Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Otwell seeks reelection as Nevada County Sheriff

Steve Otwell is the incumbent in the race for the Nevada County Sheriffs position. Otwell said he is in his ninth year in the office and is proud of his roots in the county.

Ive lived here all my life, he said. Ive always been civic minded. Ive basically worked for the public all my life,

Otwell said, hes held several civic and volunteer positions, including a seat on the Emmett School Board, volunteer fire department and as a baseball coach.

He became an auxiliary deputy in 1991.

That gave me my first real experience in law enforcement, Otwell said.

Asked about the biggest issue facing the county, Otwell cited drugs but said Nevada County isnt facing this problem alone.

Theres a drug problem in the county, Otwell said. But its no different from any other county in the country. All law enforcement can do is try to keep a hold of it.

Otwell said the laws that protect a persons privacy is often a hurdle when it comes to busting drug users and dealers.

What an individual decides to do within the privacy of their home, then there is very little the government can do about it, Otwell said. Home is where people enjoy the right of privacy.

Otwell said that officers have limited jurisdiction when it comes to violating that right to privacy.

We have to have good evidence to prove probable cause before we can invade that privacy, he said. Its not always easy to obtain.

Otwell said Nevada County, like most counties in the area, rely on the Arkansas State Police and the South Central Drug Task Force to help work the drug problems.

Those cases require lots of man hours, Otwell said. Nevada County does not have the money to put together a narcotics unit for fighting these drugs. We work well with all the other agencies. We have to.

Otwell said maintaining that working relationship was one of the commitments he made when he first sought office in 1996, And weve done so.

Otwell cited his own interests in the county, including the fact that he has a family living here, Holly who works as a dispatcher in the sheriffs office, Shane in the Marine Corps and Brianna who attends school locally.

Im concerned about what goes on in Nevada County. I believe I have a vested interest in what goes on here.

Otwell said he believes the number one drug in the county is crystal methamphetamine.

Its just so easy to make, he said. Theres no odor associated with the meth labs anymore.

He said the officers have to rely on information from outside sources. He said his established relationship with those people willing to be informants is one of his strengths.

When a sheriff first takes office, it takes time for him to establish trust with certain people, he said. Those people are not going to walk up to a stranger just because hes wearing a badge and share information. Its taken a while to earn that trust, but weve earned it.

He said the next most important step is for law enforcement to use that information.

Otwell estimates that 98 percent of the countys crime is meth related.

If youre on meth, its just a matter of time till youre going to be in jail, he said.

The fall starts when the meth users lose their jobs, as they almost always do. When the money is gone, they find some other way to get the drug  usually by stealing money or goods to trade for the drug. While on the drug, the violence is almost inevitable.

Otwell said he believes his officers have made a difference on the local drug scene, just as they did when they cracked down on driving while intoxicated. The problem is that every drug user and dealer taken off the street is simply replaced by another.

Otwell said hes a lifelong resident of Nevada County, and that hes qualified and ready for another term as sheriff. Hes a graduate of the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy in Camden.

Ive been here nine years, three months, Otwell said. I feel that I have the temperament for this job, the patience for this job, the understanding for this job, and I have compassion for my fellow man.

Otwell said he would like to see some changes, including a larger jail.

We need to be able to house more inmates, he said. He also cited the need for larger quarters for the sheriffs office, pointing out the many filing cabinets in almost every office. He said new vehicles were also needed, and that hed like to see new equipment to help officers do a better job of investigating. He said hed also like to see the county be able to afford more officers, but that he doesnt expect it to happen.

But I understand that Nevada County is poor and we just have to do the best we can with what weve got, he said. He again cited his cooperation with other law enforcement agencies that are willing to help.

Asked about his biggest accomplishment over his tenure as sheriff, Otwell said, I hate taking credit for anything because theres no much that one man can do in this department. Its a team effort.

To that end, Otwell said he believes the fact that hes promoted a team atmosphere to be his biggest achievement.

I encourage everybody to do the best job they can, he said. I dont know that theres anything I can say that Ive done. We have built a repoureteres with the public. We enforce the law for everybody.

Otwell said he believes hes created an open door policy for the citizens of the county.

This sheriffs department works for the citizens of Nevada County and were here to serve the citizens of Nevada County, Otwell said. We have an open door policy. I welcome all complaints. I think weve learned as much off constructive criticism as anything else.

Otwell said that both he and his deputies listen and are concerned.

And I think the people of this county know that.

Otwell called himself a working sheriff. He said he takes his turns at the patrol and other jobs, just as he requires of his deputies. Answering questions about a second job he has driving a school bus for an area school district, Otwell said that sheriffs of the county have traditionally had some other income to fall back on, though most were self-employed businesses. He said his second income is no different and that there are plans in place to relieve him should an emergency arise that requires his immediate attention. He also cited the capable deputies who can stand in for him during his short absences every day.

I want to thank the people for giving me this job back ion 96, Otwell said. Its been the greatest job Ive had in my life. I have the experience and the proven leadership to do the job. My number one concern is to continue to serve the people of Nevada County to the best of my ability.