David Bernal (l) and Randy Poletis (r) had previously filed as candidates and were actively campaigning for the sheriff nomination before a judge’s ruling made the primary moot on July 31.
Jackson County Republican Party to Select Sheriff Candidate Monday
By Brad Lucht
The Jackson County Republican Party will meet Monday, August 6, at 7 p.m. at the Jackson County Courthouse Annex Building to select their candidate for sheriff.
This meeting is taking place because of a ruling issued July 31 by Circuit Court Judge David Michael Byrn, which stated that the primary election for the Office of Jackson County Sheriff should not have appeared on the August 2018 primary election.
Mark Anthony Jones, Chairman of the Jackson County Republican Committee, told the Telegraph that candidates will be allowed to speak for five minutes each, after which a secret ballot will be held by committee members.
David Bernal and Randy Poletis had previously filed as candidates and were actively campaigning for the sheriff nomination before the ruling made the primary moot.
Bernal has served 37 years as a law enforcement officer, including 24 years as an FBI Special Agent. He says he would like to restore faith and confidence in the sheriff’s office. Bernal believes a new Jackson County jail is needed, the management of which should be put under a committee with expertise in Corrections Administration and Management.
If elected he says he would conduct an immediate internal review of department policy and procedure. Bernal pledges to make himself accessible to all Jackson County constituents and run a transparent non-partisan administration.
Poletis served as a full-time police officer for 38 years, including 13 years as chief of police at Lake Lotawana. He is a graduate of the FBI’s Law Enforcement Executive Development course at the University of Kansas.
Poletis believes the Jackson County Jail should be run by the Sheriff’s department. He is concerned about the rising level of violence in the metro area. If elected, he would form an anti-street crime squad to put criminals on the defensive. Poletis also notes that there is a backlog of felony warrants that haven’t been served. He would make this a priority focus.
Jones confirmed that any Republican can attend Monday’s meeting and declare their candidacy as well.
The meeting is open to the public.
Should a quorum not be present, the sheriff candidate will be selected at the next regularly scheduled Jackson County Republican County meeting, August 21.
The Jackson County Courthouse Annex Building is located at 308 W. Kansas, Independence, MO 64050.