In an effort to give readers a clearer picture of the candidates seeking the Clay County Sheriff’s office, the Clay County News reached out to each of the two candidates in the race to replace retiring long-time Sheriff Jeff Franklin. The candidates, Cristhian Gabriel and Kreighton Baxter were both asked to respond to a series of questions, as follows: 1. How will you coordinate with Clay County Community Police Depts? How will you work with these agencies to get the best county coverage when resources in each area are stretched thin?
GABRIEL: As Harvard Chief of Police I have my foot in the door in this matter. While serving as Chief, I’ve built a strong relationship with Sutton PD and its Officers. Taking on the role of Sheriff, I will further unify our communitywide law enforcement relationships, adding to our pre existing trust, partnerships and respect for one another’s respective communities. As-is, Harvard is adopting a interlocal agreement with Sutton to enhance our law enforcement efforts. As Sheriff, I will continue to have purposeful meetings with Harvard PD and Sutton PD to discuss sharing resources and intelligence. This will create a strong law enforcement family that in return can benefit all our smaller communities who don’t have enacted Police Departments. Furthermore, I strongly believe that the staffing issue within area LE will remedy itself once prospective applicants see the changes being made to the agency. While pay is a major factor in the attraction and recruitment process, it is not the sole factor. Applicants are also attracted to work at an agency with a healthy work environment, supportive command staff, and advancement opportunities. I firmly believe that the changes I have planned for this agency will allow the Sheriff’s Office to not only thrive, but reach and maintain adequate staffing levels. Our partner agencies in and out of county are also available to supplement should a crisis arise.
BAXTER: As the largest law enforcement agency in Clay County, the Sheriff’s Office already provides essential backup coverage for the Sutton and Harvard Police Department’s when they are off duty. We respond to calls across the entire county, and that critical role will continue uninterrupted. With that said, I recognize that the coordination with our city police departments has faced a number of challenges over the years. Past attempts at formal structures like a regular quarterly meeting did not gain any real traction, although it would be worth exploring those options again as several administrators have changed since. We have also reviewed a mutual aid agreement that Sutton and Harvard Police Department’s have signed with each other. While we have not yet signed this agreement, I am actively working closely with our County Attorney, Board of Supervisors, and Nebraska Intergovernmental Risk Management Association (NIRMA) to get this done in a practical manner that makes sense for the county.
Moving forward, my approach will be focused on more reliable day-to-day actions. This includes consistent things we have already been doing such as backing up both Police Departments on calls for service, assisting with investigations, offering shared training opportunities, and making sure every call in our county is answered and handled to the very best of our abilities. Resources are stretched thin, but the priority is clear: no gaps in coverage for residents. These efforts take time and consistent effort, from all sides, but is something I am committed to doing to deliver the best possible safety for all of Clay County.
2. How will you ensure taxpayer dollars are used efficiently?
GABRIEL: Through careful planning, community input, and complete transparency. I’ll begin by immediately having an outside entity audit the Sheriffs Office financial records for the last term at a minimum, not to be viewed as a sign of distrust, but to identify any potential budgeting issues to maximize budget efficiency. But I can’t lead a department without first knowing where we have been. As a team, we will review where taxpayer dollars are being spent wisely and where shortcomings exist. Furthermore, purchases are subject to public records, being that I am from Clay County, I have a large presence from family, friends and neighbors, and I fully understand I will be held accountable if we begin to senselessly spend your hard earned dollars.
BAXTER: I believe that the taxpayers in Clay County deserve to know their money is being spent wisely, and that is something I have taken very seriously in my role as Chief Deputy. For the last two budget cycles, I have had a direct hand in managing our office budget, and I am proud that we have come in under or right at our budgeted amount both years. These things don’t happen by accident. We meet twice with the County Finance Committee to go over our budget expectations for the coming year and to identify areas where we can save money without cutting essential service. We’ve pursued grants aggressively. For example, grants that help cover overtime for traffic enforcement and grants for equipment upgrades. We also restructured our department roster to make our salaries more competitive. The goal in this was simple, attract great deputy candidates while simultaneously keeping the ones we already have right here in Clay County. That kind of retention saves the county a lot of money in the long run because we are not constantly rehiring and retraining new people. Another thing we have done is to prioritize instructor level training. Instead of sending one deputy to a class and hoping the knowledge they gain spreads, we are making sure deputies are gaining instructorships to come back and train the rest of our team.
