Williams steps down as sheriff, steps up as commissioner

Tom Williams’ tenure as sheriff will draw to a close Monday when undersheriff Bryan Murphy is sworn in as sheriff.
The Allen County Sheriff’s department hosted a retirement party for Williams on Friday afternoon; a party Williams modestly said wasn’t necessary.
Williams isn’t completely retiring. Come Monday, he will be sworn in as an Allen County commissioner.
His mission: To solve the ongoing ambulance issue.
“It’s what I ran on. I won’t run again if I don’t,” he said. “What we are doing right now isn’t good for the taxpayers. I don’t have any real dogs in this fight, I just want to do what’s best for the people I am representing.”
In addition to county commissioner, Williams sits on the Kansas Crime Victims Compensation Board, a request by Attorney General Derek Schmidt.
“It has been one of the most rewarding positions,” Williams said. “On the board we work on giving back to victims some degree of making them whole again.”

WILLIAMS was sheriff for eight years. He was elected in 2004 and took office after Robbie Atkins.
“In this business I have been able to meet some of the best people in the state of Kansas and some of the worst,” Williams said.
In the past eight years Williams has a list of accomplishments he can add to his resume — some that has gotten Williams some feedback, such as increased spending in the sheriff’s department.
Williams admits the costly upgrades, but says it’s lowered costs in other areas.
For example, officers have cameras on their persons while on duty. William’s said this cuts down on courtroom costs and time because the viewer is seeing what happened from the deputy’s eyes.
“Attorneys have an easier time,” Williams said. “I think defense attorneys like it too because they can tell their client if they think they have a good case or if they don’t have a chance at winning the case.”
Williams said a lot of the behind-the-scenes costs are cut down.
Each year, with the exception of Williams’ first year, department spending at year’s end has been under budget.
“Remember though the first year’s budget was not my budget, it was the previous administration’s budget,” Williams said. “We are right in the ball park in counties our size. We are a professional department and if you want a professional department you have to pay for a professional department.”
Building and running the jail was another of William’s proud accomplishments.
The jail was completed in October of 2004.
“I am going to knock on wood but the worst thing that can happen in a jail is a death or an escape and I haven’t had either,” he said.
Williams’ administration has maintained a safe environment in the jail, while also keeping medical and food services local.
“The people at The Family Physicians and Iola Pharmacy sat me down and came up with a better way (to provide inmates with medical services),” he said. “It cost me more to have someone come down from Wichita to see the inmates than it is for me to have someone come from here in Iola. It has saved us a lot of money.”
Williams said taking inmates to the doctor’s office is not safe so instead they have Laurel Louderbaugh, a nurse practitioner with Family Physicians, come to the jail.
Citizens have criticized the Williams’ administration’s treatment of inmates.
“People need to remember that those people back there are our community’s sons and daughters,” Williams said. “They haven’t been convicted of anything, they have been charged, but not convicted.
“The same people who criticize the budget are the same people that think we should be serving inmates bread and water.” 

SOME of the other actions started under the William’s administration were the Child Advocacy Center, sex offender’s registry, which is paid for by the offenders, the Reverse 911 system, implementing Roy Smith as security at the courthouse and drug court.
“These weren’t all my ideas, I just got lucky and got the credit,” Williams said. “I have great faith in the next administration, they will probably be even better.”
Williams’ wife Margo will also look forward to having her husband home and safe.
“I won’t have to worry about him anymore,” she said.