Prairie Village Police Chief Byron Roberson has filed to run for Johnson County Sheriff in 2024, expanding the field that already includes a former sheriff’s office leader who aims to challenge his former boss.
In a news release Wednesday morning, Roberson’s campaign took direct aim at current Sheriff Calvin Hayden, saying a “change in leadership in the sheriff’s office” is needed.
Hayden, a Republican, has yet to officially file for reelection, though he has indicated in recent weeks he plans to run again.
Roberson has filed to run as a Democrat, according to the Johnson County Election Office.
Former undersheriff Doug Bedford of De Soto has also already filed to run. Bedford, a Republican, would face Hayden in a primary if the current sheriff does seek reelection.
Endorsed by four former JoCo police chiefs
In Wednesday’s release, Roberson touted the endorsements of four former local police chiefs, including Ellen Hanson and Tom Hongslo, both former police chiefs of Lenexa, as well as Tim Burnett of Merriam and Ben Hadley of Mission.
“Our public endorsement of Byron should underscore the urgent need for a change in leadership at the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office,” Hanson is quoted in the release. “As a career law enforcement officer that rose through the ranks to become Chief of Police, Byron has what it takes to effectively lead the office in a way that has been lacking.”
Combined, the four former chiefs have 118 years of experience serving in law enforcement, according to Roberson’s campaign.
“As police chief, I’ve seen firsthand the lack of collaboration between municipal police departments and leadership at the sheriff’s office,” Roberson said in the release. “As sheriff, I’ll open those lines of communication and partner with local departments for a safer Johnson County.”
Former undersheriff Doug Bedford has filed for the race
If Hayden files to run, he will face an internal Republican Party challenge from a former colleague.
Former Johnson County Undersheriff Doug Bedford has also declared his candidacy for sheriff in 2024, according to the Johnson County Election Office.
Bedford’s campaign website says he wants to “instill transparency, trust, and teamwork” in the sheriff’s department and “bring back the people’s confidence in public safety by focusing on strengthening relationships between all city, county, and state agencies, ensuring a safe and wholesome community for all.”
Bedford, who lives in De Soto, served in the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office for nearly 25 years, rising through the ranks from deputy to undersheriff, one of the department’s top leadership roles.
Before that, he served in the military as a trained U.S. Navy SEAL.
Bedford on his campaign website also touts his endorsements from dozens of retired local law enforcement officers, including former Fairway Police Chief Dave Brown and retired Gardner Police Chief Jay Belcher.
Roberson is Prairie Village’s first Black police chief
Roberson has been with the Prairie Village Police Department since 1995 and rose from a corporal to a major before becoming deputy police chief in 2019.
In 2021, he was appointed the city’s top law enforcement officer, replacing Chief Tim Schwartzkopf, who retired from that position and took a new position in city hall.
At the time of his appointment, Roberson called it a “sign of progress” that a Black man could lead a Johnson County police department. City and local records indicate he is the first Black police chief of any municipal police department in Johnson County history.
He has also served as a field training officer, narcotics detective and department range master at various times during his tenure and been an adjunct professor of criminal justice at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Along with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a master’s in administration of justice, he is also a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy.