If elected, I’ll keep this same hands on approach. We’ll continue proactive upgrades on equipment before things break and cost us more money, we will cross train our deputies so we have the most knowledge possible, and always look for ways to proactively save money without sacrificing service. I know where every dollar goes because I have already been managing it day in and day out. Clay County can expect an accountable Sheriff’s Office that delivers real results without wasting their hard-earned money.
3. What steps will you take to ensure transparency with the public?
GABRIEL: As Sheriff, I will enhance our social media presence to reflect society’s changing platforms of obtaining information. However, I also want to enhance the Sheriff’s Office relationship with our local newspaper, The Clay County News. In instances where significant events occur within our county, I feel it’s important for community briefings to make a comeback. Our agencies do really good work that allows Clay County to maintain a level of quality of life that is great and I will strive for our community to know we are here for them. Our communities are about to see a much higher level of presence in their towns.
BAXTER: Transparency is something that became my number one priority when I stepped into the Chief Deputy role. Our agency used to appear to be closed off. Now, we openly and proudly share what we are doing within our communities. It’s my belief that we are your Sheriff’s Office, and each of you deserve to know exactly what we are accomplishing. If elected, I will continue the practice of providing regular updates on what we are doing. Things like call statistics, major investigations, community events we attend, and accomplishments of the department and our deputies. I recognize how powerful media is how beneficial it can be for our department, and I am proud of the relationships I have built with area media to help disperse important information and stories about our office.
Having an opendoor policy is something that I take personally. Our citizens should have the right and expectation to have a conversation with myself or any deputy about anything. Another key piece to transparency is when things don’t go perfectly. If there’s a challenge or an incident that affects the public, we’ll explain what happened, what we’re doing about it, and what we have learned. At the same time, I’ll always protect sensitive information that could hurt an investigation or someone’s safety. All of this has been ongoing for our department for the last 18+ months. The public pays for this office, and each of them have the right to know what we are doing to keep our communities safe. I’m committed to earning and keeping that trust through honest and consistent communication.
4. How will you handle complaints against the Sheriff’s Office and/or deputies?
GABRIEL: This is a very important subject and unfortunately a very real issue we have struggled with in Clay County. I will enact a policy that outlines the process in which a complaint is handled. From record keeping beginning from the initial complaint, the process of investigation and the outcome of that investigation. I will always support an Officer who puts their life on the line to protect our citizens, but I will never fault or discourage a citizen for submitting a complaint when an Officer does something illicit, unethical or immoral. Our citizens deserve to be followed up with, the moment the Sheriff blurs this line, is the moment he does a disservice to his community, simple as that.
BAXTER: Handling complaints fairly and professionally is one of the most important tasks of running a Sheriff’s Office. The people of Clay County need to know that if they have a legitimate concern about our office or one of our deputies, it will be taken seriously and handled the right way. At the same time, our deputies deserve a process that is fair and gives them due process. From the moment I stepped into the Chief Deputy role, I have handled complaints. Whether those complaints come in by phone, email, or in person, they are each documented right away. I’ll continue to make sure there is a clear and consistent process that follows Nebraska state law and our office policy and procedure. Minor issues might be handled internally with additional training or a conversation to correct the behavior. More serious allegations will go through a thorough investigation, and when appropriate, I won’t hesitate to bring our outside help like the Nebraska State Patrol to keep it impartial. In all cases, I’ll continue to work with our County Human Resources and, when appropriate, our legal representatives.
I personally follow up with each person filing complaints now and give them updates on the status and the outcome, as much as the law and our policies allow me to do. At the same time, I’ll protect our deputies rights and make sure they’re not railroaded by something that turns out to be unfounded.
As Chief Deputy, I’ve already helped manage these kinds of situations. I’ve seen first hand how a fair and transparent process protects both the public and our staff. It builds trust on both sides. No one gets special treatment, the process has to be the same for everyone.
