Election Profiles: Sebastian County Sheriff

Editor’s note: Between Oct. 13 and Oct. 27, The City Wire will present information from candidates in 15 key races in Crawford County, Sebastian County, Fort Smith and area legislative districts. A schedule of races presented will accompany this article and each article in the series.

Bill Hollenbeck (D) will face Tommy Young (R) in a race that will produce a new Sebastian County Sheriff for the first time in 12 years. Sheriff Frank Atkinson announced March  8 he would not seek a seventh term.

Young, now the chief deputy and No. 2 person for Atkinson during his time in office, has been with the department 21 years and was a Fort Smith Police Officer for six years.

Before taking a leave of absence from the department in September 2009 to run for Sheriff, Hollenbeck was a captain within the department and a 19-year veteran of the department.

CANDIDATE RESPONSE REQUEST
In 400 words or less, please explain your qualifications for the office you seek and what you would do to improve the office if elected.

• Bill Hollenbeck response:
I have over 28 year’s law enforcement experience. I grew up in Fort Smith, graduated Northside High School and attended Westark for two years. I graduated from the Dallas Police Academy in 1982 and served with the Dallas Police for 8.5 years. I was recruited by the Sebastian Co. Sheriff in 1990 to organize, train and equip Sebastian Co. Sheriff’s first SWAT Team.

Before taking leave, I served as supervisor of the Criminal Investigations Division, Team Leader/ Commander of the Sebastian County Metro SWAT, supervisor of the multi-agency Drug Task Force, DEA regional task force and FBI task force member.

I hold a Bachelor of Science Degree in Organizational Management and am a graduate of the FBI National Academy. I hold a Senior Law Enforcement Certificate, am a graduate of Leadership Fort Smith and am a recipient of the Medal of Valor.

The Detention Center has top officials and deputies that have never received formal training in modern correctional practices. Yet it is these officials who have received the brunt of the blame for negative outcomes. I will change that. I will not place blame on the staff, courts system or media. I will come up with viable solutions to solve the problems. Up to date training and technology will enable us to run the jail efficiently and stop the increasing number of escapes, accidental releases and deaths.

Our department lacks a five year strategic plan. Once in office, my command staff and I will establish such a plan. We will prepare, train and strive to be the most professional Sheriff’s Department possible.

I have put together the following objectives for your Sheriff’s Department to meet this vision.
Implement the Detention Center Improvement Plan.
Add more patrols to fight crime.
Establish in-service training programs to include ethics and professional conduct training for all employees.

While the protection of our community is paramount, another critical reason for a more modern and professional department is economic growth. The Sheriff and the Department should partner with regional leaders in this effort.

Everyday, community, industry and business leaders look into the quality of life in the greater Fort Smith Region. As your Sheriff I will place the highest priority on the safety and security of our community, by ensuring that we have a modern, secure and well managed detention center with up-to-date technology. I ask for your vote.

• Tommy Young response:
My career in law enforcement began over 27 years ago. I started my career in 1983 as a patrolman with Fort Smith PD, then after six years, transferred to the Sebastian County Sheriff’s Department. I worked in many areas including patrol, criminal investigation, SWAT, and finally in administration.

I am also a graduate of the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. The last twelve years in administration have given me the experience necessary to be the next Sebastian County Sheriff. The Chief Deputy‘s position has allowed me to build strong relationships with the Quorum Court, local, state, and federal leaders, elected and appointed officials, and the staff of the department. The trust and confidence others have in me, my skills, and my word have been built on an ethic of working hard, being honest, and showing integrity.

While earning experience I also learned where things can be improved and areas that need attention. My experience, the strong relationships, and the understanding of a budget sensitive department and County government will help me quickly implement target improvements. I understand, not only that change needs to be made, but the most efficient, cost effective ways to implement change.

I want to see a Sheriff’s Department that is deeply involved in the community. To improve the relationship that the Sheriff’s Department has with the public we will increase interaction with, and attentiveness to the needs of the public. I want to make sure that we are listening and responding quickly and appropriately to your needs.  Being involved in communities and understanding the needs of the people and the issues being faced by the citizen’s is important. I will work to re-invigorate programs such as the reserve deputy, the mounted patrol, and the Jr. Deputy.

I want to continually improve the training in the Sheriff’s department. Continuing education, new training, and cross training are vital to keeping skills sharp and to insuring that the department is a continued leader in this area. This training and travel can be very expensive so I plan to work with other organizations and agencies to help share in training costs by bringing more classes in locally.

The detention center needs immediate attention and the employees need strong, experienced management. I will increase the staff and get the tools, equipment, and technology they need. I will take immediate action on policy and management changes at the detention center.