Correction: The number of openings in the sheriff’s department has been corrected
The Benton County Commission has chosen Commander Jon Law, currently second in command of the Benton County Sheriff’s office, as an interim replacement for recalled Sheriff Jerry Hatcher. Law will be sheriff until the commission choses from a three-person list provided by the Benton County Republican Party. Hatcher was elected as a Republican.
The Benton County Republican Party said that they will present three names to the commission by the first week of September. The commission will choose one of those three to be sheriff until a new one is voted for in the November 2022 election.
According to Commissioner Shon Small, the department has lost 26 employees since 2018 and currently has 14 openings. A job list online shows seven openings in the sheriff’s office.
Not counting the 40-minute executive session, the meeting only lasted 11 minutes. The commissioners said it was a tough decision, apparently addressing the people in the audience who had applied for the job.