Callaway County sheriff candidate interview: Darryl Maylee

FULTON, Mo. (KMIZ)

Nia Hinson: So to start, I'm just going to have you to give me a little bit of your background and just tell me a little bit more about yourself and your background in law enforcement training.

Darryl Maylee: Okay my name is Darrell Maylee I'm acting interim Sheriff here at Callaway County. I started my law enforcement career a month after I turned 21. I become a commissioned piece officer for the small town in New Bloomfield, that's where I lived at. Did that for a few years, and then I got on to the reserves volunteer force here at the sheriff's office in 1990. And then I was offered a full time job at another sheriff's office Pike County Sheriff's Office, so I quit New Bloomfield, tried to quit here. At the time the sheriff wouldn't accept my resignation, told me to keep it because I'd be back. Back then job turnover wasn't like it is now you know, you could go for three, four years without an opening here. Then went to Pike County worked there for two years and '94 there was an opening here. I was contacted and asked if I wanted to come back home and move back and I started here full time in 1994. Started out as a road deputy worked my way road deputy, to road sergeant. Then for two years, I was a special investigator at the prosecuting attorney's office. Then I came back as jail administrator, then went back to the road as a sergeant then from there, became the narcotics investigator. I was a sergeant with the sheriff's office assigned to the FBI's Mustang drug task force. At that time, the task force was headed by the FBI, and they was in charge of it. And then in '92, the chief deputy, the major here at the sheriff's office, the number two decide to retire, I got promoted and was made chief deputy under then Sheriff Dennis Crane, and been chief deputy since then until a little over a year ago when I was made the interim sheriff."

Hinson: And then we're a little under a month until the election in August. What things have you kind of been doing to prepare for that?

Maylee: I mean, signs, putting out signs, speaking to groups throughout the county, there's been some candidate forums going to them.Just out meeting, greeting people.

Hinson: Yeah. And then what things do you see in Callaway county that you think need to change? And then if you are elected, what things do you hope to implement?"

Maylee: There's nothing that I really see that needs change, because you know, the tracks have already been like, we're already doing it. A couple of the big things is, there's a thing called the CALEA, Commission on Accreditation of law enforcement agencies, it's an internationally recognized commissioning agency, and they commission law enforcement agencies. To be CALEA accredited, you have to abide by their guidelines, what they call standards, make sure that your policies and procedures fall in line with their guidelines. There are their standards and procedures. It's usually about a four year process to get CALEA certified. You go through all your policies, make sure that they are in line with clear standards. Then, they start a process called remote assessment where they have access to our computer, our CALEA, our policy procedure manual. They go through them, make sure everything's good. And then just last week, no this coming week we'll have a mock assessment. So, people will come here go through our procedures. No, sorry, that was last week. Walk around the agency, make sure that we are doing everything that we say that we're doing stuff like that. Then, I think right now it's scheduled for November, we will have the true assessment. There'll be a couple of people from law enforcement or prior law enforcement people with that's with the CALEA outfit. They will fly in and they'll spend close to a week here checking everything out interviewing employees, stuff like that. If everything goes good, then we get CALEA certified. And if that happens, we will be only the fourth sheriff's office in the state of Missouri, that is certified only the thirty, if I remember right 39th law enforcement agency in the state of Missouri period that's certified. And then once that is done, hopefully in November, then I want to start the process to get what's known as NIJO. Certification. CALEA only deals with law enforcement, it doesn't deal with a jail. There's a national law enforcement, national jail accreditation, and I want to start that process for the jail and get it accredited as well.

Hinson: And then you mentioned you've been interim chief for about a little over a year now if I'm not mistaken. What things have you kind of learned in that time? And how do you think that, along with your background will help you serve the people of this county, if you are elected?

Maylee: A lot of, a lot of the job I was already doing as number two. There's definitely more meetings that I have to go to, you know, stuff like that. And I have to do more hands on with the budget, you know, I've always been a part of the budgeting process for the Sheriff's Office. And to be more hands on with it now, in the meetings, you know, different meetings that I go to is the only real difference that there is between the number two and the number one position."

Hinson: "What are some of the things that you kind of stand for?

Maylee: Integrity, pride in the agency, you know, and just serving the citizens. I mean, this is where I was born and raised. And not only that, but, you know, I'm a taxpayer as well. You know, I don't want money being wasted. You know, you are here to serve the people, you know, protect and serve. And you know, that that is your job, go out and do it to the best of your ability. As a taxpayer, that's what I expect. You don't you look at someone and you think, okay, if my parents house got burglarized, would I feel comfortable with this deputy working that burglary? If not, yeah, but I want to make sure that, you know, I'm comfortable with everyone that is doing their job. And we are to that point where we've got the best group of men and women that this agency I think has ever had.

Hinson: Then, you're obviously running up against Victor Pittman. What do you think kind of separates yourself from him? Why should people vote for you over Victor?

Maylee: True experience. Yeah Victor's had some experience as a police chief of the municipality. There is a large difference between the municipality, a county and state agency. Your municipality, yes, you are enforcing some, you know, several state laws, but you're enforcing mainly municipal ordinances, that type of stuff here. You know, our job is to enforce State law, but we are also an arm of the court system, doing all civil process, doing evictions, doing, you know, rent of executions, that type of stuff. Partition sales. You know, not too long ago, there was a husband and wife, they've been trying to get divorced for almost three years. They could not come to an agreement. And the judge ordered me to sell their house on the courthouse steps, you know, had to go through the whole process, listing it in the newspaper, all that type stuff. Then I had to play auctioneer, and I'm standing on the courthouse steps selling these people's home, which yeah, it's not something you like doing. But you know, they couldn't come to an agreement for this divorce proceeding, and the proceeding couldn't go any further. So that's what the court ordered me to do. And I had to do it. Stuff like that he never dealt with, has no idea what it's like.
You know, and then the jail. You know, yes, he had some experience with working in the Cole County jail but you know, the jail is a major burden of its own just because of the meals and medical issues. So just yesterday, had to sign a new contract for a medical provider because our current provider, you know, we contract out they're trying to almost double our contract, and that's not going to happen. So, we've been searching for almost three months interviewing prospective providers and staff, and we come to an agreement yesterday and signed a contract with them, but stuff like that. He's never had that experience. He knows how to do municipal law enforcement but not county.

Hinson: And then, come August 6, why should the people of Callaway County feel secure in knowing that you are their Sheriff if you are elected that night?

Maylee: Mainly because of the experience, the integrity, openness. I mean, I'm like I said, born and raised here. I'm out here all the time. Do my shopping at Walmart, here in Fulton. You know, every time I go to Walmart, I'm running into people, you know, go around to different things throughout the county. You know, go to church, St. Andrews, Catholic there in Holts Summit. So, you know, I'm out amongst the people all the time, you know, and they, they always come, you know, feel free to contact me. You know, if you have any issues, feel free to contact me. If not, someone out here knows my cell phone, or my email address, something like that. So, just please feel free to contact me if you ever have concerns or questions.

Hinson: Anything else that you want to add? I think those are all my questions.

Maylee: Mainly that, you know, the big thing is just go out and vote. Please, I hope that you'll vote for me. But if not, at least go out and vote. It's the silent majority of this country needs to stand up and take action because unfortunately, our country is not in the best shapes right now. And it's people. This is how you get changes done. Register to vote, please go out and vote, and hopefully, vote for me.

Hinson: All right. Thank you for your time.

Maylee: All right. Thank you