A longtime member of the Dubois County Sheriff’s Department has decided to take a shot at becoming the department’s leader.
Detective Sergeant Tom Kleinhelter announced in a release this morning that he is seeking the republican nomination for the office of Sheriff of Dubois County in the 2018 election.
Current sheriff Donnie Lampert will complete his second term next year and is term limited.
Kleinhelter says he’s excited about the opportunity to run for the Office of Sheriff of Dubois County in 2018.
He has been with the department since 1994 starting out as a Jail Officer before advancing through the department holding every position that is available through testing and interviews.
Tom has been Detective Sergeant for the past 5 years and is the lead investigator on most crimes against individuals. He also supervises the Evidence Room and serves as the Narcotics Officer as well.
In his announcement Kleinhelter says he believes the Sheriff’s Department is the premier law enforcement agency in the county. He says he will use the tremendous amount of knowledge within the department to continuously improve, which will allow the department to serve citizens more efficiently and be more of a proactive agency.
He says it is no secret that the county has an opioid problem, and says he will work with all state and county offices to find a solution to help reduce the number of individuals returning to jail as repeat offenders.
The Northeast Dubois graduate has been an active member of numerous boards and organizations throughout his career, including the Drug Court, the Community Correction advisory Board, the Child Advocacy Center and is a Certified Indiana Law Enforcement Academy Training Officer.
He is also a member of the Knights of Columbus, and is a licensed official for the Indiana High School Athletic Association for Baseball and Basketball.
Kleinhelter and his wife Angie have been married for 25 years and have two grown children.
He says with their support he feels now is the perfect time to seek office, as he feels he has the time necessary to successfully fulfill the duties of Sheriff.
He says he’s an excellent listener and does not rush to judgment and has the broad experience, leadership, and organizational skills needed to be an outstanding choice for the citizens of Dubois County to serve as the next Sheriff.
