KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Jackson County Executive Frank White announced Darryl Forte will be the interim sheriff. Mike Sharp resigned as sheriff last month.
Forte is the first African-American sheriff in Jackson County. He will serve as sheriff for the remainder of 2018.
A selection committee picked three finalists for White to choose from. They included Capt. Michael Rogers, a current sheriff's office employee in charge of patrol enforcement, Forte, the former chief of Kansas City Police, and Rosilyn Allen, a retired KCPD major.
During the announcement, White said he was impressed with Forte's plan for the sheriff's office and to build on its strengths.
After taking the oath of office outside the Jackson County courthouse, Forte gave very brief remarks.
"I'll run hard every day, every day. Maybe not on Sundays though. Rest that day. Once again, I'd like to thank everybody for the support. I'll be meeting with many of you throughout the next week or so. I'll answer any questions you might have. Feel free to give me your input. I'm looking for input from everyone. I'm not going to make a lot of decisions right now. I don't want you to think I'm not doing anything, but I need a lot more information than I already have," Forte said.
Voters will elect a permanent sheriff in November. Forte previously said he would run for election if he was appointed as interim sheriff.
Sharp resigned as details of his romantic relationship with a former employee came to light. Court documents accused Sharp of making Christine Lynde the highest paid civilian employee and using tax dollars to pay for trips for the two of them.
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