Complaints are a chance to improve. If elected, citizens can count on me to handle complaints with integrity, fairness, and common sense so that our office stays strong and the community stays confident in us.
5. How would you handle pressure from friends or community members asking for special treatment?
GABRIEL: I have Policed my hometown for almost 8 years. In those 8 years this question has been brought up many times and I answer it this way, the law is the law, there is no bending the law, nobody is above the law and when someone violates the law, there is no special treatment. If my own family violates the law, they will be held accountable, if I violate the law, I will be held accountable. I live by this, and that’s why Harvard has been great to me and trust is strong between our community and our department. Being that I have lived in Harvard since I was a toddler, I am no different than any other adult who once had childhood friends in a small town. When I returned to be our Officer, I lost friends because I committed my life to serving our community in this form. Ive had to place handcuffs on multiple childhood friends, friends parents, influential members of our community and even family. Ive lived this question and time after time I have stayed true to my oath. This is the primary reason my wife and I have spent thousands of dollars of our own money to fund this campaign, to not give our voters the perception that I would ever provide special treatment or police with bias.
BAXTER: This is a question I take seriously living and working in a small rural county like Clay County. Living and working here means that almost everyone is either a friend, a neighbor, or someone we have known for some time. The answer to this is simple and non-negotiable, no special treatment. If I am elected, the law and our policies will apply to equally to everyone. Whether that be a friend, a family member, another elected official, or someone that we have never met. The decisions we make have to be based on the facts, the law, and our policies and procedures, not on who you know.
If a call for service comes in that could even potentially look like favoritism, I’ll document the contact and recuse myself from handling it so there is no question about the fairness, and I will expect the same thing from my deputies as I do now.
I believe that this approach only strengthens the community in the long run. When people know that the Sheriff’s Office is fair and consistent, they have more confidence in our ability to do our jobs. Clay County can trust that under my leadership, everyone gets treated the same with no exceptions.
6. What do you think the biggest issue in law enforcement is in Clay County? Theft, drugs, traffic violations, etc? How do you propose to take care of this?
GABRIEL: The biggest issue in Clay County is the seemingly inability for agencies to work together. The reality is all those crimes listed plague every community in Nebraska. Not one crime is more prominent, we see it all. From felonies to misdemeanors to minor infractions Clay County has it all, and the best way to tackle this issue is to begin working together. Begin advocating for our Officers at every level to obtain training that is tailored to our communities needs and being able to identify which Officers have strengths in those areas, then guiding them to enhance those skills to serve our communities. Properly trained officers will not only provide better service to our communities, but will also confidently carry out the duties charged to them to ensure we preserve our way of life here in Clay County for years to come.
BAXTER: In our community, we don’t usually have just one “biggest” issue. Our challenges tend to connect and feed into each other. From what I’ve seen managing the office day to day, the most pressing problems right now are domestic assaults, which have been on the rise across our county, drug related activity, property theft, and traffic safety issues.
Domestic violence hits especially hard because it affects entire families, and at times entire communities. We’ve seen a troubling uptick in these calls, and it is truly heartbreaking to know the amount of lives it is impacting. Drugs or alcohol substance abuse often contribute to a lot of the violence and contribute to the theft and impaired driving that puts everyone at risk on our roads. These often are not separate problems, but linked.
Our office over the last 18+ months has become increasingly more proactive on domestic assaults. We have stronger response times, better training for our deputies on recognizing patterns, and closer partnerships with advocacy centers and the county attorney to make sure survivors get the support that they need. I have also just recently been appointed by the Nebraska Attorney General to the Nebraska Domestic Abuse Death Review Team and hope to offer more suggestions on what needs to change to better help serve domestic abuse survivors in rural communities like ours better.
On the drug side, we’ll continue aggressive with interdiction tactics. We already work hand in hand with neighboring agencies to stop drug trafficking, and I am extremely proud of the work our deputies do. Every deputy is either scheduled to attend or has already attended drug interdiction classes and the same can be said for Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement class, which helps officers identify impairment from drugs.
