FACT CHECK

Sheriff Evenson Does Not Use or Share His Training - FALSE!

I use my training every day of my life. The thousands of hours of training that I have received over the last 35 years of my law enforcement career is what made me what I am. The classroom training combined with my real-world experience is what I bring to the table. Teaching the younger, inexperienced deputies is what I do every day. I use the knowledge I have to make them better

The Sheriff’s Office is "Always" Short Staffed for Deputies, and Can't Keep Deputies - FALSE!

The Sheriff’s Office is not “always” short-staffed. Currently we are fully staffed with deputies and have one opening in the jail for corrections officer. Just like every business or government entity, we do have some employees that will come and go. Law Enforcement in general, has had problems staffing since the 2014 troubles in Ferguson, Missouri and the total abandonment of the police by the President , US Attorney General, Missouri Attorney General and our Governor that were all in office during Ferguson. Since then, the pool of applicants has shrunk dramatically. McDonald County has been in a better situation than some of our neighbors. My former office, Barry County, has worked 4-6 deputies short consistently for the past 6-8 years. When we have had a deputy move on, we typically have the position filled within a few weeks. We have had several deputies leave for more pay, but return to work at McDonald County Sheriff's Office.

The County’s Crime Rate is Very High, and Criminals are Coming Here From Other Areas to Commit Crime

McDonald County’s crime rate is on par with our neighbors. We are definitely no higher than our surrounding counties and communities. Actually, our property crimes have been reduced by 28% just within three years of this term as Sheriff. This is a baseless allegation meant to scare the public and is absolutely not true.

Current Deputies Are Not Getting Training, and/or Not Enough Training - FALSE!

Current deputies are training at a rate over double what is required by the State of Missouri. Our FTO, field training program, is second to none! Continuous training is required. Online training is offered at all times in addition to quarterly in-house training. Specialized training and train-the-trainer classes like Taser instructor training and advanced investigations, etc., re provided as funding is available. Some specialized training has no cost associated with it at all.

Sheriff Evenson Has Not Had a Background Investigation - FALSE!

Yes, I have had a background check, and have had one done the first of every year, just like every other law enforcement officer in the State of Missouri. The RapBack program keeps up with law enforcement officers' backgrounds per RSMo Section 43.450

It Can Take 45 - 120 Minutes for a Deputy to Respond to an Emergency, "If They Even Respond at All"

Call are taken and responded to as quickly as possible. Dispatchers and deputies have to prioritize the calls, meaning less serious calls may have to hold for a response, while higher priority calls are dealt with. I don't think anyone would argue that the barking dog call or loud music call, should be put if there is call for an asault or burglary in progress. McDonald County usually has three deputies on duty over night, with more available deputies during the day. Still, there will always be a few places in the County that are more difficult to reach quickly.

City Officers Will Be Commissioned So They Can Respond to Calls Outside Their City

Most municipal officers are already commissioned as deputy sheriffs. A few are not, because of various issues, but the most common is that they don't meet the standards required by me to be a McDonald County Deputy Sheriff. This issue is not negotiable. We have high standards that we require of our deputies and we will not cut corners and have substandard law enforcement officers wearing the badge of the McDonald County Sheriff's Office.

The Sheriff's Office Does Not Use Grants

We typically don’t apply for grants if we can’t afford the local match. If I have to take money from our fuel or jail food budget to pay for a local match, it’s not responsible management of public money. One program that we do participate in regularly is the Bulletproof Vest Partnership program. This is a 50/50 program capped at $10,000 that helps us equip our deputies with protective vests. Vests expire every five years and have to be rotated regularly. The fact is, we not only take advantage of grants if we have the available funding, but we have a line in the budget specifically for grants.

Grants are "Free Money"

There is no such thing as "free money", especially when it comes from the government. There are very restrictive requirements, stipulations, preconditions, special record keeping and documentation. Most law enforcement grants that are beneficial to larger organizations like a Sheriff's Office, are "match grants". This means we must come up with half of the funding up front, and for some grants, we must pay the full amount and wait for a 50% refund from the government once we have made all of our purchases.

Evenson "May Have 35 Years of Experience, But it Doesn't Matter Because He Never Gets Out of Bed"

Now for a fun one! I guess it's claimed that I never get out of bed. Well, I don't know where the allegations came from, but it's 100% false! Even while I was going through my recent successful cancer treatments, I was still working. My days may have been a little shorter, and I didn't always work my typical 10-12 hours per day, but I have been here. Maybe this is in reference to my county issued vehicle not being seen at the office for 35 days, while I used my personal vehicle to travel back and forth to my early morning radiation appointments. I don't feel the county is obligated to provide me with a ride to those appointments, so I drove my own vehicle when I was going through treatment. I am almost back to my old self, and have even been able to put in 12-13 hour days in the last couple of weeks.