cherokee County. I feel like I can do a lot as far as bringing back law enforcement and bringing the professionalism within the department that needs to be there," says Henderson.

One change Henderson hopes to bring to office is an increased partnership with other area agencies.

"Whether it be local agencies within the county or the agencies that are from outside of our area, such as whether it be Joplin Police Department or the Quapaw Marshalls, who's going to be a big one, because we border with them and they utilize our jail," says Henderson. "So that networking and and having the ability to be able to work with these other agencies is so important."

Throughout his campaign Henderson has run under the values of compassion, honor and integrity. He says those are necessary values for law enforcement to hold and ones he plans to continue to emphasis as he works to gain the trust of the community.

"It's something that we have to have as law enforcement. We put on our badge, it's a sign for people to look at. And, we don't want to disgrace that badge. We don't want to disgrace what we have," says Henderson.

Voters will cast their ballots for Cherokee County Sheriff November 5th.

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