Sheriff Debate

Amanda Mendez

Good evening. Welcome to the Howell County Sheriff's candidate debate, hosted by Howell County News. I'm Amanda Mendez. I'll be moderating this event. Just a few housekeeping announcements before we begin. Emergency exits are located out this back door, through the wings, straight out through the aisles. The ladies restroom is to my right, to your left in an arch doorway. Gentleman's is on the other side. And we do have concessions available this evening. There's popcorn, candy, and soda. All proceeds are going to benefit our gracious hosts, this lovely historic star theater. So get some snacks, help them out. They should be serving throughout most of the event. So before we begin, please remove your caps. Please join me in prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, you've so richly blessed this community. Thank you for these two men, these candidates who are here offering to serve and protect your people. Thank you for everyone gathered here and for everyone watching from home. Thank you for the freedom to choose our leaders. Lord, we. We have controversial things to discuss here tonight, but as we do so, keep in our minds that we are all your children. We are all made in your image. And when the prowling temptation to be cruel or petty arises, give us the strength to resist. And as the evening progresses tonight, help us to remember that the only glory to be had is yours. Your will is the only one that matters. Guide the voters to choose the best man for this job. May all we say and do here tonight honor you in the name of your son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who reigns with you in heaven forever and ever. Amen. Thank you, folks. Everyone should have been provided with index cards as you came in. The purpose of those index cards is to submit a question. You may submit a question anonymously, but I do ask that you attach the name of your city of residence. If you are watching online, we'll be taking questions from the live stream. Same rules apply. You may submit a question anonymously, but I require that you submit the name of your city of residence. Because we're only going to be taking questions from the surrounding area. We will be taking questions until 7:30 tonight. So we're going to get started with opening statements from the candidates in a few minutes. After those openers, the candidates are going to have the opportunity to answer questions and offer rebuttals to those questions. I do just want to make it clear that this is not a competitive debate. I will not be awarding points. I'm not going to be declaring a winner tonight. The voters are going to do that at the polls. On August 6. So my role here is to just keep us on track, keep us organized, and to keep us moving along as efficiently as possible. I'm going to invite our candidates up to the stage now. We have incumbent Howell County Sheriff Brent Campbell.

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Our incumbent is going to be here to my right. To your left. Thank you. And challenger Matt Roberts. And finally, I'm going to invite one of our event sponsors this evening here to preside over the coin toss.

 

Amanda Mendez

The incumbent is going to call it in the air.

 

(Sheriff Campbell called Heads)

 

Robert Hollis with Shelter Insurance

Heads.

 

Amanda Mendez

It is heads.

 

(Sheriff Campbell opted to let his opponent go first)

 

Amanda Mendez

Okay. Challenger Matt Roberts is going to offer his opening statement. Sir, you have three minutes.

 

Matt Roberts

Good evening. Thank you for coming and thank you for being here and listening to both of us in deciding the facts of your. For those of y'all that don't know. I'm Matt Roberts. I've got nearly 18 years local law enforcement here in how county. Began my career in 2006 as a jailer. Worked for Howe County Sheriff's office as a jailer until 2007 on Galley Academy. Worked as a reserve officer, a part. Time deputy sheriff under Sheriff Mike Shannon, and then I was a deputy in corporal and lieutenant under Sheriff Campbell. In addition to my law enforcement experience, I've also owned and operated a small business, West Plains. Even cut lawn care, providing long term landscaping services to West Plains in the surrounding area. Over my time as a business owner, I developed the skills necessary to run and lead our sheriff's office. And some of those things are labor laws, employee issues, purchasing, maintenance, and other things that come along with running a successful business. The reason I'm running here tonight for this office is we need a change. I worked for two other sheriffs and two police chiefs in my career, and I've never seen an organization in such turmoil, chaos, and confusion. We've had a turnover in the past three and a half years with over 70 employees. We have out of control spending. We have a lack of leadership with the sheriff who says believe or leave to his employees if they have a problem with folks going on. Over the past few months, four out of five new hire academy students are already chosen to leave the sheriff's office. I've got the experience and the leadership to correct these things. I'm the only candidate endorsed by your local law enforcement and the FOP lodge. They voted unanimously two weeks ago to endorse me as the candidate for sheriff. I will rebuild and repair the strained relationships with our county officials and with the area law enforcement agencies. I know how to do a budget and I know how to stay within that budget and for those reasons, I'm running for your next how county sheriff.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you, Mister Roberts. Two minutes.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

I hope I can address some of those embellishments, but good evening. Howell County. I wanted to say thank you. It's been an absolute honor and privilege to serve as your sheriff. Amanda, thank you for hosting this debate. I had a vision to provide a proficient, efficient, standard driven, professional law enforcement organization was serviced at its core. That vision was met with a very high resistance factor. During this campaign, I reflected on why I ran for sheriff, and it surely wasn't for the added stress or because it gave me more quality time to spend with my family or on the farm. I have a servant's heart and I saw a need to serve the community and the sheriff's office need a structure, oversight, and the great citizens county deserves someone focused on the people in the community. I've learned a lot in my 48 years and almost 25 years within this profession. Being a lifelong resident with roots that run generationally, I have a passion for improving public safety and have elevated police services for not only your family, but mine. That love and dedication led me to run for the office of Sheriff in 2020 and compelled me to run again in 2024 to see the vision through in 2021. I came in with a clear vision of transforming the organization and outlined a commitment to the citizens of this county which stated I would focus on key aspects of operations strategy, citizen concerns with sound doctrine and community policing concepts. And I'm not done yet. I was aware before taking offices, I needed to address a long list of issues, including unacceptable salary ranges, lack of needed equipment, worn out equipment, lack of internal systems and management. But once in office, it quickly became apparent there was more than anticipated. But even with the absence of a playbook, even through the resistance to change, the tangible results are undeniable and remarkable for just three short years. And I'm proud of the accomplishments this team has made. The foundations are built and the greater part of the operational side has stood up. Now it's time to refine, sustain and stabilize the changes and get after what we didn't get done in the first term, this campaign shouldn't be about salad graves. Big words, feelings, rumor, opinion. Signs are tearing me down on my belief in god. I am a human, a husband, a father, and I have to admit I've made mistakes. But I'm committed, accountable, results driven, and I love this profession and this community. The sheriff's office has not only overcome significant challenges, but we have set a solid foundation for future growth and success.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you, Sheriff Campbell. We're going to move into the questions. I am very, very pleased that virtually 100% of the questions that we are going to be talking tonight have been submitted by the public. They are going to drive the conversation tonight. These are things that they want to ask both of you. You will each have 1 minute to answer a question, and your opponent will be offered a 1 minute rebuttal. The incumbent, Sheriff Campbell, gets the first answer of the first question, which is as follows from a reader in West Plains, the family of Iva Briscoe alleges they have had no contact from Howell County Sheriff's Office for a year. They say this missing person's case has been moved to the back burner. How do you respond? 1 minute.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

The Brisco Little, Collins, Bennett, Huddleston Roberts missing persons cases are beyond tragic. All these particular cases have no crime scenes, no physical evidence, no bodies, no witnesses. Missouri has over 1,323 active missing persons cases. I recently had the lead investigator contact the Briscoe family related to a grid and canine search in an area developed from Lee, developed out of Arkansas. This case has never been placed on the back burner, and I would go as far as to say that other cases have to make this one a priority when these developed or secondary arrests are made with information. Well over 200 reports have been generated related to this case from our agencies, rounding agencies in the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the FBI.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Mister Roberts, rebuttal, 1 minute.

 

Matt Roberts

This is not about other missing persons cases, and it's not about how many reports have been done. This is about failing to communicate with a family who has lost a loved one. I was afforded the opportunity to sit down with Miss Frisco a couple weeks ago. We spent about two and a half hours speaking. And the incident that Sheriff Campbell is referring to, she found out about three days after the fact from another person in the community. She was not contacted prior to the event. She had no knowledge of it until after. And can you imagine as a mother, losing your child, having an issue with being, with being communicated to by the sheriff's office is supposed to be investigating that. I have no doubts the investigators are doing what they can, but we need to be communicating with these families. As your next sheriff, I will quarterly, at least four times per year, meet with the families of these folks and speak with them about what we have done, where we are at, and address any concerns they have. That's what this is about. It's a failure to communicate.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you all right. Mister Roberts, next question is to you. How have you planned to adequately provide services to everyone in Howell County, especially those outside of West Plains? This is from a reader in Mountain View. 1 minute.

 

Matt Roberts

One of the things I've been talking about on this campaign trail is I've seen too many deputies spending their time on pavement. I will push our deputies and the supervisors over those deputies to get out of town, get off the highway. We're gonna let the West Point Police Department, the little Springs police Department, Mount View police Department, handle their cities. If they need help, we'll be there to help them. We're gonna let the highway patrol handle the highways, but our FPS need to be out on the county roads being seen and getting those cars dirty.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Sheriff Campbell, rebuttal, 1 minute.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

I'm kind of glad you agree with me because you've heard that same conversation internally in the house. But honestly, with the substations, response times, things like that, I have absolutely pushed my staff to get on kind of roads. It's been conveyed back in my day when I was patrolling, that you've got more done on county road than you did the highways. He's heard me complain about highway miles and how many miles are on cars. That's what I expect. I'm pushing them out of West Plains. That's why I tried to get substations stood up throughout the community. So again, that's a community concept model to provide services to you as citizens of this county.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you, Sheriff Campbell. We're going to stay with you for this next question from a reader in West Plains. The sheriff's position as the chief law enforcement officer of the county requires an individual willing to be accountable for their actions. They must also be of high moral character and integrity. How do you exhibit to the voters that you have high moral character and are a man of integrity, willing, willing to accept accountability for your actions? 1 minute.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

I've never deviated from accountability. I'm accountable to you. As I explained to Roberts, prior to I had 40,000 bosses. So as far as my moral character, I'm a moral man. I'm a Christian man. So again, as far as accountability goes, I have no issue with anybody approaching me, asking me questions or anything that I need.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Rebuttal, Mr. Roberts, 1 minute.

 

Matt Roberts

I think my character and my integrity speak for itself. Throughout my years at the sheriff's office, I've conducted myself in a manner that shows who I am as a person and while the supervisor at the sheriff's office, I actually counseled or wrote up an employee whose father was in a command because he. So I expect, and I demand integrity and accountability from all of my employees. And if that doesn't show you, then. I don't know what will. But we have to have accountability in our sheriff's office. It's more than just a buzz word we're putting on Facebook. Our advertising accountability and integrity is paramount, and we need that in our sheriff's office.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. We're going to stick with you, Mister Roberts, for this next question from a reader in Willow Springs. Training new deputies, even if they are post certified, can be expensive and time consuming. It entails equipment and the services of a field training officer. In the three plus years you were there, what were the reasons that 60 to 70 employees gave for leaving? Was it better pay? Was it hours, etcetera?

