Kosciusko County Sheriff Kyle Dukes has announced he will be going for a second term.
Dukes won his first term as sheriff back in 2018 in a four candidate race, and will be going against at least one other candidate in the upcoming May primary, current Deputy James Smith. Smith announced his candidacy for sheriff back in June.
In a press release to the media Monday evening, Dukes said he is “extremely proud” of the direction the Sheriff’s office has gone in the past three years. “It would be my privilege to continue this important work of putting Community First and emphasizing transparency, accountability, and professionalism as I serve Kosciusko County.”
Dukes is expected to make his re-election campaign official at the county clerk’s office Tuesday afternoon at 1 PM.
You can read Duke’s full press release below:
“I am excited to announce that I will be seeking a second term as Sheriff of Kosciusko County. I am extremely proud of the direction we have taken the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office over the last three years. It would be my privilege to continue this important work of putting Community First and emphasizing transparency, accountability, and professionalism as I serve Kosciusko County.
As Sheriff, this Community First mindset has shaped every decision I have made, ensuring that our focus is on what is best for Kosciusko County as a whole. Building stronger, safer communities is what the Sheriff’s Office is all about. With our community’s involvement, we currently have the number one Jail Chemical Addiction Program (JCAP) in the state of Indiana. Our 54% success rating among graduates of the program is evidence that the cycle of addiction can be broken.
When I took office, one of my top priorities was to bring all law enforcement back together in a working relationship. Today, the Sheriff’s Office has a great relationship with all police agencies in Kosciusko County. We have continued our routine police chief meetings that I implemented during my campaign. These meetings are instrumental in keeping all agencies on the same page and focused on one common goal for bettering our county.
Another campaign promise that has been fulfilled is creating a multi-agency drug task force. Known as Net 43, it consists of officers from the Sheriff’s Office, Warsaw Police Department, Winona Lake Police Department, Indiana State Police, Pierceton Police Department, and Mentone Police Department. This team has taken numerous drug dealers off the streets in Kosciusko County and has confiscated pounds of heroin and meth.
Working very closely with the Prosecutor and the other Police Chiefs, my team of dedicated and professional employees and I successfully led the Sheriff’s Office through a pandemic that challenged us all. The Sheriff’s Office has worked extremely hard to be a positive force in our community. I am proud of the accomplishments we have achieved over the last several years and am eager to continue the programs I have implemented as Sheriff as we remain focused on putting Community First.”
Kyle P. Dukes
Sheriff, Kosciusko County
