Sedgwick Co. Sheriff Candidates Debate

October 28, 2008

by Matt Mauro (WICHITA, Kan.)

One of the big issues in the race for Sedgwick County Sheriff is the department's morale. And that's exactly what the two candidates for that office talked about Tuesday morning.

The current sheriff, Gary Steed, is not running for re-election. The two men running for that job are Republican Bob Hinshaw and Democrat Walt Kuykendall. Hinshaw is Sedgwick County's undersheriff and Kuykendall was with the Wichita Police Department for almost 30 years and was the police chief of Viola.

The debate Tuesday was in front of a political science class at Wichita State University.

A lot of it focused on a survey of the Sedgwick Cunty Sheriff's Department that came out this summer. It says low morale is a big issue in the department.

Kuykendall says his opponent is part of an administration with big communication issues and that's why morale is low.

"He needs to be much more of a leader and that would help with the morale issues going on," says Kuykendall, talking about Hinshaw. "There had been a lack of communication from the top level down."

But Hinshaw says that's not the case and says he can help that if he's elected sheriff. He says other people in the department like to talk with him.

"They get to know me as an individual to where even now they will approach me in the parking lot, come up for coffee. I am approachable," Hinshaw says.

The two candidates also talked about gang violence and stopping people from driving drunk.

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