 

Matt Roberts

So, yes, the cost to train these new deputies is absorbent and we have got to make sure that we are fostering an environment in our sheriff's office that makes our employees feel valued. And unfortunately, in the last few years, that has not been the case. After Sheriff Campbell took office in 2021, we saw a pretty drastic change in the culture of our sheriff's office. And I would say now the morale is the lowest I've ever seen it. So the things that I would do would be ensure that the leadership is taking care of their employees, ensure the morale is up, and just show our employees that they're valued.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Rebuttal, Sheriff Campbell

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

Could you repeat the question?

 

Amanda Mendez

Yes. Training new deputies, even if they are post certified, can be expensive and time consuming. So this was a question directly to Mister Roberts. The you refers to him. Training new deputies, even if they are post certified, can be expensive and time consuming. It entails equipment and the services of a field training officer. In the three plus years you were there, what were the reasons 60 to 70 employees gave for leaving? Was it better pay, better hours, etcetera? You have the remote position, 1 minute.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

So, you know, hopefully we can kind of address this again, but there's multiple degrees of, and it's not 70 or whatever he produced. When I could, there was in his roll up, there was actually people that never were associated with my organization, but I terminated. I come up with 54, minus the five or six reserves. So eleven of the 54 didn't make it past the 90 day probation period. 15 of the remaining 43 were terminated for various reasons. Six of the remaining 28 retired. Seven of the remaining 21 that I would say resigned. 50 of the remaining had obligation left for higher pay, had unemployment opportunities. Some of them moved, some of them were provided strategy. So as far as that goes. But absolutely, it's expensive to train new recruits. That's. But again, turnover is turnover. It's an industry standard. It's everywhere we go. But that is pretty much a breakdown within that. And within that same timeframe, there was over 50 promotions throughout the organization.

 

Amanda Mendez

That is your time Sheriff Campbell. Thank you. All right, we're going to stick with you for this next question submitted by someone here tonight. Part of community policing is transparency. What does community based policing mean to you, and how will you ensure transparency to the public you serve? 1 minute.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

So transparency is basically providing anything to you. If you look at my website, everything published to you that's transparent. I try to engage the community with biannual surveys to get community feedback. So to help me move forward with complaints that you may have citizens, I have an open door community. We cannot arrest our way out of situation we find in society. So community is a key aspect of policing. So you have to have those networks and those relationships. But I try to publish everything that I can. There is nothing hidden. There is nothing that I will hide. I'm an open book and I always have that.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Rebuttal, Mister Roberts.

 

Matt Roberts

Could you repeat the question, please?

 

Amanda Mendez

A part of community policing is transparency. What does community based policing mean to you, and how will you ensure transparency to the public you serve?

 

Matt Roberts

So, to me, community based policing is getting out in our cities, towns in our community, and being seen being out there and integrating with our community. Over this last few months, I've spent on a campaign trail. I can't tell you how many folks I've had say, who is the sheriff now? We don't know the sheriff. Who are these deputies? They're all brand new. We don't know them. Where's. Where's Shannon Caldwell? Where's, you know, where's Buddy Thompson? Where the guys that we know that we've been here for 1015 years, they're gone. Why is that? So as far as transparency goes, transparency is more than just posting things on Facebook that look good. Transparency is being transparent about the hard things and telling you things, you know, putting the budget out there for people to see. That was a promise sheriff made in 2022, and he has not done that. He's not showing you where the money's going. He's not showing you the real reasons that people are leaving. He's not showing you the exit interviews or the lack thereof. With these people, we have to be actually transparent.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. All right, Mister Roberts, we're going to stay with you. So, questions submitted by someone here tonight. Your recent post absolutely degraded the intelligence of our community with your apparent, quote, dumbing down the importance of articulate communication with the use of what you called big words. Transparency and the ability to communicate well are very much needed when it comes to the elected office of sheriff. The sheriff of our county must be able to communicate well, both in the written word as well as in speech. When dealing with the public, writing successful grants, maintaining accurate records, etcetera, we should all strive to be lifelong learners. Therefore, what is your educational background, as well as your previous leadership skills that warrant you to be a successful and well-established leader in our community?

 

Matt Roberts

Okay, so, as everybody here, I attended high school. I graduated high school top of my class. I was an a plus graduate. I attended a little bit of college in addition to the Missouri Sheriff's Academy. Again, I've only operated a business and specifically mentioned grants in there. I've written numerous successful grants getting several hundred thousand dollars to the sheriff's office. The purpose of that post was not to dumb down any publications we're putting out. The purpose of that post was that I'm about words, not about action. And these $14 words that we're using in Facebook posts, nobody understands. Nobody that does not resonate with the public. We need to speak to the public in a way that they understand, and we're not alienating people that don't understand some of these big words. So if you look back over the last three years of Facebook posts on the how can insurance office page or look at the website my opponent just mentioned, you'll see much of this stuff on there that's being pushed out to the public is not understandable by some folks that are educated.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you, Mister Roberts. Sheriff Campbell, rebuttal, 1 minute.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

For one, I'd like to go over the hard things. There will be a transparency document. You all know who's hired and fired and things like that. Employment, and some of the things that can't be addressed. Budget and what I said I would make a forward facing budget. That's absolutely a roar to me. Exit interviews are also needed, but with the list of things I need to accomplish, that's kind of further down the list. But do they have benefit? Absolutely. So again, what was the big words? Is that what I'm answering?

 

Amanda Mendez

No, the question that's asked is what is your educational background as well as your previous leadership skills?

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

I don't have a college education, but I have numerous hours in college. I've attended some numerous advanced leadership classes. I was a team leader within South Central Drug Task Force. I've been insured for three and a half, 3.7 years. That's about it as far as that goes. I did graduate high school, by the way.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. All right, Sheriff Campbell, we're going to stick with you for this next question submitted by a reader in West Plains, and it's a long one. In a letter dated April 6, 2021, just after the newest quarter cent sales tax was passed, you stated, in the near future, I will provide a detailed plan of action of employment opportunities, equipment purchases, jail improvements and security improvements. I give my word I will be accountable, efficient and transparent as possible with everything, including budgetary expenses and projections. Stay tuned to our citizen, our website, citizen research page. Here comes the question. Having checked that page numerous times, I am concerned with what I see, or rather the lack of information. Employment opportunities are the only thing you mentioned that are available to your citizens. There are no financial plans available. Where has the money gone? What are the improvements that have been made to the jail, and why has there been no follow through when you gave us your word to keep us informed? 1 minute.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

Again, it is a priority. Absolutely a priority. Again, I won't do the front facing documents, but with what happened, with just trying to get operational and things, of course, management, things like that through the sheriff's office, things need to get pushed to the back burner as far as anything, purchases, things like that. I did try to push it out on Facebook. Again, anybody's welcome to call me, they are welcome to come see me. The clerk's office has access to records, but there were certain orders that I had to get in place. That kind of again, there was a list of things I wanted to get accomplished and things did get moved to the backside. What was the second part of the question?

 

Amanda Mendez

What improvements have been made to the jail? Why has there been no follow through when you gave us your word?

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

So again, why that hadn't been accomplished? I'm kind of explaining that jail, it's things fail. It's things, you know, I came into no inspections, no upkeep, no management of systems as far as inspections of HD H vac mechanisms, things like that. So things kind of fail. We kind of replace as we go, and it's kind of reactive. We've done what we can do. As far as any updates, that is your time sharing.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Mister Roberts, rebuttal, 1 minute.

 

Matt Roberts

A minute of maintenance is not upgrades, folks. He promised you jail upgrades, security upgrades. He promised that he was going to show you where the money was going and he has not done that. Why is that? When I was a jail administrator, I spoke with Sheriff Campbell multiple times about upgrading things like the lights that were not functional or locking systems, trying to get things the conditions of the jail improved and the money just wasn't there. And come to find out after I left, I started doing some digging and it's because the budget was overspent last year. Not only did we not stay within the budget, we went over it. So folks, he gave you his word and he didn't follow through. That's all I can tell you.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

There was not one word produced by this gentleman. There was no anything for.

 

Amanda Mendez

I'm sorry, we're going to move on from the next question, but we can stick with the jail because that is a very, very important topic here. Let me just. Okay. We've all seen the pictures of a substandard jail and we've all heard the promises that it needs to be replaced. We had a tax increase. There were promises. And almost four years there have been new uniforms, new cars, new deputies, and the same old overcrowded jail conditions and poor working conditions for officers. You're refusing to take prisoners from other police agencies which you are required by law to accept. You say you have no room, yet you take on your own prisoners. Are we going to get four more years of this? It is Mister Roberts turn to answer the question. So you have first answer. 1 minute, please.

 

Matt Roberts

I spent about seven months under Sheriff Campbell as the jail administrator and I can attest to some these things. We were not taking prisoners because we were out of room. I put in a program to hire a local welder to come in and set up some new beds to increase our bed space. When I left in March, we paid for that in December. I don't know if that was done yet or not. So I don't know if the bed space has increased. When these outside agencies would call, I would do everything in my power to move these folks around and make the room that we can. I've heard some complaints from these agencies that since I've left that was, that has stopped. So I can't really account for what's been going on in the last few months.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. 1 minute Sheriff Campbell.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

He was there over eight months. The twelve bed. That was my idea prior to him even coming to the office. He did reach out, got bids for it and they have not completed it. The voting agency has not completed it. But again, he's taken care of ideas that were shared in house. As far as updates, there's only so much you can do with the facility that was built in 1980. The last update or edition was 1997. He well knows the funding issues we have. He knows issues that are that we can't replace something. We had a lot more down the other day. It was $2,600 just to replace the locking mechanism. As far as overcrowding, I'm the one that pushed out, you know, the jail reports. You know, by these things I've been transparent about. I've explained what's going on in the jail. We stay consistently overcrowded is my point. Well knows. So if we have no bed space, we have no bed space. We house mental health people that should be in jail, but we have to maintain our holding is full with mental health people. So again, we do what we can do within the footprint that we have and we're doing the best we can.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. We're going to stick with you, sheriff, for this next question from one of two readers who were brave enough to actually sign their name to the question. So kudos to this individual. This is a question from Kevin Faulkner of West Plains. As a Howell county taxpayer who voted for the sheriff's office tax, I would like to know specifically what you are going to do better with my tax money going forward. I would like to see good changes from my point of view. Be specific. 1 minute.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

So again, standing up operation with this first round, and when the tax was, we didn't see the tax revenue until 2023. So again, it was getting operational, getting the equipment that they needed getting, and now it's about sustainability of what we have done. Now it's about trying to see what we can roll over to where if a new facility is pushed and the commission decides to do it, or we do a bond issue, then enough money can be enrolled. I did, and hopefully talk about, and we'll talk about how the budget, county budget works and going over budget, I can explain that. But every year walt nine funding accounts, I generally roll anywhere from half a million to the year that I went over budget. And hopefully I get a chance to explain that I turned over 600,000. But cash on hand doesn't mean anything. So hopefully sometime tonight, if you guys want to know about the hundred, whatever I want to budget on, I will gladly explain the process to you.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you, Mister Roberts, rebuttal.

