Greene County sheriff challenged in Republican primary by former Fair Grove school resource officer - Springfield Daily Citizen (2024)

In vying for his fifth four-year term, Greene County’s longtime Sheriff Jim Arnott is facing his first contest since being elected in 2008.

Ben McMains, a former school resource officer for the Fair Grove School District, is challenging Arnott in the Republican primary, a few months after McMains was decommissioned and terminated.

With no Democratic candidate, the winner of the Aug. 6 primary election is slated to run unopposed in the Nov. 5 general election.

Decommissioning among reasons McMains running for sheriff

McMains, 42, has 18 years of law enforcement experience. In addition to his six-month stint as school resource officer, McMains worked as a Laclede County deputy, a Greene County court bailiff and Conway, Mo. police chief. As an SRO, McMains was commissioned through the Fair Grove Police Department, where he was previously an officer and continued to serve as a reserve officer with patrol duties.

McMains was first decommissioned as a court bailiff for what Arnott describes as an “integrity issue,” but Arnott would not disclose added information. McMains claims his ouster from the position stemmed from his refusal to take the COVID-19 vaccine.

In December 2023, a few months after McMains became the SRO for the Fair Grove School District, Arnott was named acting police chief following a string of resignations from the police department. The department has since hired a new chief.

McMains was decommissioned by the city in January, following an investigation by the Greene County Sheriff’s Office of a complaint filed by a city employee against McMains, which he said stemmed from a confrontation after he was told he could no longer work as a reserve officer amid concerns he was not patrolling. McMains denies those concerns, arguing he would often stop by his house in his patrol car for lunch and other breaks.

His dismissal, upheld by the Fair Grove Board of Aldermen upon an appeal, sparked public outcry, including a walkout at Fair Grove High School. McMains partly blames Arnott for his decommissioning.

“That’s one of the reasons I’m running for sheriff, because of these bully tactics that [Arnott] does,” McMains told the Springfield Daily Citizen.

McMains said he has spoken with “a lot” of people, including former Greene County employees, who have issues with Arnott, and also cited the alleged involvement of the Greene County Sheriff’s Office in the clearing a homeless camp where belongings were set on fire among other reasons he is running for sheriff.

“I feel like the leadership is just lacking, and it definitely is something that we need to focus on and do better at,” he said.

As sheriff, McMains said he would like to fully staff the Sheriff’s Office and expand efforts to get intoxicated drivers off the streets. He also wants to help get more kids involved in youth education programs, an endeavor he thinks could benefit from his experience as an SRO.

McMains said he is planning to formally announce his candidacy soon, and is in the process of setting up his campaign finance committee and a campaign website. He acknowledged that beating Arnott in the Republican primary would be “an uphill fight,” but is hopeful Greene County voters want change in the Sheriff’s Office.

Arnott faces first contest since 2008

Since winning contests in the Republican primary and general election in 2008, Arnott has run unopposed in every election.

Prior to being elected sheriff, Arnott worked as chief deputy and Criminal Investigations Division captain, among other positions with the Sheriff’s Office, totaling over 30 years in law enforcement. A graduate of the FBI National Academy, Arnott holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Columbia Southern University.

During his tenure as sheriff, the Greene County Jail and Sheriff’s Office relocated from the county government campus on Boonville Avenue to a new $150 million facility on West Division Street, funded through a controversial ½-cent sales tax increase approved by Greene County voters in 2017.

The Sheriff’s Office has also grown from around 200 employees to 624. If elected to a fifth term, Arnott hopes to finish the hiring program and ramp up proactive enforcement. Four more years could also bridge the gap to retirement, though Arnott, 56, remains undecided if he would run for a sixth term.

“As long as I feel that I’m making a difference, and I’m useful, I will probably work,” Arnott told the Daily Citizen. “I don’t know if that’ll always be sheriff, but I’d like to at least go another term and see how things are going.”

Arnott doesn’t anticipate the recent events in Fair Grove to be a focus of his campaign

“I’m glad he’s looking for a job,” Arnott said. While questioning McMains qualifications, Arnott said: “Anybody can run for sheriff.”

Arnott reported limited activity in his latest campaign finance report.