Home - Jim Arnott Sheriff

THANK
YOU!

PAID FOR BY CITIZENS FOR JIM ARNOTT, JACK L MERRITT TREASURER

Goals for sheriff’s office

16 Years as Your Sheriff

36 Years with the Greene County Sheriff’s Office

Jim Arnott has worked and led thousands of investigations over his career, including homicides, assaults, kidnappings, crimes against children, sexual assaults, burglaries, theft and fraud. His experience and leadership has led to the successful prosecution and incarceration of countless criminals.

Trusted Leadership

With 36 years of experience, Jim Arnott knows the law and the people of Greene County, MO. His specialized education and training in investigations, weapons and tactics have allowed him to serve Greene County successfully.

While overseeing the largest sheriff’s office in Missouri, Arnott has established new programs, expanded available resources, increased staffing and salaries, and taken an active role in work on the ground.

EXPERIENCE

Reserve Deputy Sheriff
Patrol Deputy
Detective CID
Sergeant CID
Lieutenant CID
Captain CID
Chief Deputy
Sheriff

As acting Sheriff:

President Missouri Sheriff’s Association
Missouri POST Commissioner
Interim Ash Grove Police Chief
Interim Fair Grove Police Chief

Education

Bachelor of Criminal Justice Administration
Drury University Law Enforcement Academy
FBI National Academy Graduate
National Sheriffs’ Institute Graduate
Southern Police Institute Graduate
National Jail Leadership Command Academy Graduate
Missouri POST Class A License
Missouri Certified POST Instructor

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

GCSO Law Enforcement Training Academy
Sheriff’s Critical Incident Team SCIT
Formed and enhanced Jail Psychology and Medical Unit
Professional Standards Division/Internal Affairs
Citizens on Patrol
Patrol Canine Program
Jail Canine Program
Mounted Posse 501(c)(3)
Sheriff Arnott’s Distinguished Posse 501(c)(3)
Inmate Road Work Crews
SWAT
Obtained specialty vehicles, most at no cost
Fugitive Apprehension Unit
D.A.R.E. still active without tax dollars
Enhanced grant funded DWI Unit
Achieved National Commission on Correctional Health Care Accreditation (The only Sheriff-run jail in Missouri to accomplish this!)
Parents as Teachers Advisory Board

Sheriff Arnott’s Mission

Eliminate Gang Violence

Sheriff Arnott will continue his proactive response to Springfield and Greene County gang violence.

Protect Private Property Owners

Sheriff Arnott will continue his proactive response to illegal encampments and protect the constitutional rights of private property owners.

Keep Our Borders Safe

Sheriff Arnott will continue to support and enforce laws that keep our borders safe.

Retain & Grow An Excellent Staff

Sheriff Arnott will continue to attract, recruit and retain the best personnel available.

Greene County Sheriff's Office and Jail, officially opened spring of 2022.

Growth From 2009 to 2024

Since Jim Arnott became your Sheriff, the Greene County Sheriff’s Office has grown.

	Staffing	Jail Beds	Budget	Deputy Salary	Call Quantity
2009	252	512	$14.5M	$14.52	47,000
2024	624	1,242	$48.7M	$23.74	80,000

The Largest Sheriff’s Office in Missouri

Staffing Growth

Sheriff Jim Arnott and the Greene County Sheriff’s Office serve a population of 299,000 citizens. As Sheriff, Arnott has increased staffing to better protect and serve our growing community. Arnott knows what it takes to build a talented and highly skilled team. He achieved staff salary increases not once but three times in 2013, 2018 and 2024.

Law Enforcement Academy

Under Arnott’s leadership, the Greene County Sheriff’s Office established its Law Enforcement Academy in 2022. Each year, detention officers follow rigorous, up-to-date training through the Academy to become commissioned deputies. The Academy encourages and supports law enforcement officers as they excel in their careers, which is integral to staff retention and a safer community.

PROGRAMS

Programs

Accredited Medical Department

Earned National Commission on Correctional Health Care Accreditation for the Medical Department. Greene County is the only Sheriff-run jail in Missouri to accomplish this accreditation.

Citizens on Patrol (COPS)

Founded the Citizens on Patrol (COPS), an all-volunteer group of citizens that aid the GCSO.

D.A.R.E.

Kept the D.A.R.E. program active with no taxpayer funding.

GCSO SWAT

Established the GCSO SWAT team to respond to barricaded subjects and hostage situations, perform high risk entries, and arrest violent offenders.

K-9 Unit

Formed the K-9 unit employing 6 patrol and 4 jail deputies with K9 partners.

Mental Health Initiatives

Licensed professionals led by a full-time psychologist provide crisis intervention for inmates and staff, inmate release and reentry support, inmate classification and housing, and partnerships with mental health organizations.

Neighborhood Watch

Enhanced the neighborhood watch program.

Sheriff’s Critical Incident Team

Formed the Sheriff’s Critical Incident Team, a collaboration between Greene, Christian, Lawrence and Webster County Sheriff’s Office Investigation Teams for critical incidents such as officer-involved shootings.

Sheriff's Posse of Greene County

Organized the Sheriff’s Posse of Greene County, a nonprofit organization and all-volunteer group that teaches horsemanship and supports the GCSO in its endeavors.