 

Matt Roberts

Mister Faulkner, thank you for your question. The first thing I'm going to do is from August to January, I'm going to start on the budget. And of course, I won't be able to finish it until January, until we know where the money is. But we've got to rein in the spending. We're buying things that we don't need and putting it on a shelf in the back room for shop stock. Well, folks, we don't need ten extra AR rifles. We didn't need to buy 20 extra suppressors. However, I think 35 suppressors for rifles at a cost of $20,000. We didn't need tasers yet. We had a conversation about Tasers and it was determined that they weren't needed yet. That the tasers we had, there was still a life expectancy there, but yet the sheriff spent $96,000 over the next five years on tasers. So, you know, we put new floors in that sheriff's office, and we've already heard tonight that that sheriff's office, it needs to be badly replaced. But we spent seven or $8,000 putting random floors in the offices. Folks, this is your tax money and it needs to be spent wisely. In the last three and a half years, it has been wasted.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you, Mister Roberts. That is your time.

 

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

You were the project leading on Ars and suppressors. I'd like to.

 

Amanda Mendez

Okay, Mister Roberts, next question is to you. It is a factual question which is submitted by someone here tonight. What is the amount of the sheriff's budget for income, expenses?

 

Matt Roberts

I don't understand the question.

 

Amanda Mendez

I think it's a question about how much are we spending on salaries.

 

Matt Roberts

I don't have that information tonight. I can't answer that.

 

Amanda Mendez

Sheriff Campbell?

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

I've got it in my file folder over there. But anywhere between the two, you know, the commission and non commission, we're spending, you know, 2.3 to 2.4 million.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Okay, we're gonna stick with Sheriff Campbell for this next question from a reader from West Plains who is here tonight. Mister Roberts brought up the point that there are people within how county who do not know who our current sheriff is. You have four years to create a relationship. Why haven't those relationships been established and held onto at a trustworthy status? 1 minute.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

I feel I have built relationships. I mean, I'm administrative, I have to maintain sheriff's operations. I don't have time to go to door to door to 41,000 citizens. I have built numerous relationships throughout this community. I built numerous relationships to assist in community. We sold that ad to a bank in West Plains. And the bank president thought either Mike Shannon or RC Price was the president, or I was already the sheriff. And that was 18 years ago. So again, I'm trying to. I have built relationships, I have done what I could. And you've seen us more out in the community than you have in times past. So I really don't know to speak to that. But they can always come see me. They call me, but I cannot knock on the door of 40 some thousand citizens.

 

Amanda Mendez

Rebuttal, Mister Roberts.

 

Matt Roberts

I don't think anybody's asking you to knock on the door of 47,000 citizens, Sheriff. We're asking if you're in the office, we're asking that when we call you, you answer or you return that call. I've talked to dozens of people over these past few months. Some folks that you know and said they had an issue and they reached out to you and you never called them back. So as you're sheriff, I will be in the office during office hours. You know, for years I worked for Mike Shannon. He was there at 07:00 every morning, drinking a cup of coffee when he came in the door. And he was there till the day was over. I will not prioritize my farm over your sheriff's office.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

Never have.

 

Amanda Mendez

Okay, thank you.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

Never have.

 

Amanda Mendez

Okay, mister Roberts, you're going to start us off next time with another question from the other individual who was brave enough to sign his name to this question. This is from Danny Dunn in West Point. In regards to law enforcement management experience, Mister Roberts, please describe how many years you have in different areas of law enforcement. 1 minute.

 

Matt Roberts

Okay, so about 18 years total. I was a reserve officer for the West Plains Police Department until 2014 when I went to work for Sheriff Shannon. During that time, I was also on the SWAT team. I've had about 15 years on the SWAT team, and in mid 2000 teens, I took a role with the SWAT team as the assistant team leader, and was eventually promoted to the team leader of that. So I was supervising and leading over 15 men in various tactical operations under Sheriff Campbell. I was a patrol corporal, supervising nine SROs and patrol deputies. And then Sheriff Campbell promoted me to a lieutenant over the jail where I supervised about 15 employees. In addition to the SWAT team guys I was supervising. So about 30 during that time and the inmates in that. So I think I have sufficient experience in supervision and leadership there.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Rebuttal, 1 minute.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

Well, through that you have to have results and get results. But 1.3 years my opponent had any leadership as far as under me again with I'm going to go back and revisit the time on. Nobody understands how many meetings I go to after hours, how much I'm on my phone at night, the time that is best to be within that shirt office. I never, my family would tell you that I had put the sheriff's office ahead of them in the farm. So experience again, almost at the end of this term, we have over 24 years of experience. Again, at the end of this term, four years of your sheriff. I was a team leader for South Central Task force, focusing six personnel and again 60 personnel with the sheriff's office. And how many visions with navigating that that spoke within the sheriff's office.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Okay, we're going to stick with you. Sheriff Campbell. This is submitted by someone here tonight from West Plains. Why are there so many patrol cars sitting within the city limits of West Plains?

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

Again, that is something that I have addressed time and time and time again. I'm not there 24/7 but my staff have you heard me complain about it consistently? I understand a lot of the crime demographic happens within a 15 miles radius of West Plains, but that's why I'm standing up the substation. That's why I'm going to try to get them out of West Plains. It has always been a priority to get them out of West Plains. And I agree with my opponent. You know, you have well springs, West Plains in these meetings. They are county officers. I have attempted and pushed, but it takes supervisors and I cannot be there 24/7 keep them out of the city and what they do, but that's always been a forward.

 

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you, Mister Roberts.

 

Matt Roberts

During my time as a patrol corporal, that was not the case. While I was on duty and supervising, my deputies and I were out and about in the community being proactive. What has happened in the last year, two years since I left that post as a corporal, is we've seen a drop in the morale and the deputies do not want to get out there and do anything that makes the sheriff look good. And they've communicated that to me. I've impressed upon them. That's not the right attitude to have, but they are disheartened with the way things are going in our sheriff's office.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. I'm going to stick with you, Mister Roberts, for this question submitted by someone from Willow Springs here tonight. Mister Roberts, you said you were the jail administrator. Why didn't you do anything for Willow Springs? 1 minute.

 

Matt Roberts

I'm not sure what I could have done for the City of Willow Springs as the jail administrator, I don't really understand what they're asking for here. Are they asking for something as far as taking prisoners?

 

Amanda Mendez

I don't know who this person is because they did not sign their name, but I would suspect that it has to do with the, the allegation that prisoners have been turned away from Willow Springs PD. Go ahead. You have 47 seconds left.

 

Matt Roberts

If that's the case, I did do something, and I frequently visited with various agencies and whatnot when they had issues with getting people in. And even Lieutenant Ellison from West Plains PD called me one night on a Sunday night and said, hey, Lt. Roberts, this is what's going on. After I got off the phone with him, I called and I got it sorted out. If I wasn't aware of the situation, I couldn't fix it. But the standing rule was that we did everything in our power to make the room to take these inmates.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Rebuttal Sheriff Campbell.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

And I agree I'm talking to staff, but if we do not have the room, we have actually locked down inmates and freed up space in a holding medium to have another additional holding cell, because generally our holding cells were, we're full. So again, they do what they can within that facility, but there's only so many holding cells that we have. So if we cannot hold a misdemeanor or whatever it is coming out of the city, that just is what it is. That jail is only as big as it is. So we did what we could do and held what we could help, and honestly, that is that.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. I'm going to stick with you, Sheriff Campbell, for this next question submitted by someone from here tonight. Sheriff Campbell, I feel safer because you are sheriff and I don't want to go back to the good old boys Barney Fife days. What do you want to accomplish in your second term? 1 minute.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

My second term is obviously just like I said earlier, you know, stabilize the changes we made. My second term, we were getting operational in the first term I knew would be the most difficult. The second term is everything about community. You're starting to see some initiatives coming out and just to build those relationships with community. So again, we can't arrest ourselves out of this, but some of the issues that we can fight together as a community and law enforcement. So initiatives in the next term would be stability, talent. I've got a list in my closing statement that I will give, but the second term is about you all citizens moving forward in community.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Mister Roberts, rebuttal

 

Matt Roberts

Can you repeat the question, please?

 

Amanda Mendez

Sheriff Campbell, I feel safe because you are sheriff, and I don't want to go back to the good old boys Barney Fife days. What do you want to accomplish in your second term?

 

 

 

Matt Roberts

Well, folks, I can't speak for the second term because I'm Sheriff Campbell, but I can tell you that the proactivity of our deputies has diminished. The case with numbers being sent to the prosecutor's office, has diminished. So while you might see flashy cars sitting on the side of the road and fancy Facebook posts, our community is no safer today than it was four years ago. Sheriff Campbell talks about getting operational. I'm sorry, but that's a slap on the face today, sheriffs before him, because this office has been operational for 150 plus years. This office operates day to day. Whether the sheriff is there or someone else is there, it doesn't matter who's at the helm. What matters is the deputies are empowered to do their jobs and get out in this community and solve crimes and fight crimes.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you, Mister Roberts. We're going to stick with you for this next question. And I have to correct myself, folks. There is another person who was brave enough to write his name on the question. So this is from Buddy Thompson in West Plains. Mister Roberts spoke of a culture change when Campbell took office. How would you describe this culture? 1 minute.

