(AUBURN) - DeKalb County Sheriff Brady Thomas has announced he will seek re-election for a second term in office.
Thomas, who took office Jan. 1, 2023, said he is running again to continue efforts to strengthen public safety services and improve internal operations within the Sheriff's Office.
During his first term, the Sheriff's Office added a second full-time School Resource Officer in partnership with DeKalb Central Schools and opened a satellite office inside St. Joe Town Hall to expand patrol coverage in the southeastern part of the county.
Thomas also established a memorandum of understanding with Northeastern Center to provide counseling services for staff and launched the Q360 mental health, substance abuse and life-skills program for inmates through a grant from the Indiana Sheriffs' Association. The office increased Crisis Intervention Team training to 100% of deputies, added CPR instructors and a Child Safety Seat Specialist, and introduced a new website with an inmate search feature.
Other initiatives included reconvening the Courthouse Security Committee, coordinating a security assessment with the Indiana Supreme Court, hiring an Animal Control Officer, forming a SWAT team, upgrading safety equipment and publishing an annual Sheriff's Office report outlining performance metrics.
Internally, Thomas implemented a mentorship program for new deputies, created a standardized citizen complaint process and revamped hiring procedures, resulting in a fully staffed department with a waiting list of applicants, according to the release.
Thomas, an Auburn native, DeKalb High School graduate and U.S. Marine Corps veteran, began his career with the Sheriff's Office in 2009 as a confinement officer before being elected sheriff in 2022.
He will appear on the May primary ballot.