Boone County has had the same sheriff since 2004 – Dwayne Carey. Since then, the only time the race for the office has been competitive was in 2020, when Charles Blair ran against Carey. This year, the two candidates are slated for a re-match.
KBIA e-mailed both candidates the same list of questions, and their answers are published below with only edits for grammar and style. As Dwayne Carey is the incumbent he will be introduced first, giving Charlie Blair the first answer. Then the candidate who answers first will alternate.
Carey is the incumbent in the race and has held his seat since 2004. He has run as a Democrat his whole career and is seeking his sixth term. There are no term limits for sheriffs.
Carey got his start in law enforcement when he took an internship with the Boone County Sheriff’s Department in college. He then moved on to work at the Boone County Jail – a job to which he credits much of his professional development.
He most recently made headlines when an estimated $16 million police training facility for which he advocated broke ground in April.
This is Blair’s second run at the Boone County Sheriff’s seat. When Blair ran in 2020, he faced Carey in the general election as a Republican. This time, however, he is running as a Democrat.
Blair started in law enforcement on the force in South Pasadena, a city in Los Angeles County, California. He spent 32 years in California law enforcement, where he held multiple positions, before joining the force in Boone County in 2016.
He’s worked 4 years with the Boone County Sheriff’s office and is branding his self-funded campaign by saying he can provide a new start for Boone County residents if voters choose him over incumbent Carey.
Why did you run for this office?
Blair: My primary motivation stems from a deep-seated commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of our community. Despite not being elected in 2020, my resolve to make a positive impact with the sheriff’s office remains unwavering.
I believe that my experience, dedication and vision for progressive law enforcement practices uniquely positions me to lead with integrity, transparency and accountability.
My decision to run again is fueled by a genuine desire to serve and protect our community, foster trust between law enforcement and residents, and implement initiatives that promote safety, fairness and justice for all. I am eager to continue working tirelessly towards building a safer and more inclusive environment for everyone we serve.
Carey: I have been with the Boone County Sheriff’s Office for nearly 35 years and have served as the Boone County Sheriff for the last 19 and a half years.
During my tenure, we have achieved two national accreditations in enforcement and corrections, making us the only sheriff’s office in the state to be accredited in both. I want to continue to build on our established professional reputation while ensuring our citizens receive the best law enforcement service possible.
Also, we currently have several projects in progress and/or projects that will be starting in the near future. I have worked for many years to get these projects started and I want to see them through to completion.
First, we are in the process of building a new training center to ensure deputies and other regional law enforcement officers are receiving high-quality law enforcement training. I believe better-trained law enforcement officers not only improve interactions with citizens but also outcomes.
Second, we have partnered with MU Extension and other law enforcement partners to continue to enhance the Law Enforcement Training Institute. The peace officer academy will be moving into the new training center upon completion and will be governed by a regional advisory board.
Lastly, we are introducing 24/7 childcare to first responders on our public safety campus, which will be a game changer for hiring and retention, especially for women in or entering the first responder industry (i.e., law enforcement, corrections, 911 dispatchers). Our long-term plan will be to expand childcare to all first responders in Boone County.
In conclusion, we are doing great things at the Boone County Sheriff's Office under my direction and we want to “Carey” on the progress!
What is a tangible policy or plan that voters can expect to see you put into place within your first year?
Carey: As referenced above, we have already achieved national accreditation for the policies we have in place. These policies are based on nationally approved best practices and case law. We are required to show “proofs” that we operate within the established policies. We recently went through external, independent assessments for both accreditations and received top honors (100%). The projects I referenced above obviously will be a main focus in 2025.
Blair: When elected and before I am sworn into office, I am going to request the state auditor under Section 29.230, RSMo, conduct an audit of the Boone County Sheriff’s Department. I want to ensure that the Sheriff’s Department has been operating in compliance with the Missouri State Constitution and Missouri state law.
I would request the audit include the department’s spending and allocation of resources. The department has not published an annual report since 2016.
Within the first year of office, I would create a Civilian Review Board (RSMo 590.653). A Civilian Review Board is an entity external to the sheriff’s office and consists of citizens from outside the department.
The board would be charged with the duty of reviewing complaints and making recommendations as to disciplinary action after the department has completed its own investigation and made a disciplinary recommendation.
What separates you from your opponent?
Blair: I have a very diverse law enforcement background. I have worked for four different law enforcement agencies, a municipal police department, a state police department, a state highway patrol and a county sheriff's department.