 

Matt Roberts

This culture was brought about shortly after Sheriff Campbell introduced Major Jason McDaniel into the sheriff's office. And what we began to see was a shift from a law enforcement agency to a desire to be a branch of the United States army. And while I respect the US army and our veterans, what we started to see was things that did not apply to us. Our deputies were covered up in paperwork. They were berated and threatened with being written up or terminated for uniform issues. Folks, we cannot treat our employees like that. We have got to show our employees that they are valued and that we value everything they do for us from the time they show up to the time they leave. And unfortunately, under Sheriff Campbell and Major McDaniel, that was not happening.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you, Sheriff Campbell, rebuttal.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

For one of my deputies and staff have always been a priority. You cannot manage what you cannot see. You cannot manage what you cannot measure. So there were systems put in place for oversight, management? Absolutely. A uniform in presence means something. Absolutely. So it wasn't about military? It wasn't about anything. It was standing up systems to have oversight so my managers could manage in getting the proper system to the right place, period.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you, Sheriff Campbell. We're going to stick with you for a question submitted tonight from someone from Willow Springs. A visit to the facilities the Howell county jail could be shocking. I was under the assumption this was a priority during your tenure. Why have things not changed? It is not just a dated facility. It is filthy, stuffed full of boxes and things that are broken. Much could be done with elbow grease. It is clear from just I'm sorry. It is clear that no one cares. Why is that? 1 minute again.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

When I walked into office, talked a little bit about floors a second ago. Am I supposed to just let it deteriorate on its head? The floors were unsalvageable. I put new floors in to give it ability to clean. I agree, we kind of normalize certain things. In the sheriff's office, I had people quit because I had them clean. So again, I agree wholeheartedly. It is shocking. It is shocking that somebody can let trash overflow in the trash. It's shocking that you can spill something in the floor and not clean it up. It is shocking that things that I witnessed in my time there, and I absolutely agree, but there's only so much you can do with the facility. You know, you can put as many lipstick on as you want, but it's still dated. But I agree 100%. We normalize things. We think we should normalize. We have cluttered things because again, part of that is we have no space. But I was shocked with the statement of what we used to clean and then say, I would ask, well, why did you stop? And just people shrug your shoulders? So I agree 100%, but it has to do with the initiative and ownership to want to take the time to claim.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you, Sheriff Campbell. We're going to stay with you for a question submitted tonight from someone from Willow Springs. A visit to the facilities, the Howell county general, could be shocking. I was under the assumption this was a priority during your tenure. Why have things not changed? It is not just a day to day facility. It is filthy, stuffed full of boxes and things that are broken. Much could be done with elbow crease. It's clear from just, it's clear that no one cares. Why is that? 1 minute.

 

 

 

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

When I walked into office, we thought floors. A second ago, my soldier just let it carry on his head to give it the ability to clean. I agree, we kind of normalize certain things. In the sheriff's office, I had people quit because I had them clean. So again, I agree that it is shocking. It is shocking that somebody can let trash again. Part of that is making mistakes. But I would be shocked with the statement of what we used to clean. And I would ask, why are you stopping these people?

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Mister Roberts, rebuttal.

 

Matt Roberts

This goes back to the morale and the environment in the sheriff's office. Having employees don't let the trash overflow. Having employees will keep a clean. The box is sacked, and the building stuff, that's because we're behind things we don't need. Sits in the hallway for months and months on end. We sweep and rock around for months. Like the tasers I mentioned earlier. Those were in December. They're still sitting in a box today.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

They just showed up three weeks ago.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you, Mister Roberts. We're going to stick with you for this next question. Who was in charge at the jail the night the lady died? I'm sure you know what I'm referring to.

 

Matt Roberts

So I was still in the jail administrator at the time of the death. I had already tendered my resignation to Sheriff Campbell. He was gone on vacation that night. When I was surprised at the incident. The second command called me, told me what was going on, and I told him immediately to get her to the hospital. Unfortunately, that did not happen. Unfortunately collapsed. But what I do want to mention and bring to life is that when I tried to call Sheriff Campbell that night, he sent me a voicemail. He wouldn't even speak to me after I took my resignation. Even about an issue as pressing as a death in this facility.

 

Amanda Mendez

Sheriff Campbell, rebuttal.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

He absolutely did not send him a voicemail. My understeer called me that night. I don't know what he's referring to. Again, more points than false facts. He was over the jail. My staff did an amazing job. It's been investigated. They couldn't do any more than they did. So I upon them for lifesaving efforts they attempted to do, but the young lady. So the staff did amazing. I did not send in a voicemail. I don’t recall if I was on vacation, which I think, I think one or three years.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. I'm going to stick with you, Sheriff Campbell, for questions submitted from someone here tonight. Have you ever written a grant? And for what?

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

I wrote  grant for two additional officers. I wrote a grant or grant, additional money for program specialists. I wrote grants for a multitude of things. Some received, some not, but in its entirety. Sheriff's office does an amazing job of grants proposals. But like I said not counting what we did this year, $2.3 million, $2.5 million.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Mister Roberts, have you ever written a grant at all?

 

Matt Roberts

I have. I've written multiple grants over my tenure at the sheriff's office. I wrote the grant. that got the canine law. I wrote the grant from the CDC that got us $275,000 plus for the jail for Covid mitigation. As a matter of fact, I wrote a grant for sheriff that's sitting here in the audience cages for his patrol cars, because his patrol cars did not have cages. I wrote a grant since then for Oregon County. I'm well versed in the grant process and how to get grants approved. I did have one denied last year because the sheriff's office had failed to report into the state Missouri. So that was kind of a gut punch to put all that work in the back the ball was dropped on something as important.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. We're gonna switch gears back to jail conditions. This is from someone present here tonight from Mountain View. And we're going to start with you, Mister Roberts. What can be done to better house inmates and give the sheriff's department a more safe environment to work in?

 

Matt Roberts

With the existing facility we have, there's really not a lot more that can be done to house additional bedding, additional inmates. We have implemented what we can as far as adding additional pumps. Like I said, that program was put into place before I left late in 2023. Why that's not been done since July. That should have been done. This should have been installed. That would have increased our capacity by about twelve. As far as better conditions for the jailers and the deputies, there's really not a lot that can be done. Upgrades to locking systems. There's some broken glass that needs to be replaced. There's one door that has the window completely missing. And that's all things that I’m aware of and that has just not been fixed.

 

Amanda Mendez

Sheriff Campbell, rebuttal.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

All address the jail upgrades that he’s bragging about. He did secure a grant for the SWAT team but that grant had to be rewritten. As far as things are currently in the jail. And third little picture of the sassy spoke about earlier. So as far as the jail goes, again, there wasn't one word where it reached up to me. As far as issues figure out what we needed to get done, there wasn't that audit that I requested as far.  What needs to be fixed. So what he's spoken about, as far as some of the locks are rusted shut or rusted open, I know that, I've documented it. I pushed it out to the society. I continue to push down every quarter we push out. Just so you all are aware, there's not a lot left we can do. Hopefully in the near future we can push with either tax or bond issue a new facility. We do not need to condition these.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you Sheriff Campbell that is your time. We're going to stick with you for this next question from someone here tonight. How will you each ensure that the missing people will be found or better investigated? How will each of them ensure that the missing people will be found or better investigated.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

Can you say that again?

 

Amanda Mendez

How will each of them, you two, will ensure that the missing people will be found or better investigated.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

Again, as we get more investigators on, I mean once again, we want to solve these cases, we absolutely want to solve these cases. Again, we fight with staffing, we can divert and get an investigator to reopen that I want to bring back case law, maybe that’s something we can work on together. But as far as standing here and making you a guarantee there are no guarantees in finding those people. We would love to see closure for these cases.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you, Mister Roberts, rebuttal.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

I think we can all agree there's no way that I can promise you that we're going to find these missing persons. What I can tell you is that I will devote the necessary resources to reopening and reinvestigate these cases. Sheriff Campbell mentioned the major case club. That was a promise he made to you all. And that hasn't happened. And the reason that hasn't happened is because the other agencies in our area don't care to work with us. The relationships are so strained that these agencies don't want to be a part of a case clock with us.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. I’m going to stick with you on this question submitted by someone from Willow Springs. Matt, why did you get 3.22 federal property? I think that's supposed to be a dollar amount. 3.2 federal property that has yet to be physically accounted for by yourself, the property holder of the federal government.

 

Matt Roberts

I'm not sure I understand the total premise of the question, but I will say that I was over the WESO (LESSO?) program. I believe that's probably what you're talking about. For a short time, buddy Thompson down there was over it before that happened. All of the property that we got was approved by Sheriff Campbell. We got a number of things, pieces of equipment to use out here at the shooting range. We've got an armored vehicle that's going to be a million dollars for that probably. As far as why I am still showing property owner, I can tell you I've not been to the sheriff's office since March of this year and it has been accounted for. We do a yearly audit for each piece of equipment. As a matter of fact, Sergeant Seth Smith is over that program at this point. I spoke with him earlier that week. He was asking for some assistance with that program and he told me that he has accounted for every piece of that equipment. So I don't know where that information is coming from.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Sheriff Campbell, 1 minute.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

So again, yes, he was over the EOG LESSO program. There are honest he left. We have been up until right recently. We have even got a track lockdown on what we have on the track. I have no idea what has been purchased as far as any other untracked item that falls off the books. Sheriff's office we have not a completely rolled up property of what is left, what is come, what is gone. It's not just a lesso program, but we own more property than the lesso program and it has not been out and it has not been addressed properly.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you, Sheriff Campbell. We are going to stick with you for this next question submitted from someone here tonight from Mountain View. Sheriff Campbell, what do you believe is the reason for such a high recidivism rate in Howell County and what do you think can be done about it? 1 minute.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

You have to provide someobody with purpose over direction. So with that, come out and give them a little bit of purpose and hope for the environment we live in. The main drivers. So we do see a lot of repeat offenders. A small percentage of our community is actually criminals. And it's my opinion that the high recidivism rate is due to a lack of accountability and a lack of stiff penalties for those who commit these crimes. We see it constantly. Cases not being filed, cases being dismissed. Folks, if we had stiff for penalties for these folks, they probably think twice before they recidivism these crimes rates.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Mister Roberts, rebuttal.

 

Matt Roberts

Is due to a lack of accountability and a lack of stiff penalties for those that commit these crimes. We see cases not being filed, cases being dismissed. Folks if we had stiffer penalties they would probably think twice.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you, Mister Roberts. We're going to stick with you. This question submitted by someone here tonight from West Plains. What is being done about meth, heroin and fentanyl use in our county?

 

Matt Roberts

Other than just a few proactive deputies, I don't believe there's much being done at the sheriff's office level. We have a narcotics division, but it is not staff. Sheriff Campbell has 17 years of narcotics experience. I would have thought that one of his top priorities would be to staff that narcotics division and get some people working these issues. It's no secret in our county that drugs are a major issue and those drugs are very closely linked to the theft in this county. So as your next sheriff, I will immediately put someone in that narcotics division and get somebody working these problems.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

So again, there is a problem. Sure. From unnecessary conditions. Absolutely. I love to have narcotics investigators. I would absolutely love to have a internal emotions person dedicated to that. I would absolutely like to have a good check position physician, dedicated. But as far as going back to the drugs and crime, yes, I was in narcotics. Yes. It is a systemic problem in our area. As far as practice, we work with south Central, we do make cases out here. We do have identities, but they are proactive, they are making cases. We have the narcotics device unit here. It's just with drugs, with human….. What we see here currently is something that I don't understand. Probably 18 years of experience in narcotics, why we have such an abuse problem in the United States.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you, Sheriff Campbell. We're going to stick with you for a question from someone here tonight from West Plains. Sheriff Campbell, have you been campaigning during the Monday through Friday work week? Have you placed signs on property without the owner’s permission? 1 minute.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

No, I am not campaigning. I take the case off the campaign. I just want them to share every four years. You gotta, you gotta run this office. I probably, according to other people, I thought I saw something that somebody told me about requested from us and my wife and I have went around.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Mister Roberts, rebuttal.