For property theft and traffic violations, we’ll continue using data to deploy deputies smarter. We focus patrols in areas where problems spike, such as suspicious vehicle calls or thefts. We look for trends and address those on a proactive basis. While I recognize it is impossible to be at the right time at the right place every time, I use the data we have to empower our deputies to proactively prevent crime.
I know our resources are limited, but the key is prioritization and strong partnerships. We’ll measure success here by fewer repeat victims, fewer stolen property calls (which I can proudly say are trending down the last 12 months), and safer roads. These issues are hurting our families and communities. With the steady and experienced leadership I offer, I know we will continue to make real progress by being proactive and focused on what actually keeps Clay County safe.
7. How would you propose working with local cities/villages to promote unified county-wide law enforcement?
GABRIEL: This is easy for me, I do it currently in Harvard bi-weekly. At every council meeting I present a Police Report and through dialoge with the council we work to unify our town and address its needs. As Sheriff I am bringing this concept to every town board, the only way to unify our law enforcement is through knowledge, respect and understanding of what is required along with how we obtain those goals.
BAXTER: Two of our communities have their own dedicated Police Departments, Sutton and Harvard. However, every other city and village relies entirely on the Sheriff’s Office for their law enforcement. The partnerships we have with the other communities needs to stay strong and consistent. If elected, I’ll focus on building better communication and cooperation. That means regular, informal conversations to hear what the specific concerns are. The goal isn’t to take over local control, but to make every citizens safer no matter which township they live in. Our open door policy will extend to this, we’ll listen to the concerns, address them, and give feedback and what we accomplish. This is more about having a practical collaborative approach and an open line of communication on issues each community may be facing.
8. If elected, what will be the first thing you do in office? Do you have any “job-related projects” you would like to tackle?
GABRIEL: My very first project is community based. On my very first day as Sheriff I will stay true to what I have been pitching to our communities! I will open the doors to our Sheriffs Office, sponsor a meet and greet where families, organizations, businesses and whomever wants to attend can meet at a personal level each Officer who works at the Sheriffs Office along with Harvard PD and Sutton PD Officers as they are part of our law enforcement family. I will also encourage for our citizens to tour our facilities, vehicles and make sure they know were their tax dollars have been going and where they will go.
BAXTER: If I am elected Sheriff, the first thing I will do is sit down with every deputy and staff member for one on one conversations. After 18+ months of training directly under Sheriff Franklin and managing the day to day operations, I want to make sure that our team knows we’re continuing with the strong leadership they are used to. Much of the progress I hoped to bring to the office, we’ve already started implementing. I’m not coming in to this with a whole new plan, I’ve been preparing for this role for the past year and a half while learning from Sheriff Franklin and his decades of experience while simultaneously implementing improvements and changes. This is a position I am truly ready for on day one, no transition period or stepping backwards, just continued progress.
We’ll keep building on our retention efforts for our deputies, empowering them to do their jobs with the best training and equipment we can offer. We’ll expand our community outreach even further by being at local sporting events and conducting trainings on safe vehicle driving for our children to name a few. These are both areas that we have already made incredible strides in, and I am committed to keeping that momentum going. My biggest “project” will be finishing our accreditation for our agency, something I have been working towards for months. Being an accredited agency will allow us to access more grant funding and shows that we hold the highest of standards.
This will be a steady and continual progress built on what we have already accomplished together. I’m ready to lead this office in the right direction, one that means safer roads, stronger families, and a professional Sheriff’s Office our community can count on.
9. What is one thing the current sheriff’s office is doing well, and what is one thing you would change?
GABRIEL: I thank the Sheriff’s Office for assisting our PDs. The truth is, our PDs operate on a mere fraction of the budget the Sheriff’s Office has. The Sheriff’s office responds to service calls to the best of their abilities when needed. And for that as a current Police Chief I will always applaud them. I respect every deputy who throws on their vest knowing there is no guarantee of returning home at the end of their shift. Every Officer and their families in Clay County deserve that recognition.