My opponent has only worked at the sheriff's department and has no perspective of how any other law enforcement agency operates. It has allowed me to see the many different ways law enforcement agencies work, with different budgets, resources and personnel to achieve the same goal of public safety and crime prevention. This valuable insight makes the best choice to be sheriff.
Carey: There are many things, but I will focus on the most obvious, which is experience. I have the most important experience, which is 19-and-a-half years of on-the job experience. My opponent touts 36 years of law enforcement experience, but all of that experience has been as a patrol officer.
He has never served as a line-level supervisor (i.e., corporal, sergeant). I have. He has never been in a management and/or command staff position (i.e., lieutenant, captain, major). I have. He has no budget experience. I do. He has never worked in or managed a jail. I did and I do. Plus, he has not worked in the law enforcement field for the last several years. I have been doing it every day.
Another point of interest is my opponent was a proud MAGA Republican in 2020 when he ran against me the first time. In an interview with Mike Murphy on CoMo Buz, my opponent stated he changed parties as he believed the only reason he lost was because the vote went down party lines (indicating he was only running as a Democrat to get more votes). Note: The Boone County Democratic Central Committee refused to accept his filing fee. They don’t recognize him as a Democrat and they voted to publicly endorse me, as I have been a loyal member of the Democratic Party for the last 20 years.
Lastly, if voters research my opponent’s “talking points” and platform from his first interview with Mike Murphy to present time, they will find inconsistent statements, generalizations with no supporting examples and/or facts, and a recent change in talking points that mimic the City of Columbia’s goals to have a successful civilian review board and a community-oriented policing model.
How do you intend to address concerns from communities relating to systemic issues in your field?
Carey: My assumption is the question is looking for me to address systematic bias/racism within the law enforcement field. We work to address those concerns each and every day. It starts with leadership and expectations for existing staff.
Essentially, we have a motto that has been driven home since I took office in 2005. The motto is: treat everyone like you would like your mother to be treated. If you think about it, it is fail proof and encourages more professional interactions.
Second, is hiring the right people. We have an extensive hiring process that includes a very thorough background investigation and a lengthy psychological testing process with a contracted doctor specializing in psychology. We are able to “weed out” the “wrong” applicants that don’t meet our expectations and culture.
Third, consistent training is imperative and we ensure our deputies receive quality training in implicit bias, cultural diversity, as well as scenario-based training that focuses on de-escalation. Fourth and lastly, oversight from all leadership levels has to be present, in order to ensure expectations are being met.
Blair: I would implement comprehensive diversity and inclusion training to better understand and serve all community members. I would implement community policing programs to build trust and relationships with diverse neighborhoods and provide ongoing implicit bias training to address unconscious prejudices. I would create partnerships with the local LGBTQ+, minority, and homeless advocacy groups.
What is one experience from your time in the force that changed the way you look at the role of police in the community?
Blair: The largest change in the role of law enforcement in our community is the switch between being "law enforcement" and becoming more of a crisis intervention agency. Law enforcement is responding to more incidents involving mental health, domestic issues, behavioral problems and anti-social violence.
Carey: I would say it is many experiences within one experience. Meaning, that mental health consumers in crisis have changed the way I look at the role of law enforcement and corrections. Shortly after I took office in 2005, we began developing a Crisis Intervention Team/Program (CIT) training for our deputies and other law enforcement partners.
CIT programs help bring community leaders and professionals together, they can help divert those with mental illness away from jail and towards treatment, and CIT training provides law enforcement officers more tools to do their jobs safely, and effectively, as well as increasing their knowledge about mental illness.
Since the inception of our CIT program/training, we have continued to develop partnerships with Burrell Health, MUPC, the courts and others to collectively work together to address mental health issues in our community. We have added mental health professionals in the jail, along with a discharge planner to ensure individuals are directed to mental health professionals/treatment when they are released. We also expanded our CIT training to our jail staff, 911 dispatchers and EMS.
How do you intend to create an environment in which officers feel a sense of accountability for their actions and feel the need to speak up when they see others doing wrong?
Carey: Interestingly, shortly after I took office (2005 or 2006), we had an incident where a deputy used more force than what was required and his fellow deputies immediately reported the incident to their supervisor. An internal investigation was conducted and the deputy was subsequently terminated from employment.
With that said, a precedent was set early on that we will hold each other accountable and you won’t work for the Boone County Sheriff's Office for very long if you don’t meet our standards and expectations.
Blair: Through clear leadership and establishing guidelines and standards for accountability. Establishing guidelines and standards for employees when observing genuine or perceived unprofessional, unethical or illegal conduct. The use of body-worn cameras and patrol-car-mounted cameras also assists in ensuring these guidelines and standards are being followed.