 

Matt Roberts

So during these last few months, I've had several people reach out to me. I'm not going to name them, but if they want to speak up or chime in on the live feed and out themselves, that's fine. That have said that they were surprised when they walked down their house and had a camera sign and they requested that I brought a sign or put mine up. And I haven't taken any of his down because that's a violation of the law. But just last week, I had a business owner reach out to me and said, there's a Campbell sign in front of my business. I didn't ask for. Bring me one of yours and one of your t shirts while you're at it. So this is definitely happening, folks.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

I have no idea what he’s talking about.

 

Amanda Mendez

Okay, Mister Roberts, we're going to stick with you for a question from another brave soldier, Kelly Wells from Bakersfield, Howell County. Here's the question. In order for a prosecutor to do their job, they have to receive cases. How long should it take for cases to be sent to the prosecutor for charges to be filed?

 

Matt Roberts

Yeah, that's a pretty open ended question because it depends on the case that's meeting worked. There's really no given time to work a particular case, if it's a very easy case, a traffic citation, a drug arrest, something like that. Those reports should be on the prosecutor's office very quickly. But what we see is that we see with delays, with the labs, we see delays, with things that are out of our control. And there's really nothing we can do about that. So these longer cases, sometimes weeks, months, years before a probable cause statement can be sent to the prosecutor’s office. There’s not a definitive answer in my opinion.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Sheriff Campbell, rebuttal.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

The way that question is phrased it seems like they want an immediate arrest. But around 24 hours should be the probable cause statement is issued from that agency. If there’s a case that’s on-going I’ve worked for a year before a probable cause was. You should complete the probable cause I mean five days should be turned around and completed. We still have failures on that that we address consistently. But that would be my answer on an arrest. When we should be submitted within that time frame where you can get a warrant before that 24 hour hold is up.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Sheriff Campbell we're going to stick with you. And this is from a leader, Angel Springs. What can be done in the future about his First Amendment fraudsters harassment. 1 minute.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

First Amendment, what?

 

Amanda Mendez

This is referring to the First Amendment auditor activity. The person phrased it as First Amendment fraud-sters.

 

Amanda Mendez

So again, with first amendment auditors the professional ones I understand what they are doing it’s our job to maintain. The ones that kind of harass us and things like that. Education of our staff to make sure that they understand constitutional law, what public forum is. When these people Interfere. They can be seen out here locally and they just come out here to harass and provoke us, what our staff won’t do and that’s their goal. And they totally interfere with operations.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Mister Roberts, your response.

 

Matt Roberts

Folks, as most of you well know, I'm very familiar with first government auditors. I was at the Mary Valley crossing recently with Mister Dish. Showed up in constant senior successfully de escalated that situation. Prior to that I dealt with Mister Jimmy Hague, another well known person coming on this area. And the way the law is and the constitution is, this is a First Amendment protect freedom of speech. And this, this, if you want to consider a problem, is here to stay. Private business owners, private landowners can ask them to leave their property. But I don't feel like there's a lot that's going to be able to be done with the, with this issue.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you, Mister Roberts. We're going to stick with you. This is a question submitted by reader Willis Frankenstein. If you were sheriff and you became aware that one of your deputies claimed and was paid for hours that he didn't work, and this was confirmed by your investigators, what would you do? How long would you wait?

 

Matt Roberts

That's easy. Immediate termination. If this was confirmed by my investigator, which I know the situation you're talking about, and it was, that would be immediate termination and then we would pursue criminal charges against that deputy in the situation that she's talking about. That issue was brought to light in April of this year. And that deputy was finally put on administrative leave after the investigation was passed to another agency to investigate a second time just about two weeks ago when that deputy was put on administrative leave, so he continued to act as a law enforcement officer to have access to the systems and utilize the office of sheriff for his benefit for three months after this came to life. And this is absolutely unacceptable. And that is the kind of stuff that erodes the trust in our sheriff's office.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Sheriff Campbell, 1 minute.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

There was a multitude of errors that occurred in that investigation. And I don't even know I can speak to it properly because of the fact that as far procedures, this came through and it was properly done as far as formal complaint, complaint process there wasn’t voids in anything. But what I know they are talking about I should not even be speaking about, but there are reasons why and I am going to be more conservative then get it to an outside agency due to the fact of what did occur. So again, there's a magnitude of things that occurred through that and he has no idea of what it is or what I am talking about.

 

Amanda Mendez

I do want to stick with you. And this is a question from me that I think is going to help everybody understand because we're kind of skirting around it. Sheriff Campbell, what is your hesitation to speak out and speak plainly about these?

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

From an administrative standpoint? I can't talk about personal issues. I can't go into detail. I will totally, when anything comes to the life or whatever, when I afforded an opportunity, I absolutely will let the citizens know. Being an administrator, issues and personality issues, you cannot really speak of, in direct form of communication. So I probably went too far tonight, we probably all did. But personal issues are protected and that person has rights. Certain procedures have to be followed. But that's why.

 

Amanda Mendez

Do you have a rebuttal Mister Roberts?

 

Matt Roberts

This issue has been pending for three months. There was an investigation done. It was found that this crime happened and rather than pursue charges, it was passed to another agency. That deputy should have been immediately placed on administrative leave, if not terminated. There's no excuse for this.  (Sheriff Campbell interrupted – Mister Roberts continued)

So folks, it's no secret that I still have ties to the how county sheriff's office. A number of those are members of the FOB which recently endorsed me. They speak to me, they call me, they tell me what's going on in this agency. So I can lay out the entire investigation right here, right now if I needed to. But I'm not going to do that.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. All right, Mister Roberts, we're going to stick with you. This is a question from a reader in West Plains about the way you conducted your campaign. It begins, can you campaign on your own merit? Why do a majority of your followers choose to slander the sheriff on his campaign Facebook pages when they do not know anything about how the county operates? A lot of comments are from people out of the county.

 

Matt Roberts

Okay. I am campaigning on my own merits. A number of the people that we're referring to. They've been on my page too. There's people from all over the county. All over the state and even all over the country that have been getting online Facebook page and complaining. I think one of the main ones is actually a citizen of county. The neighbors that had a family member involved in how county sheriff's office. And they were not, in their opinion, treated fairly in the investigation they were involved in. And that person has been pretty overlooked. Sheriff Campbell's cage. I can't control that.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Sheriff Campbell, rebuttal. 1 minute.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

It's pretty much been a spare grand Payne and a campaign from inside of the camp. The one he's speaking of? Yes, related to one of my ex employees. Yes. There was allegations made. Somebody hacking in my system that investigated by the highway patrol. So as far as anything goes, in my opinion, I've tried to run a play campaign. I have nothing against Mister Roberts, but it hasn't been about trying to make it look bad in any way shape or form. Just give me a call and I’ll fill you in.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Sheriff Campbell, we're going to stick with you. This is from a reader who's here tonight from West Plains, Sherri Campbell. It appears as though you don't think Matt is capable of being a leader. Why did you promote him numerous times if you feel that way? 1 minute.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell.

I don't feel like he's incapable. I was looking at taking the gun, but he doesn't have experience. He doesn't have time on as far as things that I did. He took initiative so I promoted him due to that fact. And again, I don't discredit him. But there was nothing ambitions and I give him that.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you, rebuttal.

 

Matt Roberts

Sheriff Campbell is telling you that I don't have the experience and the leadership necessary to run this office. Folks, I had more time in uniform as a how county deputy. The sheriff Campbell currently does even consider his four years of the sheriff. I have been there, I have led multiple divisions. I've led the patrol division as a corporal, I've led the SWAT team, and I've been over the jail. I think I have proven that I'm capable of leading this office. So I think the experience when you look at this, says for itself.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

I was there for over three years and I wore a uniform every day.

 

Amanda Mendez

Sheriff Campbell, thank you. Mister Roberts, we're going to move on to next question from China Township. The funding question was lost over and I still do not understand where the increase in monies have gone. So this is referring to law enforcement, tax increase. More money came into the sheriff's department. Where has it gone?

 

Matt Roberts

Folks, I can't speak completely to where that money has gone. But since I've left the sheriff's office, numerous items I mentioned earlier have come to light. And I've done some records requests, and unfortunately, those records requests are very slow in being answered, and they're not being answered. So unfortunately, I don't have the information in front of me to give you the answer on where this money is going, but it is a substantial amount of money, and we need to know where it's going.

 

Amanda Mendez

Sheriff Campbell.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

Can you repeat the question please?

 

Amanda Mendez

The funding question was glossed over, and I still do not understand where the increased monies have gone.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

We've been on probably 16 additional staff. We've almost doubled the patrol division. Every patrol officer that comes with expensive patrol car, his wages, every benefits $80,000 position, plus equipment in the car, et cetera, a lot of money. We had tried to update the fleet. That's a consistent issue in the sheriff's office as far as cars, deer strikes and things like that. Trying to get the older fleet, new fleet in again. I'm transparent again every year, cash on hand. I roll every year.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you, Sheriff Campbell, we're going to stick with you. From another brave soul, signed his name. This is from police Chief West Allison here in Willow Springs. Sheriff Campbell, you have said that you want to take over Willow Springs and Mountain View Police. What would this accomplish? Why have you not commissioned any city officers?

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

So everything going on again, as far as taking over, that's not true. Before coming into office, Mike Shannon told me that there was nothing on that organization. I want to have a plan to have something in place and plan if something does fall. There are rumors that if Willow lost more officers. So I always want to have a plan or action plan. As far as commissioning officers, that was something that I address with every organization. And the liability associated with that, just carrying my commission becomes an additional liability. Now there needs to be MoU we’ve discussed that and carry authority and not carrying commission, because with that commission I absorb that.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you, Mister Roberts, rebuttal.

 

Matt Roberts

Can you repeat the question?

 

Amanda Mendez

Yes, This is again from Willow Springs police Chief Wes Ellison. Sherrod Campbell, you have said that you want to take over Willow Springs and not what would this accomplish? Why have you not commissioned any city officers?

