Missouri voters will decide Amendment 8 in November, which would put county sheriffs in the state Constitution and change how they can be removed.
Missouri Sheriffs United President Matt Oller says local concerns could still go to the attorney general, but Democratic State Representative Will Jobe disagrees.
“There's mechanisms for the community themselves through local control to be able to take care of that," Jobe says. "Amendment 8 gets rid of that. This process can only be used by the Attorney General and takes what used to be a local control check and balance that our communities had and takes that away.”
Amendment 8 would also require elected sheriffs in most Missouri counties and protect the office in the state Constitution. Jobe questions whether that protection is necessary.
“To me, that's a particularly dangerous thing, the idea that the elected county sheriffs, when they're constitutional now, don't have to follow the protections that we enshrine in our Missouri Constitution that people have against law enforcement action that's unreasonable or unfair or unconstitutional," Jobe explains.
Missouri Sheriffs United President Matt Oller supports Amendment 8. He says sheriffs need constitutional protection because the Legislature can currently change or eliminate the office.
Missourinet