BENTONVILLE -- Two men with long law-enforcement careers each say they are the right choice to lead the Benton County Sheriff's Office. Shawn Holloway, chief deputy of the Sheriff's Office, and Glenn Latham, a former investigator with the office, hope to become sheriff in the Nov. 8 general election. Early voting begins Oct. 24.
Holloway served as major under former Sheriff Kelley Cradduck.
"I want to continue to bring stability to the office," Holloway said. "I want to continue serving the citizens of Benton County and continue to have our deputies more involved in the community."
Latham thinks of himself as an outsider in the race and believes there needs to be a leadership change at the Sheriff's Office.
"The changes in uniforms and cars are window dressing," Latham said of recent decisions at the Sheriff's Office. "The same problems still exist that was there under Cradduck. Holloway was a part of that administration and did not fix the problems that plagued the office."
Holloway defeated three Republican opponents, including Cradduck, to win the nomination in March. Latham is running as an independent. There is no Democratic opposition.
Holloway said he will continue to improve call response time if elected. Sheriff's Office officials have looked at the call volume and divided the county into six zones to keep deputies close by. Holloway has said he wants to take deputies from the cities and put them in unincorporated areas of the county.
The Sheriff's Office recently disbanded a specialized division, which allowed more deputies to be put in the field, Holloway said.
Latham lives in an unincorporated area of the county, and he said he rarely sees any deputy patrol near his home. He said other people from unincorporated areas of the county tell him the same. Deputies patrolling in the county will be a main emphasis of his, he said.
Latham also wants to establish Sheriff's Office substations.
Holloway said the Sheriff's Office has built a good relationship with other area law enforcement agencies and he said, if elected, he will keep that relationship strong.
"We have worked hard rebuilding our relationship with other agencies and I can only see it getting better," Holloway said.
Latham also said he will continue to build good working relationships with other agencies. He wants to establish a drug task force with other law enforcement agencies.
Holloway said he will continue the inmate work program and use inmates to pick up litter along the highways.
Inmates washed buses during the summer for the Bentonville and Rogers school districts. Holloway would like to expand the program next summer to other school districts in the county.
Latham wants inmate work crews to help various groups and cities with projects. He would like the county to build an animal shelter and assign inmates to care for the animals.
Latham also wants to expand the Sheriff's Office cyber crime division to target suspects who attempt to prey on children and to continue investigations concerning people who download child pornography.
Holloway said his experience and work ethic are reasons voters should elect him.
"I've always been ethical," Holloway said. "There's no difference between Shawn the patrolman and Shawn the major or chief deputy. I've always cared about the people that I work with."
Latham said he's not looking for any accolades if elected. He added he will place the focus on the men and women who work at the Sheriff's Office.
Holloway spent 16 years at the Rogers Police Department where he worked as a patrolman and detective. He worked his way up to sergeant and lieutenant before leaving the Rogers department. Holloway said he also helped prepare yearly budgets for the Sheriff's Office.
Latham has more than 19 years of law enforcement experience. He started in dispatch and later worked as a jail deputy, patrol corporal, detective, in undercover narcotics and in cyber crimes units. He has worked for the sheriff's offices in Benton and Washington counties.
Shawn Holloway (Republican)
• Age: 44
• Residency: Rogers
• Employment: Chief deputy at the Benton County Sheriff's Office
• Education: Degree from the University of Arkansas
• Political experience: None
Glenn Latham (Independent)
• Age: 45
• Residency: Highfill
• Employment: eDiscovery analyst III at Wal-Mart
• Education: High school graduate
• Political experience: None
General News on 10/12/2016