Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
NORTH WEBSTER – Looking to lead Kosciusko County and local law enforcement forward, Kyle Dukes officially launched his campaign for sheriff Tuesday.
With a campaign slogan that proclaims a “Fresh Start,” Dukes told a crowd of over 70 supporters that it was time to put former Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine’s indictment and eventual guilty plea to intimidation in the past; the county’s law enforcement should work together; that there should be one drug task force in the county instead of two; and that he had a plan to fight the opioid problem.
Dukes, 41, an Indiana State Police trooper for 17 years, was one of six candidates who sought to replace Rovenstine in a Republican caucus in June. Rocky Goshert ended up winning the caucus, but Dukes was runner-up.
Speaking beside his wife of over 17 years, Mindy, and their two sons, Dukes said, “Two-and-a-half months ago, after the caucus occurred, I let a couple of weeks go by. And I was 98 percent sure I was going to run for sheriff. I just couldn’t get to 100. I talked to everybody ... Mindy and I kept talking about and talking about it. ... I’m on the screen porch, it was nighttime. She came out and says, ‘Are you doing this or not?’ Before I could answer, she said, ‘This county needs you. Law enforcement needs you and we support you.’ Right then and there, I knew I was running for sheriff.”
Later Tuesday evening, Mindy said, “I just know he really has the passion for making this community a better place. We’ve been blessed to raise our family in this community. We’ve considered it home for 17 years, and he just really is involved in bringing law enforcement together and making this community the best it can be because this is our home.”
Dukes said he put together a campaign team he could trust. Former Warsaw Community High School Principal Dr. Jennifer Lucht joined him as his campaign manager, with her husband Alan also on the team. Gabe Douglas was enlisted as his campaign treasurer.
Lucht said a sermon by Warsaw Community Church Pastor Dennis Wilson motivated her to not be a “bleacher bum” and to get involved in the sheriff’s race.
“I felt like it was a voice and I needed to get involved. And I felt like (Dukes) is the right person to help the community, the entire county,” she said. “I just liked his personality, he was always very polite, he was always appropriate with what he had to said. Very supportive of community activities to help youth.”
She said Dukes is the “perfect person” to bring law enforcement together.
“I think it’s important for you to understand where I stand on an issue,” Dukes said in his speech. “The last two years in this county and law enforcement, it’s been very challenging to work in. The Rovenstine case is done. It’s done. We’ve got to move forward. We have to move forward. What I do know is that law enforcement still isn’t working together, sharing information or talking as we should. My No. 1 priority after I’m elected sheriff is to bring all law enforcement together in a working relationship to make Kosciusko County a better and safer place to live for you and your families.”
His plan to do that is for the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department to invite all police departments in to share cases, talk about what it’s investigating with the other departments and share who suspects are, tips and leads.
“We will share this, and in return, we want the other departments to share with us. That’s how crimes get solved. We have to start doing this,” Dukes said.
He also said there will be police chief meetings once a month. “That’s how we get better. That’s how we form a team,” he said.
Dukes indicated he held his first police chiefs meeting two weeks ago for over two hours.
“I heard these police chiefs loud and clear. They want to be a team again. They want to join forces and they want to work again,” he said. “There’s one missing piece of this puzzle. And it’s me.”
One of the major topics of the meeting was the drug task force. Dukes said with him as sheriff, there will be only one drug task force.
“I’ve sat down with the Warsaw Police Department and listened to them ... I’ve sat down with the Indiana State Police and talked with them to see if I could count on them for help. I know where they stand, I know where Warsaw stands and I know where I stand, and there will be one at the end of the day,” Dukes stated.
He said the heroin problem is big and it’s killing young kids. “The opioid problem is out of control, it’s out of control. And we still have a meth problem. The overdoses in this county, the numbers would make your jaw drop. That is another reason why you have one drug task force,” Dukes said. He said if the KCSD, Warsaw and Indiana State police worked together, that would be a “powerful” team to fight the drug problem.
“Our streets and our communities will be safer. That I promise you, and it’s going to happen,” Dukes continued.
He said last week the KCSD announced that 90 percent of people incarcerated are there for drug addiction and problems.
“If 90 percent of our people are incarcerated because of drug addiction problems, let’s help them,” Dukes said, noting that it’s the same people getting arrested month after month. “If our target audience is incarcerated, let’s let professionals go into our jail and let’s help them. Let’s get these people clean, let’s get these people healthy, let’s get these people working and make them productive people in our society. That’s what we need. If not, we’re going to keep paying for these people.”
He continued, “Let’s work with the prosecutor. Let’s work with the judges and let’s send a clear message to the dealers, ‘you’ll face incarceration for a long time.’ Let’s shut these people down.”
He said it was time to be proactive instead of reactive. He also said it was time deputy sheriffs were in the schools, walking around, getting to know the students and vice versa in a positive light. The deputy sheriffs also can teach the kids the dangers of drugs.
Senior citizens also need protection from scams, and there’s a new scam every week, he said.
“There will be a full-time public information officer when I’m sheriff. You guys will know what’s going on at the sheriff’s department,” he said.
Wrapping up his speech, Dukes said it was time law enforcement “pulled up a chair” and got involved in the community.
Kip Tom, a former Congressional candidate who is Chairman of Tom Farms, was one of Dukes’ supporters at Tuesday’s event.
“I think Kyle is a good choice. We’ve got a number of good people running I understand, but Kyle came and spoke to me and I’ve been following him for a number of years as a state trooper and I think he’s been fair, he’s been just, and as you can see tonight, he’s got a big following of people here tonight that are supportive of him. A lot of leaders from across Kosciusko County are here,” Tom said.
A 22-minute video of Dukes’ full speech at the campaign kick-off, with an introduction by Lucht, can be found on the Times-Union website at www.timesuniononline.com.
Dukes’ website can be found at www.dukesforsheriff.com.
