Jared Froggatte, an Iola Police Department detective, filed for the Republican nomination for Allen County sheriff this week.
Froggatte, rural Iola, handed County Clerk Sherrie Riebel petitions containing 275 names, about 200 of which were of registered Republicans, 80 more than needed to make him a candidate.
Encouragement from others, often from frustrations with current Sheriff Bryan Murphy and his department, led him to file, Froggatte said. “I’d heard frustrations about narcotics (illegal drugs) and lack of cooperation with police departments,” he said. “I think the department could be better.
“We’ve had people who are unsatisfied and who want the police department to help them, but we can’t,” because of jurisdiction, said Froggatte, 43. “I can get better cooperation elsewhere (he mentioned Parsons and Ottawa) than by walking across the street.”
If he is GOP nominee and elected in November, Froggatte said he would ensure “transparency of where tax money is spent.” As for department personnel, “there are some good deputies and some that are a little young. There’s been some experience lost.”
However, Froggatte said he wouldn’t make any personnel judgments immediately. To give better service, he would have some jailers trained in law-enforcement. “At night when there’s one deputy on, it would be good to have a couple of jailers who could help out in an emergency.”
Murphy and Kelley Zellner, Humboldt, also have filed for the Republican nomination. Froggatte said David Shelby, Iola PD night shift lieutenant, would be his undersheriff.
In 2012, Murphy defeated Froggatte 1,449 to 878 and won over Skylar Clark, running as an independent, in the general election en route to his first term as sheriff.
FROGGATTE WAS born and raised in Princeton. After graduating from Central Heights High School, he served in the Army’s 25th Infantry Division as a scout and team leader.
He farmed for a spell, and decided to continue his education at Allen Community College when farm prices soured. Returning to service in the National Guard, Froggatte served a deployment to Iraq.
He has been in law enforcement since 2003, with Allen County, Humboldt and Iola.
His wife, Wendy, is Humboldt Elementary School nurse.