Resources

Increased Protection

During his tenure as Sheriff, Arnott’s initiatives increased staffing from 252 staff members in 2009 to 624 in 2024.

more equipment

The Greene County Sheriff’s Office has obtained more specialty vehicles, like the Crime Scene Unit, Sheriff’s Mobile Command Post, UTV and military specialty vehicles, through grants, seized drug money and donations.

more resources

Sheriff Arnott has harnessed resources outside of the Office’s available budget through collaborations with our law enforcement and Sheriff’s Critical Incident Team partners.

In 2017, he formed Sheriff Arnott’s Distinguished Posse, a 501(c)(3) organization for community-minded people who wish to support law enforcement in Greene County.

More Volunteers

Today, the Greene County Sheriff’s Office works with over 200 volunteers, from Reserve Deputies, COP Citizens on Patrol, Mounted Posse, Distinguished Posse, and religion, education and mental health volunteers.

County

Safer Communities

Contributed to the passing of 2017 general revenue sales tax to “Keep Greene County Safe, Clean & Healthy.”

Increased Capacity

Helped pass the 2012 Public Safety Initiative to improve law enforcement staffing.

Greater Staff Retention

Restructured salaries in 2013, 2018 and 2024 to positively affect all county employees.

Better Relationships

Collaborated with community and business leaders to develop support mechanisms for law enforcement and Greene County.

Protecting The Community

Unlike municipal law enforcement agencies, the Sheriff has jurisdiction in all areas of the county, including the cities within Greene County.

The Greene County Sheriff’s Office has an operating budget of more than $48.7 million and employs more than 624 personnel with 46 Reserves and more than 200 Citizen Volunteers. The jail houses an average daily inmate population of 700. The Sheriff’s Office oversees the protection of 670 square miles and a population of 299,000 citizens.

As Sheriff, Arnott led the charge in liberating Springfield from violent gang crime. He has successfully reduced the number of violent gangs in Springfield through indictments.

Additionally, Arnott believes in upholding the constitutional rights of private property owners, and he isn’t afraid to act on behalf of those property owners. He has successfully removed trespassers and illegal encampments across Greene County neighborhoods.

Life As Sheriff

Jim Arnott is dedicated to the citizens of Greene County. He is a community volunteer and crime victim advocate. He has two children and several grandchildren within this community that he loves and has sworn to protect.

The Greene County Sheriff’s Office is where he began his law enforcement career and has continued to serve since 1988. Greene County citizens first elected Jim Arnott as Sheriff in 2008 and re-elected him again in 2011, 2016 and 2019.

Sheriffs across Missouri elected Sheriff Arnott to serve as President of the Missouri Sheriff’s Association from 2018 to 2019. This nonprofit organization supports sheriffs and their vision for safer communities through legislative efforts, training and technical assistance.

Sheriff Arnott and the Greene County Sheriff’s Office have been featured on a number of television news magazine programs and documentary series. When “LIVE PD” filmed with Sheriff Arnott and his staff, the show experienced a record-breaking 2.4 million viewers. Most recently, “COPS” filmed a season with the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, which is scheduled to air in 2024.

As Sheriff, Jim Arnott’s responsibilities include but are not limited to patrolling Greene County’s unincorporated areas, county roads and highways, inmate housing, serving civil process, investigating crimes, and courtroom security.

Among his many accomplishments, Sheriff Arnott was honored in the 10th annual class of Springfield Business Journal’s Men of the Year in 2020.

Honors

Jim Arnott has received the following honors:

Patriotic Employer by the National Guard and Reserves

Military Order of the Purple Heart

Outstanding Service from American Legions

Recognized for assistance in Presidential Security Details by the U.S. Secret Service

Springfield Business Journal’s 2020 Man of the Year Award

Voter Information

Make your voice heard on August 6, 2024!

Register to vote

Voters must register by July 10, 2024 to participate in the August 6, 2024 primaries. Visit the Missouri Secretary of State website to register online, print your application to mail or find a location to register in-person. When registering in-person, you must bring a form of personal identification like a driver’s license or bank statement.

Election Day

Registered voters should bring a form of photo identification to their polling place on Election Day. Acceptable forms of photo identification include a Missouri driver or non-driver license, passport, military ID, veteran’s ID card or another photo ID issued by the United States or the state of Missouri.

Where can you vote?

Use your address to find your polling place at the Missouri Voter’s Outreach Center website.

I Ask for Your Vote

Receive a free yard sign to support Jim Arnott.

Follow Jim Arnott for Greene County Sheriff on Facebook

Paid For By Citizens for Jim Arnott Jack L Merritt Treasurer.

2024

BOTTOM OF THE PAGE. Secondary option for the about section as well as an image section not currently in use

ABOUT JIM ARNOTT

Vote for Decades of Leadership

With 36 years of experience, Jim Arnott knows the law and the people of Greene County, MO. His specialized education and training in investigations, weapons and tactics have allowed him to serve as Greene County’s working sheriff since 2008.

Over his two decades overseeing the largest sheriff’s office in Missouri, Arnott has established new programs, expanded available resources, increased staffing and salaries, and taken an active role in work on the ground.