 

Matt Roberts

I can confirm that this was an initiative. At one point, Sheriff Campbell was encouraging the deputies to recruit officers from the Willis Burns Police Department in an effort to diminish their rights to the number that they would have to choose to close their doors and contract to the sheriff's office. I don't understand why this would accomplish nothing. Under my leadership, this will not be an issue. Chief Ellison, I can assure you I have no desire to take over the City of Willow Springs. I think that if you all need help, we'll gladly be there and I will provide your officers with commissions. I know that's been a sore spot. And you know, statistically, most sheriffs that I know of commission city officers. So I really don't understand the issue there.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

That is an absolute lie.

 

Amanda Mendez

Mister Roberts, this is a question to you from West Plains. Have you made any promises to employees at the sheriff's department as far as will they be terminated immediately if you were to win the election?

 

Matt Roberts

No, I have not. I've not spoken with anybody regarding their employment at the sheriff's office. I'm not really sure I understand where the question is coming from. I have no intention to terminate anyone that is currently employed at the sheriff's office. It's kind of hard to run on a campaign of fixing the retention and recruitment crisis our sheriff's office is currently facing and then walk in and start firing people nobody currently employs at the sheriff's office is facing termination.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Do you have a response, Sheriff Campbell?

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

Say the question again.

 

Amanda Mendez

Yes. Have you made any promises? Now this is a question to Mister Roberts. Have you made any promises to employees at the sheriff's department as far as they will be terminated immediately if you win the election?

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

No.

 

Amanda Mendez

Then, Sheriff Campbell, this is from someone here tonight from West Plains. Can you explain what you found when you came into office?

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

Say that again?

 

Amanda Mendez

Sheriff Campbell, Can you explain what you found when you came into office at the sheriff's department? Some notes here that says no inv, I think that's no inventory and no policies as examples.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

Policy that I run off of from 2009. Again, areas of management I walked into again that have been normalized. They seem like things are just kind of show. The jail kind of inmates ran the jail. I was just trying to restructure our system and oversight. Address areas of cleanliness. Have people do the duties that we were hired to do at a higher standard.

 

Amanda Mendez

Mister Roberts, rebuttal.

 

Matt Roberts

So it sounds like to me what he's saying is nothing has changed in his three and a half years he's been there. So he mentioned policies. There was a policy in place. Sheriff Shannon instituted a policy as soon as he took office. But what I would like to mention as far as policies is we are still operating off that 2009 policy. There has been no policy implemented except for 2016 updates, which was also under Sheriff Sham. Sheriff Campbell has not instituted any new policies. We hired a company out of Connecticut to rewrite our policy for some reason, and three and a half years later, here we are. We're still waiting on it. Thank you.

 

Amanda Mendez

Mister Roberts, this is a question to you. Someone here tonight from West Plains. I personally know a business owner who was upset and she went to open her business and found a Matt Roberts sign in the yard of her private property, a business. Please explain why you say you have heard complaints from others finding Brent signs when we have heard the same of you? Can you explain?

 

Matt Roberts

Without knowing who you're talking about? I cannot explain, but I have endeavored to get permission from every property owner in every business owner. Oral ring trigger in this case, before I put it. So I can't speak to that because I don't know who it is.

 

Amanda Mendez

Okay, Sheriff Campbell, rebuttal.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

Signs, no, but I would like to address the policy part.

 

Amanda Mendez

I'm sorry this time is for another question, but you want to return to the policy? If you're interested in returning to the question of policies. I would like another question about policies, but we're just going to stick to the structure here. Okay. Sheriff Campbell. This is from someone here tonight from West Plains. Sheriff Campbell has mentioned numerous times tonight that he has had to re address issues with staff members over and over. Why is this an issue? Is it a lack of leadership?

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

No, it's not lack of leadership, but you have subordinate attendees push forward to certain initiatives. So again, statistically, someone quit after one bad day. So my support staff should be driving initiatives. We talk about issues on a daily basis. Can't understand why we revisit things that are applied or specified tasks, or why things aren't being completed. When you have your own ranks, people say, short way out or easy way out that scares me to death, but I guess that's kind of the mindset that is in law enforcement today. I have no idea. I don't know why we have to address the same issue without fire over and over and over. But again, your supervisors, your general supervisors have to drive that forward. It does not. Everything does not rest on my shoulders.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Mister Roberts, rebuttal?

Matt Roberts

Folk, everything absolutely rests on your shoulders. As your sheriff, I will take ownership for everything that my deputies and my employees do. It's absolutely a leadership issue, folks. You know, it's an absentee administrator, it's young deputies that haven't been trained. It's a whole host of issues that we've been talking about here tonight that absolutely are pointing to the exact issues in this question.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Mister Roberts, this is a question to you from someone here or someone here tonight from West Plains. What problems are in place for the youth to be educated on? So I think this should say what programs are in place for youth to be educated on drug use? Specifically from Howell County Sheriff's Office.

 

Matt Roberts

There is no program currently in place under previous sheriffs. We have the DARE program. And Sergeant Paul Bradshaw was very active with that program. And he was in most of the schools in this county teaching that program. And Sheriff Campbell cut the funding and we mixed that program. And he's going to tell you, statistically it doesn't work. But I disagree. Even if the drug use is statistically not hindered by this program, we're gaining the rapport, we're gaining the relationships by being in these schools, fourth, fifth, 6th graders and being there, communicating with them. It's community policing 101, folks. Absolutely needs to be reinstated. And that's one of the first things I'll do in 2024/25.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Sheriff Campbell, reubttal

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

I did not cut funding to DARE. Computer staff, things like that recently. Drug awareness that goes beyond just there and into the student body with older students and things like that. So I agree that we absolutely need educational community. I've said over and over and over. We have to educate. That is one way that we combat drug abuse, substance abuse from domestic violence. All these things go back to education. So I absolutely agree that there needs to be some projects in school.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Sheriff Campbell, we're sticking with you for this question submitted by someone here tonight. If there were previous unaddressed needs and the quarter cent tax was used to catch those up, is there now a hope to make real improvements to the jail with the tax increase money?

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

Please repeat that.

 

Amanda Mendez

If there were previous unaddressed needs and the quarter sent tax was used to catch those up, is there now hope to make real improvements to the jail with that money?

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

Absolutely. Because on the front side of the house, you know, as far as staff, you know, uniforms, weapons things that we talked about, tasers on the supply, we didn't have enough for everybody as far as investigation and things like that. So there was a better taser that came out. I will absolutely afford my deputies every opportunity to go up against anything out here. The new tasers were that I can sure you've got the tasers through staffing. Yes. With money that is currently not have to go to assist sustainability. Now we're absolutely going forward. Any need for anything that I can do in the jail with that excess money

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Mister Roberts, rebuttal.

 

Matt Roberts

Folks, in my opinion, we are caught up. We have a great fleet of cars, we've got equipment, we've got uniforms. And yet studying the budget for 2024, I see no money set aside for jail improvements. And to be completely honest, at some point we start throwing good money. After that, we are going to have to seriously have a conversation about a new jail. But as far as where the money is going, I can't say if we have hope for improvements in that jail until I'm able to really understand and sit down and study that budget and see where the money has been going before we can …

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

 That’s right you don’t understand. There’s $350,000

 

Amanda Mendez

Sheriff Campbell, I apologize This is still Mister Roberts time. Thank you, Mister Roberts. We are going to, uhm, oh, we have another brave soul here tonight who signed their name to a question. This is from Gloria Macian, West Plains. What does the hiring process look like with your business and what's the number of employees?

 

Matt Roberts

My business is very small. I think at the max I had seven employees. Right now I have one and one part time employee. So we just do an in person interview. I talk to them about their background, experience, things like their criminal history, driving record, things such as that.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Sheriff Campbell, do you have a rebuttal?

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

As our planning process goes, I mean, I absolutely think we need to do more on the front loading and hiring. So it kind of goes back into retention with front load hiring process. But currently we go through the interview process, they fill out an application. We do not have interviews with that person. They go through an interview board. It's with those board members, we decide if we see them to hire or not. As far as that goes. I mean, again, I think we need to front load and do more on the front end. As far as other organizations do, we don't do it.

 

Amanda Mendez

Is that your answer?

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

As far as hiring as the process of hiring?

 

Amanda Mendez

No, it was a question to Mister Roberts about the hiring process in his business, but I will accept your answer because I think it was on topic. So we'll just move along. Sheriff Campbell, this is for you from a person here tonight from West Plains. Brent, I think you have done a great job and I know there is so much more in your position than keeping a budget. But you mentioned hoping to have the chance to explain why Matt says you went over budget. So please do explain. 1 minute.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

So with the budget, the county where the county government operates, I forecasted bills going into January. I had two largest class, plenty of room in the first round and the second round, but I had too large invoices come through. That was pretty substantial. And I did. I was oversight of me. I completely owned it. I owned it was an oversight. I had patrols coming due. Significant. And with the money that I guess it goes through my hand on hand of the $600,000 for all 900 counts. I submitted those bills in the last cycle where I messed up because I should have held those two large bills and I wouldn't have went over budget. But again, I own that. But due to the way that we do our budget cycles and the way that operates, I tried to get ahead, I tried to forecast to keep us operational, and I did it. It was an undercut. Won't happen again.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Mister Roberts, rebuttal?

 

Matt Roberts

Folks, I've got a breakdown of the budget in front of me here. And in November we had $610,467.93 on hand. In December that number was in the negative by $107,000. We spent $700 plus thousand dollars in 30 days. And it's because we were buying things that we can't justify. Suppressors, tasers, rifles. Now I'm not saying we don't need rifles, but we didn't need as many as we bought. Things are being purchased that cannot be justified and cannot be explained away.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. This is just an announcement. It is now 7:30. So we've collected all the questions we will collect for the remainder of the event. We're going to try to get to all of the remaining relevant questions. And the next one is for yet another brave soul. Thank you so much, Katie Parker from West Plains. For Mister Roberts, it is a long process to receive logs for a county member having issues with getting records from Howell County Sheriff's Office. What time frame should this be? Especially if the request.

 

Matt Roberts

Missouri sunshine law spells that out, folks. And you're supposed to have a response in those records within three days. In my personal experience, that has not been the case. And some of the records I've requested, I know there are records there that are part of my request and those are not being supplied. So I think the issue here is that some things are being held for no reason or possibly that the records custodian does not have access to some of these records. So I think that needs to be rectified. And my stance on that is really following this very sunshine Law.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Sheriff Campbell, rebuttal.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

The thing I want to talk about is the suppressors and rifles. Again he was the project lead. He does not know the budget and he does not know what he is talking about. The issue that he is talking about, my records custodian There's not much that she doesn't have access to. So as far as response to the question, again, what they're seeking and what they're doing, as far as request that he has sunshined us to death on.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Sheriff Campbell, we're going to stick with you for this next question, which is from someone here tonight from West Plains. Back to the jail. Sheriff Campbell, I heard from your current jail administration that he cannot get a straight answer from you with issues in jail. Why is the jail still in turmoil when Matt is no longer working there?