However, respectfully I would change its entire structure along with the way its administration handles day to day operations. I have the ideology of community comes first, this derives from working hand in hand with my community for years. Its not enough to simple respond to a call, take a report and leave. We need to be charismatic, build strong raport with our citizens and follow up with them when they report a crime. I have heard this so many times, a report is taken and the reporting party doesnt get a follow up or know what happened with their report. Thats a good place to start to better create a healthy working relationship with our citizens.
BAXTER: One thing we are currently doing really well at is maintaining stable staffing levels. While many other rural Nebraska agencies are dealing with serious shortages and constant turnover, we’ve been able to keep our numbers in a much better place. This gives us the ability to provide more consistent coverage across the county, better serving our citizens. Building our staffing numbers has been an incredibly long process, and one that I took on personally. When I first stepped into the role as Chief Deputy, we had a hard time getting any applicants at all and our teams moral was low. I am proud to say now that I regularly receive phone calls from qualified and certified officers from across the state asking if we have any openings and that the team we have is one of the most motivated teams I have ever seen. The feedback we have received from neighboring agencies has been outstanding, and is forever something I will be proud of.
If I could focus on improving one area, it would be moving closer to true 24-hour coverage with on duty deputies available around the clock. While this is an area we are already working towards, it’s something that I want to be done a lot faster. Having consistent and dedicated coverage 24 hours a day would make a big difference in response times, officer safety, and peace of mind for residence. If elected, I’d make completing this transition one of my top priorities.
This isn’t about overhauling the department, that work has already been done. The basics are strong. It is simply about taking the next steps forward so we can deliver even better and more reliable service to every part of Clay County.
10. Why are you the best fit for this position? GABRIEL: I personally feel I am the best fit for this position because of my experience, my moral and ethical compass, ability to establish trust amongst our community and because I am a Clay County native. I don’t have the luxury of failing, I can’t fail our Officers, our citizens, our youth and all those people who circle Gabriel on the ballot as well as those who don’t. I am not starting from scratch, I have worked just about every type of case that law enforcement has to throw at us, I’ve learned from my mistakes, I am intelligent enough to ask for help when I don’t know the answer and foremost I’m not leaving Clay County, after this term or the next. I am here for each and every citizen of Clay County who is sticking beside our communities when greater and grander opportunities are presented to them outside of Clay County. Clay County has been good to my family and I owe it to Clay County to be good for it and its future generations.
BAXTER: I believe that I am the best fit for Sheriff of Clay County because I have been preparing for it every day for the last 18 months under Sheriff Franklin as his Chief Deputy. I have been mentored, trained, and been hands on with managing the day to day operations of this office. I have done everything from scheduling, investigations, budgeting, staffing, and responding to calls across the entire county.
I’m not coming into this as an outsider with new ideas that I hope will work. I already know the strengths and the challenges our office face. I understand the realities of our county, the budgeting constraints we have, the need to balance proactive work with emergency response, and the importance of keeping our staffing as stable as possible in a time when many rural agencies are struggling.
I’ve been a key part to the progress we have already made. I have restructured our department to make our salaries more competitive with zero extra cost to the taxpayers, I’ve written and been awarded grants, I’ve implemented new policies and procedures, and I continue to work towards goals like 24 hour coverage and our K9 program. These are not just plans on paper, they are real things that have shown progress and momentum.
I have the relationships necessary to make sure a rural county like ours can answer any call at any time. We work closely with all surrounding counties, the TRIDENT drug task force, South Central Area Law Enforcement Services (SCALES), Central Nebraska Special Response Team, EnCourage Advocacy Center, and many others. Most of these relationships I have built from the ground up.
Most importantly, I live here, I’m raising my young family here, and I deeply care about Clay County. I want to continue the professional and reliable service that residents have come to expect while continuing to make the improvements where it matters most. Voters deserve someone who knows the job, knows the people, and is ready to lead on day one with the same integrity and dedication that Sheriff Franklin has shown for decades. I’m asking for your vote because I’m the experienced, prepared, and committed candidate who can hit the ground running and keep our Sheriff’s Office moving in the right direction for the safety and well-being of all Clay County families.
Cristhian Gabriel
Kreighton Baxter
