GREENVILLE — Richard K. Jones, Sheriff of Butler County, known for his mix of controversy and humor, was the guest speaker at the Darke County Chamber of Commerce 2019 annual meeting at Romer’s Catering on Thursday.
Jones, currently serving his fourth term as sheriff, has a significant background including but not limited to two years in the United States Army and a master’s degree in corrections from Xavier University. He is a member of the National Association of Chiefs of Police, the Buckeye State Sheriff’s Association, and serves on their legislative committee. He is also a member of the National Sheriff’s Association and serves on the NSA’s Drug Enforcement, Congressional Affairs and Immigration and Border Security Committees.
Dressed in his signature white cowboy hat, Jones skipped the microphone and began with a topic close to home – emergency response – citing the recent tornadoes in the Miami Valley.
For Jones, the story revolved around the poor government response to the victims of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, followed by an overwhelming community response when his office asked for donations.
According to Jones, the plan was to get the donations (five semi-trucks full) to victims of the Category 5 hurricane that made landfall in Florida and Louisiana.
“Community means everything; it’s all very important,” said Jones. “You’ve got to share resources.”
Known for his pro-Trump stance, Jones also spoke on the U.S. President, albeit briefly, stating, “He has nice hair, women love a comb-over.” The comment drew laughs from those in attendance as he emphasized not always agreeing with the president’s actions. However, he does believe it is imperative to stop China from “Killing us financially.”
For the remainder of his time, Jones turned the topic back to the start, poor government response in relation to immigration.
For the Butler County Sheriff, both Republicans and Democrats are to blame for the ongoing issue.
“None of us wants this to last forever, get this fixed, get a system that is manageable,” said Jones, sharing he does not believe the issue will be resolved in the next two or three years due to a failure of both parties to compromise. “They won’t fix it. Everybody blames everybody.”
