Candidate for Kenton County Sheriff;
Party: Republican;
Status: Challenger;
Larry Shelton is a Republican candidate for the Kenton County Sheriff. He will face incumbent Jude Hehman in the May primary. Whoever wins that race will then face off against Democrat Tom Collins in the November general election. There is no Democratic primary for the Kenton County Sheriff this year.
Shelton worked in the Kenton County Police Department for about 20 years before retiring as a captain. He’s also a practicing attorney out of Independence and had previously run for the position of Kenton County Jailer in 2012. When asked why he was running now, he said, “I would like to see the sheriff’s department evolve.”
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Shelton pointed to full-service law enforcement agencies like the Boone County Sheriff’s Office as a model for what he’d like Kenton County to become. The Boone County Sheriff’s Office became that way, however, after a long merger process and moving the Kenton County Sheriff toward a similar model would likely need buy-in from the Kenton County Fiscal Court (and possibly more money). Still, there were some things the sheriff could take a more active role in, he said. It may also be possible to reshuffle some of the current office’s structure to free up some of the budget.
“I get so many people telling me, ‘Why do sheriff’s vehicles drive around accidents? Why do they not answer calls?'” Shelton said. “I can’t answer that question because they should be assisting the other law enforcement agencies.”
He also advocated for the establishment of a real-time crime center, similar to what they have in Louisville.