Troy Heck, Your Benton County Sheriff

Welcome to the re-elect Troy Heck for Sheriff website! I am glad you took the time to visit.

I have had the privilege of serving the citizens of Benton County for the past 3+ years as your Benton County Sheriff. In that time, we have accomplished a great deal. Crime in Benton County remains low, our quality of life remains high, and we have worked diligently to generate a closer connection with our public safety partners and with the public we serve. We’ve accomplished these things by working consistently and responsibly at strategic priorities and specific goals. Some of the goals we accomplished in the last 3+ years include:

• Creation of a strategic plan with updated mission statement, vision statement, and strategic goals
• Generating over $1.4 million in jail revenue through boarding out of county inmates
• Maintaining fiscal responsibility by providing public safety services and returning nearly $62,000 dollars in unused funds
• Helping to offset the cost of public safety by exceeding budgeted revenues by over $600,000
• Taking advantage of grant opportunities to offset the cost of providing public services
• Upgrading technology to increase safety, improve efficiency, and expand public services
• Lowering the cost of a permit to carry application by 40%
• Initiating youth snowmobile and ATV safety instruction
• Initiating Police Activities League program
• Building a closer connection to the public through the initiation and use of social media platforms
• Adding an on-line crime mapping tool to provide the public with a deeper understanding of crime trends in individual neighborhoods
• Supporting Neighborhood Watch efforts and National Night Out events
• Creating and distributing videos aimed at addressing violence and threats to personal safety in the workplace
• Partnering with the Benton County Substance Use Prevention Coalition to work towards reducing substance abuse in our youth
• Partnering with Benton Stearns Towards Zero Deaths and other area law enforcement agencies to make Hwy 23 a safer road
• Distributing crime prevention strategies to the public through traditional media and social media to reduce crime in Benton County
• Instituting partnership with CentraCare to provide better and more efficient care for inmates in jail
• Making the enforcement of drug laws a priority both through active participation in the Violent Offender Task Force and through street level enforcement

As your Benton County Sheriff, I will continue to have the following priorities:

• Make the enforcement of drug laws a priority
  • Illegal drugs destroy the lives of those involved in their illegal use and trade. Many of the crimes committed in our community are linked to the use and sale of these illegal substances.
• Continue to work closely with our local public safety partners
  • Fighting crime and assisting citizens in times of need is best done as a team. That means working cooperatively with other agencies regardless of their discipline or jurisdictional boundaries. Sharing information, skills, and resources is the right and responsible thing to do.
• Use technology to make our enforcement efforts more effective
  • Tightening budgets demand that we provide public safety services in the most efficient way possible. Businesses and families have found that using technology allows them to work more efficiently and do more with less. Law enforcement has and should continue to find new ways to utilize technology to become more effective in how we solve crimes, prevent crimes, and develop better lines of communication with the public.
  • Criminals also are making use of technology. Law enforcement needs to stay on top of these trends and find ways to combat these criminals.
• Focus on building greater connections with our communities and our youth
  • Involved citizens are one of the greatest assets a local law enforcement agency can have. The Benton County Sheriff's Office needs to continue to work with neighbors and community group on initiatives such as Neighborhood Watch and National Night Out to build stronger connections. Tools such as social media help keep citizens informed about what is happening in their neighborhood.
  • The youth of our communities are our future. I support continuing proactive efforts with our youth that provide positive interactions with law enforcement, such as the Police Activities League program, youth ATV and snowmobile instruction, and the DARE program.

For the past 24 years I have worked as a member of the Benton County Sheriff's Office in a number of roles. I have worked as a Patrol Deputy, Drug Task Force Investigator, Detective, Detective Sergeant, Chief Deputy, and as your sheriff. My experience has taught me that providing quality law enforcement that enhances public safety and values the constitutional rights of citizens is the number one priority of the Office of the Sheriff. As your sheriff, I will continue to use the broad base of experience I have acquired to ensure quality law enforcement services are maintained and to keep Benton County safe.

I truly value the trust and support we have received from the community over these past 3+ years. I look forward to continuing to serve you as your sheriff and working together to keep Benton County safe. and would sincerely appreciate your vote in November!