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

Can you repeat that again?

 

Amanda Mendez

Yeah. I have heard from your current jail administrator that he cannot get a straight answer from you with issues in the jail. Why is the jail department still in terminal when the Mac is no longer working?

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

I have no idea what we're referring to. It's not getting a straight answer every time we speak with him everything seems to be good. But I haven't met no turmoil going on within this jail, so I don't know what we're referring to or whether there's no turmoil. We're fully staffed in the jail. I don't know the issue.

 

Amanda Mendez

Okay, thank you. Mister Roberts, would you like to offer a rebuttal?

 

Matt Roberts

Folks as I’ve told you I'm still in pretty close constant communication with the police at the sheriff's office. And what this question asker is referring to is the same thing I dealt with for several months while I was the jail administrator. It's tough to get an answer and sometimes when you get an answer it's very vague. You don't really know which way to go on. I actually spoke to the current mail administrator about probably the issue you're talking about here just last week. He said hey, what would you do about this? And I gave him my response. But the key here folks, is we need an administrator that's going to be in the office during office hours, that will be there to answer questions and give clear, concise answers and guidance to the employee when they need it.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Mister Roberts, we're going to stick with you. This is submit by someone from West Plains. As someone who works with the community, as a first responder, what can you do to further provide safety for those in various communities and for those who respond with the deputies in this county. Lack of training for deputies is inherent. 1 minute.

 

Matt Roberts

So over the past few months I've spoken with some fire chiefs and this consensus around the county seems to be that we are not working well with them. We need to be training with them. I recently attended a landing zone class, there was not one deputy there. Folks, our volunteer firefighters are doing this for free. They're usually running their own cars, using their own gas, and they've got most of the time substandard equipment because they don't have. So we need to be absolutely ready to assist them in anything they need, from helping with traffic control to radios, communications. There's a number of things that we can probably do to help them and like I said, I've had these conversations with several of the chiefs around the county and this is something that we are working.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Sheriff Campbell rebuttal.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

We're always in the next call of any organization. We are not fire. We will help it control, we will help with whatever, but we are not fire. We are not ems. We will protect the city. We will secure seat. We will do our job, but we are not firing. We will secure that same. We do what we need to do. We will drag our locals, but we're not firemen. There needs to be other training that they need. Domestic violence program testimony, the multitude of other training that they, they don't submit for. We'll go to shoot classes, we'll do whatever, but there's a multitude of things we do day in and day out that will help you submit a training for. So I would see the need for that before I would be going through a fire class.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Sheriff Campbell, this one is for you from someone here tonight from West Plains. Obviously, transparency is a problem. Sheriff Campbell, how can you improve transparency so the citizens would feel your meal more transparent? And what will you do to be more transparent?

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

I feel I really am. I mean, I try to publish as much as I can publish. I'm still in the work of doing a fundraising document with the budget. There are still things I want and I want to do and push out as far as transparency. We have an engagement where you can go back in and refer to a call to speak with every negative or positive. I do a community survey to get feedback from the community. As far as transparency goes, my ideas, I'm sure that I would have gotten to go on because I absolutely feel that we are a team together. And you need to know what's going on in any atmosphere. The jail reports, the grand jury reports, that's all published. Operationally, that is all published. If you go to the website, if you come to my office, there is nothing that is hidden. You know, you talk about the transparency, as far as people leaving or whatever, you'll see that document come out in the near future. There's nothing that I want to hide. Nothing.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Mister Roberts, rebuttal?

 

Matt Roberts

Can you repeat the question please?

 

Amanda Mendez

Absolutely. Obviously, transparency is a problem. Sheriff Campbell, how can you improve transparency so citizens could feel your being more transparent? And what would it do to be more transparent?

 

Matt Roberts

So I'm not sure but what I will do when I'm your Sheriff is I will be there and I'll be available for you to come talk to. Not everybody is on Facebook, and that seems to be really the only way we're pushing out any kind of information. A large populace here in how county is not on Facebook. So we need to find ways to keep communicate with those folks That does work.  And I keep mentioning Sheriff Mike Shannon, but many of you tuned into his radio program for years. He did a weekly radio program and told everyone in the county what was going on, who we were looking for on the most wanted. You know, there are definitely ways that we can get out there and share information. As far as the website goes, folks, if you've been on it, you know it's extremely hard to navigate, get lost on them very easily. It's not easy to find the documents you're looking for. So what I would probably do is deploy someone to redesign that and have a portal or some sort of a posting board where we can put current information and share things with our community.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

A weekly blotter goes out weekly to every news source.

 

Amanda Mendez

Sheriff Campbell, So Mister Roberts, this is a question from someone here tonight. In your campaign materials, you say the current sheriff's office lacks leadership, yet you do not delineate any specific failures of adequate service based on your claim. Leadership is a very subjective term. Can you provide specific leadership failures and given your lack of experience based on your own resume, how you would overcome those perceptions? In your campaign materials, you say the sheriff's office lacks leadership, yet you do not delineate any specific failures of adequate service based on your claim. Leadership is a very subjective term. Can you provide specific leadership failures and given your lack of experience, how would you overcome those perceptions?

 

Matt Roberts

So I would agree that leadership is very subjective and the reason I'm not providing very specific issues there is because I don't want to be my son. I don't want to run a dirty campaign. My goal folks, is just to push the issues out and show you what is going on within our sheriff's office. I think the high turnover rate, no matter how Sheriff Campbell tries quantify it is proof enough that we definitely have a leadership problem within the walls of Howell County Sheriff's Office.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Sheriff Campbell, rebuttal?

 

 

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

Leadership is a broad term. Leadership is basically purpose, integration and motivation. As far as turning over that I keep hearing about again, call me if you have any questions. I broke down this that is industry trend. If you have a business, it is hard to find employment people that were fired or whatever. If you were sitting in my boots, you done the same. It is industry trend again. At a recent training, eight out of ten people leave because they have one bad day. So people leave because they don't want to clean. I don't know what to say. I have afforded every opportunity as far as salaries, I get everything wrong strategically from my level that I can hit and succeed. As far as my health goes, as far as those parameters, I have hit every one of them. Some point in time you ever wake up one day, it's not going to have a good day. It can't continually be about ….

 

Amanda Mendez

That is your time. But this question is for you from someone here tonight from West Plains, Sheirff Campbell. Would you please expand all the policies you haven't implemented?

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

So coming into office, I didn't know that there was issues with the policy. I knew that last Sunday was 2016. There had been GOs written. There were 14 handbooks that were written. I hired a constitutional law firm so I knew that these issues, memorandum records were produced to get us correct. All these issues, I knew I was born on. Again. I come in 2016, last episode, I come in office, 2021. It wasn't already prior to that. I'm trying to get as much space as I can at a time. Operationally, I'm a little bit attorney. We have policies produced weekly that we are navigating through. But there were documents in place, operational guidance for DOJ standards, state jail standards. All these policies and procedures were guidance material was divided due to the fact that I knew them all. I had issues with the policies. So anything that comes after policy or DOJ comes down, they knew that. That's super trying to get there. I cannot fix it all.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

In three years.

 

Amanda Mendez

That is your time. Mister Roberts, rebuttal.

 

Matt Roberts

Folks, we have a policy in place in 2009 and that was implemented by Sheriff Cannon. And a lot of the content of that was derived, if I'm correct, or if I'm correct, please correct. But a lot of it is derived from the Greene County Sheriff's Office. They are a monster sheriff's office just up the road from us. There is nothing in there that is inadequate. What we have is we've changed and we've written these handbooks which are not legal documents. We're not going to be able to take these to court with us when we're testifying and say, hey, here's this handbook. We're going to look at our policies, they're going to look at procedures and they're going to want to know if. We follow those to OT. And the problem is that it's outdated. And no offense, sure, but a lot has changed in right law enforcement in 15 years, and hiring a law firm out of Connecticut for tens of thousands of dollars is not the answer. There are better options out there to get a policy put into place. And after August I'll start working on that immediately.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. That is your time. Mister Roberts, we are going to stick with you for this question from someone here tonight from local springs. Matt, are you encouraging current deputies and admins to make the current sheriff look bad?

 

Matt Roberts

Absolutely not. My goal here is for a safer Howell County and to make Sheriff Campbell look bad would not be in my moral code. Like I said earlier, the deputies have expressed to me that they don't want to do things that make him look good and I have discouraged that. I encourage them to get out there and be proactive to make drugstops to help clean up the streets and the area in this county. So to say that is absolutely preposterous.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you, Sheriff Campbell. Do you have a response?

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

Well, it's pretty sad that you paid somebody to do a job on a daily basis, give them raises ….. Going back to the policy, I don't want to do a better base policy. The policy is built by organization and its needs. But again, I don't know why my staff with $20,000 want everything that you would want to do your job officially of why they would not serve you. Because they have a problem with me. That is truly sad and I'm glad I am enlightened to that.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Sheriff Campbell, we are going to stick with you for this question from someone. Was please. A lot is being said about as a sheriff making things better. As a sheriff you are making things better. But have you opened your door to deputies and taken any of their input to make their jobs easier? And if yes, can you give an example?

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

One more time I’m sorry.

 

Amanda Mendez

So a lot of being said about who as a sheriff making things better in the sheriff's department in this context, but have you opened your door to the deputies and other employees and taken any of their input to make their jobs easier? If yes, give an example.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

What has occurred is throwing things at a wall and taking constantly. I don't have, I'm always open, I have had all. My goal is to, I see driving the staff and let them see my vision one on one. But again, space and time, it's hard to find that space and time. I have, they come to me anytime. I have tried to make your job and lives easier to some extent, but we still have to have manageable oversight. There has to be processes in place to properly provide a public safety service.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Mister Roberts.

 

Matt Roberts

I’m sorry can you repeat that?

 

Amanda Mendez

Yeah. So the question is whether or not Sheriff Campbell has opened his doors to deputies to take in their input to make the employees jobs easier and can.

 

Matt Roberts

So he didn't give any examples, but I can. We've had multiple meetings with sheriff's office staff, with the control division, with different divisions, and I've been a part of those, and even multiple one on one or one on two small closed door meetings where we have added, we have given input, we have told the sheriff what's going on. We've told him how things are being perceived by his staff. But folks, he doesn't listen to us. He takes what we say and completely discounts it and favors whatever Jason McDaniel says. That's how our sheriff's office.

 

Amanda Mendez

Okay, thank you. Mister Roberts, we're going to stick with you for this next question from someone here tonight. What was your scariest day in law enforcement?

