KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Johnson County Sheriff Calvin Hayden wants law enforcement officers from around the country to know “we have a place for you,” according to a news release.
Hayden has deemed the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office a “safe haven” for any law enforcement officers feeling “unsupported and undervalued.”
“True to our Midwestern values, Johnson County is a place where freedom is valued, and law enforcement is respected,” Hayden said in the release. “The support our citizens have shown over the last several years has been overwhelming.”
Hayden wrote that this open invitation comes at a time when large quantities of officers are leaving due to unsatisfactory budgets and “government overreach.”
“People may say this is all about the vaccine, but that’s missing the point,” Hayden said. “This issue is so much more than that. This is about valuing, empowering and supporting individual decisions. … We trust our staff to make the best decisions for themselves and our citizens."
While speaking with KSHB 41 News Thursday afternoon, Hayden said that the sheriff's office heavily relies on testing and is neither anti-vaccination nor pro-vaccination, it is in favor of allowing individuals to choose.
According to a Johnson County spokesperson, the Sheriff's Office does not participate in the county's requirement of employees either testing weekly or getting vaccinated. The spokesperson said the Sheriff's Office is not required to participate.
He also stressed his message that he's looking for "the best of the best."
"We’re looking for good officers, and if there’s good officers looking for jobs, we’d like them to come here to Johnson County," Hayden said.
While the Johnson County Sheriff's Office is only down around 17-20 people, Hayden said this is the time to take advantage and find quality candidates rather than risk additional loss.
Since issuing the news release Thursday, at least 10 people have reached out to inquire and/or start the application process.
For more Johnson County Sheriff's Office hiring information, click here.
