Sheriff Sickler says he’s humbled by the appointment and ready to get to work. He was sworn into office Tuesday morning, following a unanimous appointment by Jackson County commissioners.
“I am very excited and I am very honored to be selected by our commissioners to fulfill the role of sheriff in our county,” Sicker told reporters after his appointment.
“He is a great family man, a good active person in the community, a good leader, a very intelligent person, has been doing that job and has the confidence of the department and seems to have the confidence of the community as a whole,” Commissioner Rick Dyer says.
It was an unprecedented process for commissioners -appointing a sheriff usually chosen by the people- but mandatory, based on the county’s charter.
A job, the president for the Jackson County Sheriff Employees association says he doesn’t envy, but applauds.
“We’re very happy with the values that were kind of upheld and the direction that we will be able to continue to go,” Noah Strohmeyer says.
There’s plenty of work ahead; balancing budgets, managing patrols, and determining the direction of the jail, but Sickler says his first order of business will be addressing the needs of rural residents. That was an issue that was highlighted in every aspect of the appointment process.
“We are certainly going to address that immediately and see what we can do to be more efficient with our patrols and meet with citizens in rural areas and see how we can better serve them,” Sickler says.
In addition to enhancing rural patrols, other priorities for Sheriff Sickler during his first six months in office include opening the basement of the jail, filling open positions in a timely, responsible way, effectively planning coverage for the Country Crossings Music Festival, and maintaining relationships and transparency within the community.
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