 

Matt Roberts

That's easy. I was on a search warrant on Webster street in West Plains, and we approached the door, an owl knocked and announced, and the gentleman in the house is a split level house. He fled to the basement. He reached around the hallway at the bottom of this split level house and started shooting through the door and one of those rounds went through the door. Luckily, the other two were impacted by a four x four beam, if you will, inside the house. One went through the door, passed very, very closely to come in. Deputy Derrick Spangler. And I was actually impacted by some pieces of glass and plastic as that's easily my scariest day..

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Sheriff Campbell, for your response. Your scariest day in law enforcement?

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

I was thinking of days like that or you have a deputy that's on the shots fired call and the radio doesn’t work, or maybe you're seeing a parent dispatch making sure that, hey, they're going to come out on top, or when you get a call that, hey, you know, as far as them getting hurt, those are scary days. As far as personally, all the way back in my undercover days, when somebody's, you know, pretty much had a hand in their lap and they're waiting to see if you're trying to figure out if you're the police and not the police or search warrants that we've actually been fired on. But as far as being a sheriff, those calls that you wish you never hear, that you never received, you get ones like that or things like that, it directly deals with your personal thank you chair Campbell.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Sheriff Campbell, this is from a reader in Willow Springs. We noticed many sheriff's cars around Foster's Body Shop. Some are wrapped, some are being painted, some are being fitted with bumpers, lining, etcetera. Since Mister Foster, it has been on your payroll. Have you maintained careful scrutiny as to comply with Missouri laws as it pertains to competitive bidding for these services?

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

Absolutely. We're early on, you know, we mark cars from about 21 to 22 on our time of our dime. As far as when our car is wrecked, we should go out for competitive bid on a rent car. A lot of times, Washington's a lot of rather receipts where the insurance company will drag when they receive their quotes. Hey, send it to fosters or send it to Mister Dent. So absolutely quotes are received as far as damage to vehicles and things like that. As far as upfitting a car, property is bought off state contracts, the equipment is lost at a discounted price. Cars, a lot of the cars that we currently get are already outfitted besides the radio that we put in. So as far as cars being repaired, things like that, absolutely. We follow the big process as far as repair destroyed vehicles.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Mister Roberts. Response?

 

Matt Roberts

I would encourage Sheriff Campbell to review chapter 105 of the Missouri State statute where it discusses specifically an employee performing works outside of this job scope, such as this forward entity works for, and there are limitations for it and those are not being followed. And as to bidding for the wrecks, that part kind of goes to the upfitting, the painting, the additional equipment being installed in those vehicles. That's not being bid out. As far as the regs, yes, they are being bid out, but I can tell you those bids, it's a, it's a waste of time for Mister Dent, Gobbels. And everywhere it goes, because the way it works is the deputy goes from Gobbels, they sent pictures. Foster doesn't even look at the car. They send pictures of the car, pictures of the bid to Mister Foster, and then he submits a bid that's cheaper than most of those, and it's awarded to work.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. This is a question to you, Mister Roberts. To your knowledge, does the sheriff's department currently own a boat or jet skis? When and where could they be used? How could they be used? Where are they currently stored?

 

Matt Roberts

I'm not aware of a boat, but yes, we do have a jet ski. It was procured through that listo program. It was at a facility in Kentucky where I was going to get a box trailer which was to be used to store a side by side so it would be ready for use. The jet ski was there, and Sheriff Campbell, over the time of this vessel program, he encouraged me to procure items. That we could keep. And once they fell off the books, we could sell them and put that money back into general so that was procured for that purpose.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Sheriff Campbell response?

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

So that it was kind of his idea. So it's kind of putting the blame on me, but I'm going to hit creep real quick. There's internal processes and that's handled by the intent. So as far as the big process, painting again, $12,000 I can send equipment or whatever I, whatever I feel like as far as updating program goes, and as you see it range, it's almost like. But yes, we do have a jet ski.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you, Sheriff Campbell. This is submitted from a reader in Mountain View. Are you familiar with the Missouri Officer's Bill of Rights? And have you ever fired anyone without following this law?

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

Yes, I am familiar, but also, there's kind of a grey area that you're also have at will in the state of Missouri. But yes, I have fired employees that going through the administrative process of uh the officers bill of rights

 

Amanda Mendez

Mister Roberts, response?

 

Matt Roberts

I became aware of the officers bill of rights in a training activity in Kansas City alongside Sheriff Campbell. And we spent many hours discussing it, how it pertains to the issues. And after that, I know that at least two that are sitting here in this room that were fired as a direct violation of the peace officer bill of rights.

 

Amanda Mendez

Okay. Mister Roberts, this is from a reader in Moody. What are you going to do about all these illegal gambling machines in these businesses? Are they illegal in Missouri?

 

Matt Roberts

So I'm not spending time researching the ins and outs of these. I know there are at least two different manufacturers of these machines, and one of them seems to be illegal, and one of them seems to fall within a gray area of the law. So until the law catches up with that machine, there's not a lot I can do. I will definitely research it and make sure that my information is correct, but that has not been a priority on my campaign trail.

 

 

Amanda Mendez

A response Sheriff Campbell?

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

They've been around for a little while. The gaming commission with the state, or over those machines, it does have everywhere. So I guess it doesn't seem to be anybody. Radar priority just have like the head shops and all the rest of things that basically through which you can buy at a gas station. So again, that is something that is, or the state.

 

Amanda Mendez

Sheriff Campbell, this is a two part question submitted by someone here tonight. We're going to start with you. First one is a yes or no. Have you seen the videos, photos, graphics, or eyewitness accounts of the assassination attempt on President Trump's life this past Saturday? That's yes or no. Second part is, if you were charged with the security of that same event, what would you have done differently?

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

Yes, I have seen footage, but I absolutely think it could’ve been done better. If you have somebody who's been seen 100 yards on top of a building. I absolutely agree that state that our local staff and sheriff's office and surrounding area is going to have a better job of securing that location and that record for that family. Such a high profile dignitary.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Mister Roberts.

 

Matt Roberts

As a team leader and longtime member of the SWAT team, I have experience in private security and pigmentary protection type details. I can tell you that if I was charged with a part of the security detail, I would have had brains of security and we would have owned and occupied the spaces on top of those roofs on top of the water tower you saw, and we would have denied anyone's access to those areas in order to protect President Trump. I would also make sure that my sniper teams had the authority, whether the Feds told them to or not, that they would engage the shooter as soon as they saw that it was a threat. Whether the Fed said sure or nothing.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. We're going to stick with you, Mister Roberts, for what is going to be our final question this evening. And it is preceded by a vote in the Supreme Court case, Margaret v. Madison. Chief Justice John Marshall states, quote, thus, the particular phraseology of the Constitution of the United States confirms and strengthens the principles supposed to be essential to all written constitutions. That a law repugnant to the Constitution is void, and that courts as well as other departments are bound by that institute. In view of that quote, appears the question, when is a law unlawful and therefore unenforceable?

 

Matt Roberts

So, very simply put, the law is going to be unlawful and unenforceable if it violates the Constitution of our United States. The case you referenced is a case from like 1803, I believe, where it really didn't have anything to do with law enforcement. But what it did decide was the Supreme Court was the final authority for constitutional interpretation. And that's what we go by to ensure that an officer is acting within their scope. But again, to answer your question, that law is unconstitutional and unenforceable the minute it's enacted and violates the constitution of our United States.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you Mister Roberts. Sheriff Campbell, 1 minute.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

So in that case does get judiciary presidence. But as a sheriff, we enforce the law that we keep the peace. It's not my job to determine whether it's unconstitutional law it is my job to enforce the law. Our government has three ranks to the government executive, which we fall under, legislative, which make the laws judicial, in which the courts interpret the laws, and whether it is wrong or right. Our three founding documents of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and our bill of rights, they give supreme power to the people if something is unconstitutional. I have an opinion. Yes, I do. There's laws out there that scare me yes, but if there's a late unconstitutional law, it's unforceable. I agree with that. But we don't interpret and if somebody says otherwise, it shouldn't be.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. And I have to thank you all. This has been an extremely stimulating debate. You have had so many important questions. Thank you everyone who submitted a question. Our time for the evening has concluded. But we are going to move on to closing statements. Since Mister Roberts you began, Sheriff Campbell is going to begin this time.

 

Sheriff Brent Campbell

I knew the first term would be the hardest and most difficult. We came through the change with remarkable accomplishments. By getting the tax passed in itself, changed the course of the sheriff's office. It was eating itself and it provided opportunity, operational limitations to include more deputies, doubling the patrol fee, $20,000 plus in salaries, bringing financial stability to team members, more staff throughout the organization, updated equipment, training opportunities that brought us into the 21st century. So I got to thank the citizens. I'm looking forward to the next term and being an even stronger focus on practice, prime prevention and community engagement, continuous improvement and modernization of our enforcement practices and implementing primary back standing up neighborhood watch programs. The Sheriff's Citizens Academy, Sheriff's Citizens Board and a great community event. Sheriff education through the Crisis Interventions program specialist Michael Lewis on area resources, peer supports, elevated services. With my knowledge and background, the main driver of crime, substance abuse was combative through education both in schools and community based. Building anti-drug coalitions that engage and prevent drug prevention. I want to continue to focus on eliminating points of failure. This term was provided for oversight. This term I find more oversight on reports and follow ups of victims of case initiation through adjudication, driving the community existing first mindset and working toward personal responsibility and certainty and punishment when it comes to perpetrating this crime. Look back on the significant change in this current imagine what could be accomplished in a second term. I love and appreciate your support on August 6 andmore importantly, I would appreciate your vote. Thank you very much.

 

Amanda Mendez

Thank you. Mister Roberts closing statement.

 

Matt Roberts

So over the last several hours you’ve heard excuses made by Sheriff Campbell. He's made promises to this community that he does not follow through on and there's just excuse after our sheriff's office cannot continue down this path. I supported Sheriff Campbell in 2020. This time they're supporting me. I'm the only candidate endorsed by fraternal order of police. They unanimously voted my endorsement. My partner campaigned in 2020 to get rid of the gun. I think you've heard some things here tonight that will show you that not only is it not gone, it's just got different voice in it now. I had no intentions of running for sheriff in 2024 until I saw how things were really being run in the sheriff's office. There was a point that I was within the inner circle. I saw how decisions were made or not made, and we cannot continue that path. I left a career where I had a future and a retirement to pursue this for this county. I've got the necessary experience in supervision, SWAT patrol, jail, and several other areas that will help me lead the sheriff's office and succeed. I've got relationships in this community and with the other elected officials and leaders of other first responders divisions and entities. I've got the ability to turn around and rebuild our sheriff's office. I will bring back the stability to Howell County. Thank you for your time and I would appreciate your vote on August 6.